Anne of the Thousand Days (journal 3)

Anne of the Thousand Days was a pretty good recount of Anne Boleyn’s life, especially for a movie made in 1969. The film included spectacular acting by Genevieve Bujold, who played Anne, as well as decent sets, and even interested teenagers of the 21st Century. The background color was very dim throughout the entire movie, limiting the amount of detail apparent to the naked eye. However, the details were not the most important parts of the movie and it is understandable given that the movie is not recent.

The acting by Genevieve Bujold and Richard Burton, as Anne and King Henry, was amazing. They made the story come alive and seem very real. When Anne was forced to become part of Catherine of Aragon’s court, it seemed as though King Henry had ordered someone I knew to do it. When Anne’s feelings for Henry changed and she finally admitted she loved him, I wanted to reach into the screen and stop her! Obviously spending so much time with King Henry changed her feelings towards him but as the old saying goes, “Once a cheater, always a cheater.” He left Catherine of Aragon for a reason, and unfortunately, Anne could not give him a son so it was almost foreshadowing for him to leave her for Jane Seymour.

Anne’s audacity and bravery throughout her entire “adult” life was very unexpected given the typical roles of women in Tudor England. However, it definitely helped her gain more power than the typical queen. She definitely used it to her advantage and demanded a certain level of respect, which she was granted because of her audacity and intelligence. Catherine of Aragon did not seem to receive such a high level of respect, but from this movie alone, it was hard to make any real conclusions about her because she did not play a very big part.