To Kill a King [DVD]

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Product Description ------------------- 1645: After years of civil war, King Charles I is overthrown and two heroes have emerged Lord General Thomas Fairfax and his best friend and deputy General Oliver Cromwell. Their friendship is threatened when Fairfax and his wife conspire to return the King to power, and Cromwell instead orders his execution, seizing control. His armies spread violence and fear throughout the country, and Fairfax realizes Cromwell must be stopped, and their bond as two comrades-at-arms irreparably broken. .com ---- In Mike Barker's version of British history, Thomas Fairfax (Mission Impossible II's Dougray Scott) represents reason, while Oliver Cromwell (Tim Roth, taking on a role previously assumed by Richard Harris) embodies reform. As the lieutenant-general, who makes up in conviction what he lacks in charisma, declares, "Tom is our emblem. We are brutes without him." He could easily be referring to himself, since Cromwell would turn out to be one of England's more brutal reformers. Barker picks up their story in 1645 during the height of civil war. At the time, King Charles I (Rupert Everett, in fine fettle despite a few unfortunate ensembles) holds a tenuous grasp on the throne. Parliamentarians Fairfax and Cromwell enjoy cordial relations; though the latter's increasing fanaticism bodes poorly for the future. Further, the lord general's wife, Lady Fairfax (Rushmore's Olivia Williams), sympathizes with the king, putting her husband in an awkward position. In the end, Cromwell will decide the e of the Crown, but many lives might have been spared if Parliament had heeded Fairfax's calls for leniency. Plagued by budgetary problems, Barker was forced to halt production on the film twice (the project was saved largely by actor/producer Scott, who paid crew members out of his own pocket). Consequently, the director opted to emphasize political intrigue over battlefield heroics. Though less satisfying than his underrated O Wilde adaptation A Good Woman, To Kill a King (formerly Cromwell and Fairfax) features convincing performances and raises timely questions about the qualifications for leadership. --Kathleen C. Fennessy