Cromwell (film)

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Oliver Cromwell
theatrical poster
Directed by	Ken Hughes
Produced by	Irving Allen
Written by	Ken Hughes
Starring	Richard Harris Alec Guinness Robert Morley Nigel Stock Geoffrey Keen Michael Jayston
Cinematography	Geoffrey Unsworth
Editing by	Bill Lenny
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	26 October 1970 (U.S. release)
Running time	139 min
Language	English/ French
IMDb profile

Cromwell is a 1970 film, based on the life of Oliver Cromwell who led the Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War and, as Lord Protector, ruled Great Britain and Ireland in the mid-17th century. It features an all-star cast led by Richard Harris as Cromwell and Alec Guinness as King Charles I. There is also Robert Morley as Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester and Timothy Dalton as Prince Rupert of the Rhine.

1 Plot summary
2 Historical points
3 Actors and Make-Up
4 Cast
5 Awards
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Plot summary

Oliver Cromwell is a landowner and former politician. Disgusted with the policies of King Charles I, he plans to take his family to the New World, but, on the eve of their departure, he is drawn into the tangled web of politics and religion that will result in the English Civil War.

Charles needs money in order to fight wars against the Scots and the Irish. The Parliament of England will not grant him his requests unless he agrees to reforms that could lead to a constitutional monarchy. Committed to the Divine Right of Kings, Charles refuses. When he attempts to arrest five members of Parliament (in reality Cromwell was not one of them), war breaks out in England itself, Parliament against the King, both sides convinced that God is on their side.

When the Parliamentary forces in which he is an officer prove ineffective, Cromwell sets up the New Model Army and soon turns the tide against the King. Charles goes so far as to call on help from Catholic nations which disgusts even his most loyal Protestant supporters. He is finally defeated but, a brave man in his own way, he still refuses to give in to the demands of Cromwell and his associates for a system of government in which Parliament will have as much say in the running of the country as the King.

Unable to bring Charles round to their point of view, Cromwell and his supporters have him put on trial for treason. He is found guilty and sentenced to death. Charles bravely faces execution and even his most ardent critics are moved by his dignity. There is little celebration or satisfaction in his death, even from Cromwell.

However, Parliament soon proves itself just as useless in governing the country and, like the late King, Cromwell is forced to undertake a coup. But where Charles failed, Cromwell succeeds and takes over in order to bring in more stable government.

After Cromwell's death, Charles I's son, Charles II, returns to become King of an England "never to be the same again".

[edit] Historical points

Although publicity for the movie boasted that it had been made "after ten years' research", it has been criticised for its historical inaccuracies. Costumes, locations and the appearance of actors were generally accurate (the layout of the then-House of Commons for example) but, as in many historical films, liberties were taken with the course of events.

The dates during which most of the events take place are not even mentioned in the film, so that the historical inaccuracies concerning them would go completely unnoticed by people who are not experts on the subject.

