A Man for All Seasons: 1966

As I watched A Man for All Seasons, I wondered why the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It's not that the film isn't good; the story of Sir Thomas More, a man who stood by his morals and ethics instead of openly supporting the creation of the Church of England and King Henry's divorce from his queen and marriage to Anne Boleyn, his mistress, is a story of integrity. More becomes a hero for honor and honesty in a time when lies ruled the court. He was honored by the Catholic Church in 1935 when he was canonized as a saint. The film shows how More was a good person, more concerned about others and about his faith than about saving himself. Besides the story, the acting is excellent. Paul Scofield is convincing as More, showing him to be a man who restrained his emotions and logically considers each situation. As the king rails in one scene, Scofield maintains character as More. In an earlier scene, Scofield portrays More's integrity and wisdom as More advises Richard to be a teacher, not a member of court:

Later, this exchange between Richard and More becomes significant in More's downfall in court. Richard becomes the embodiment of politics, always seeking a better situation through deceit, bribes, and deals.

What impressed me most is how Scofield maintains an even keel as More. Scofield captured More's steadfastness, and in doing so, Scofield makes the film better, possibly even making up for Orson Welles as Cardinal Wolsey: 

Welles is laughable at times in his role. His face grows redder and redder as his main scene with More, and it's difficult to know if that was intentional on Welles' part or if he was just overheating in his costume. The latter seems more likely.

I guess my question about why this film won an Oscar is more about how does this film reflect its time? The film was released in 1966, only three years after the assassination of President Kennedy, a man people greatly respected and honored. But it seems a stretch to say that More and Kennedy are similar. More seems more saintly than Kennedy, who had some scandals in his past (although those may have come out much later). Perhaps at the time, this film was what America needed, a film about being honest and true to one's own beliefs and faith.