Who Killed Thomas Becket? (2004)

Directed by

Andrew Chater

Country

United Kingdom

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This documentary reexamines the 1170 murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket. It suggests that accepted historical accounts may not fully explain who ordered the killing and why. The film uses dramatic reenactments and interviews with experts to explore the conflict between King Henry II and the Church.

investigativedramatizedscholarlytenseatmosphericspeculativeeducational

What happens

Who did Kill Thomas Becket in 1170? is a 2000 Channel 4 documentary concerning the murder of Thomas Becket, who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. Becket engaged in conflict with Henry II of England over the rights and privileges of the Church and was assassinated by followers of the king in Canterbury Cathedral. The documentary was directed by Andrew Chater and had appearances by actors Guy Henry as Thomas Becket, Rupert Wickham as Henry II, Alastair Cording as Foliot, Roger Monk as De Broc and Robert Glenister as the Narrator. The documentary took a fresh look at the murder of the medieval archbishop, and suggested that established historical theories concerning the killing fall short of explaining why Becket was murdered, and on whose orders. It featured powerful dramatisations and contributions from eminent scholars, telling a compelling story of the conflict between State and Church. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

• Murder in the Cathedral (1951)
• Murder in the Cathedral (1962)
• The Man Who Killed Richard III (2015)
• L'Assassinat d'Henri IV (2009)
• The Life of David Gale (2003)
• Luther gegen den Papst (2004)
• Exposed: The Church's Darkest Secret (2020)
• Carthage: The Roman Holocaust (2004)