Film Depiction	Reality
It seriously exaggerates Cromwell's role in the events leading up to the outbreak of the English Civil War. Neither he nor Ireton were among the five Members of Parliament whom the King tried to arrest when he entered the House of Commons.	The five members were John Pym, John Hampden, Denzil Holles, William Strode and Sir Arthur Hesilrige. Charles' occupation of the Speaker's chair, signalling his sovereignty over Parliament, and quip about "the birds have flown" are genuine, as is Speaker Lenthall's claim that he had neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak save those words which the Commons would let him use ^[1].
It puts forward a dated and inaccurate stereotype of Roundheads and Cavaliers wearing different clothing.	In reality they dressed the same.
Cromwell tells Charles I that the kind of government that he believes England should have is a democracy.	It is generally accepted that Cromwell made no such suggestion to the King.
Both the Earl of Essex and the Earl of Manchester are shown as sitting in the House of Commons	They would actually have sat in the House of Lords.
Cromwell is shown as a Colonel at the Battle of Edgehill	At the time he was only a Captain.
The famous soldiers' prayer: "O Lord, Thou knowest how busy I must be this day. If I forget Thee, do not forget me" is put into Cromwell's mouth.	In fact, the prayer came from Sir Jacob Astley, a Royalist ^[1].
The New Model Army is shown in black and gold hooped coats.	The soldiers wore a trademark red coat — the origins of the red coats worn by British infantry in subsequent centuries.
The Battle of Marston Moor goes unmentioned.	It was the biggest battle in the Civil War and Cromwell played an important role in the parliamentary victory ^[1].
At one point just before going into action Cromwell says "And was Gideon not outnumbered when he fought the Amalekites?"	It was the Midianites who Gideon fought while outnumbered.
The Battle of Naseby is 'reconstructed' with the New Model Army outnumbered 3:2 or maybe even 2:1 by the Royalists.	The New Model Army outnumbered the Royalist Army, part of whose cavalry was led by Prince Rupert.
Cromwell's son Oliver is depicted as having been killed during the Battle of Naseby in June 1645. The elder Oliver is seen at his son's gravestone towards the end of the film, which clearly reads the younger Oliver's year of death as 1644.	The younger Oliver Cromwell died of smallpox during the spring of 1644 while in garrison at Newport Pagnell ^[1].
Cromwell is named Commander-in-Chief of the Parliamentary forces, while Sir Thomas Fairfax is shown as Cromwell's subordinate.	In fact, Sir Thomas Fairfax was the actual head of the New Model Army during the English Civil War ^[1].
Cromwell enters Oxford and personally arrests the King in the name of Parliament.	At the end of the First Civil War the King surrendered to the Scottish army and was only handed over to the English Parliament some time later ^[1].
John Pym is pronounced dead in 1646	He died in 1643
Henry Ireton appears with a delegation of MPs to offer Cromwell the throne.	By the time Cromwell was actually offered the crown — towards the end of his life in 1657 — Ireton, his son-in-law, had been dead for nearly six years.
Cromwell dismisses the idea of becoming King instantly, laughing it off as absurd after what he fought for.	Cromwell actually took the offer very seriously, truly believing that England needed a King. He took a whole six weeks to turn down the offer, which he did with a heavy heart and quite reluctantly. (In almost monarchical-like fashion, he was succeeded by his son Richard but Richard lacked his father's drive and leadership skills and was soon out of power.)
Near the end of the film, Cromwell tells the Rump Parliament that they have had six years to form a new government after the execution of Charles I.	In truth, they had four years.
The film gives the impression that Cromwell spent those years on his farm and lands in Huntingdon.	In fact he had been leading his campaign in Ireland and had fought the Battle of Worcester, subjects that go unmentioned in the film ^[1].

[edit] Actors and Make-Up

To give the filmmakers their due, there was some accuracy in the locations and appearances of the characters. There is, for instance, the dining room at Whitehall where Charles I and his Queen Henrietta Maria are first shown eating together.

In particular, the actors wore make-up which, in many cases, made them closely resemble contemporary prints and portraits of their subjects. Alec Guinness also stutters as did Charles [1].

Charles I as painted by Sir Anthony van Dyck; and portrayed by Alec Guinness.	Oliver Cromwell as painted "warts and all" by Peter Lely (aka Pieter van der Faes); and portrayed by Richard Harris.
Sir Edward Hyde, later 1st Earl of Clarendon, in a print of the time; and portrayed by Nigel Stock.	Sir Thomas Fairfax in a print of the time; and portrayed by Douglas Wilmer.

[edit] Cast

Actor	Role
Richard Harris	Oliver Cromwell
Alec Guinness	King Charles I
Robert Morley	The Earl of Manchester
Dorothy Tutin	Queen Henrietta Maria
Frank Finlay	John Carter
Timothy Dalton	Prince Rupert
Patrick Wymark	The Earl of Strafford
Patrick Magee	Hugh Peters
Nigel Stock	Sir Edward Hyde
Charles Gray	The Earl of Essex
Michael Jayston	Henry Ireton
Douglas Wilmer	Sir Thomas Fairfax
Geoffrey Keen	John Pym
Anthony May	Richard Cromwell
Stratford Johns	President Bradshaw