5 aug. 2012

The Disputation - one can't miss out on it

Next up is this rarely aired TV-film from Channel 4.

It is a chamber play, set in medieval times, during the reign of James I:st, King of Aragon. The Disputation was filmed in 1986, just right after Sir Lee had had a major heart surgery. (He looks a bit pale, I can't help thinking it might have something to do with it.)

I was lucky to catch it on TV as it was aried in Sweden a couple of years later, late 80's, but have seldom heard of it since.

I have understood that the marketing of this marvellous piece of acting on the behalf of Lee and all the others in the cast was virtually non-exsisting. Lee claims in Tall Dark and Gruesome that he was furious about this, nearly causing him a relaps of bad heart.

That is understandable. Forget all about sexy scoundrels, black magic, villains, Kurt Menliffs, or whatever he has played. This chamber play is, together with Jinnah, one of the finest piece of high-class acting I have ever seen him done. It most definitely has Shakespearian, or I Claudius - qualities about it:

The intelligent and proud character of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (Alan Dobie) is summoned up to the court of the liberal but troubled King James to dispute wether Jesus was Christ or not.

King James gives the Rabbi all rights of free speech, and refuses to fold when the Church is protesting. ("I cannot and will not take back my word!")

The Rabbi easily outargues his opponent, much to the dismay of King James's wife, the narrow-minded and intriguing Queen Yolanda (Helen Lindsay).

I won't reveal anymore. You will have to see for your selves. The sound is, as usual, a bit off. But if you are a fan of Sir Christopher Lee's, and want to see him in a real high end production when it comes to acting - you simply cannot miss out on this. You just cannot.

IMDB on it.

Enjoy!

Part 1 :
Part 2:














































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