Anne of The Thousand Days [VHS]
This lush, perfectly cast 1969 drama concerns both a doomed, royal love  affair and a pivotal moment in British history. Based on Maxwell Anderson's 1948 play,Anne of the Thousand Daysconcerns the mess that surrounded  King Henry VIII's decision to rid himself of his first wife, Catherine of  Aragon (Irene Papas), and marry the young Anne Boleyn (Geneviève Bujold).  Anglophiles know what happened next: Henry (Richard Burton) solved his  problems with the Vatican's condemnation of divorce by having himself named head of the Church of England (see alsoA Man for All Seasons), while  Anne's perceived problem conceiving a male heir made her vulnerable to plots  by the nefarious likes of Oliver Cromwell (John Colicos). Director Charles  Jarrott does a splendid job bringing all of these intrigues to life, though the story  is ultimately about Anne, a naive young woman who prepares herself to  navigate some of the dangers of Henry's court. Bujold and Burton never gave better performances, and this strange, tragic chapter in the history of the kings of England has never been more compellingly told on film.--Tom  Keogh