Displaying items by tag: Mr Burton movie

MR BURTON

UK, 2025, 124 minutes, Colour.

Toby Jones, Harry Lawtey, Lesley Manville, Mali O'Donnell, Amy Ffio  Edwards, Aneurin Barnard, Steffan Rhodri.

Directed by Marc Evans.

Richard Burton was one of the most admired stage and screen actors of the 20^th century. But the title of this biography has two meanings which his fans will know. The actor was, in fact, Richard Jenkins, a from mining family near Port Talbot in Wales. It did not seem likely when he was young that he would become so famous, so admired, and marrying Elizabeth Taylor twice.

The principal Mr Burton of this film is his teacher, Philip Burton, who recognised the young man’s talents, fostered them, encouraged his ambitions, legally adopted him. And, here he is played by the versatile actor Toby Jones who has portrayed a number of historical characters including Alfred Hitchcock and Truman Capote.

And this is something of a breakthrough performance by young actor, Harry Lawtey. He has to portray young Richard Jenkins as a late teenager at school, a mixture of a character who was a bit of a lad (and more than a bit of a lad as he grew older) but also a man with a resonant voice, someone who was able to take advice and transform his vocal tones, language and pacing (while incorporating still something of a Welsh lilt), overcome a difficult family background (his father finally agreeing with Philip Burton about the adoption and getting £50 compensation even though he had little time or attention for his son), valuing the support of his sister, helped with jobs by his brother-in-law who did not understand him.

So the film creates the atmosphere of Wales in the early years of World War II, opening when Jenkins was 17, a mixture of one of the boys yet special in terms of studies, responding to the affirmation of Philip Burton, a dedicated teacher, something of a loner, who saw the potential, took great trouble to train him with his breathing and enunciation, hours and hours spent out in the hills with dedicated practice. Philip Burton so believed in his protégé that he risked comments from the locals, insinuations as well as declarations of suspicions about his gay interest in Jenkins.

There are some very good set pieces throughout this film, very vivid with Jenkins’ drinking father, meetings with his son, the pub, showing himself that he could be a boisterous entertainer for his drinking friends, and the minimum reluctance in selling off his son for adoption. And, by contrast, there are the scenes of his sister and brother-in-law, hard times with the mines, with the economy, with the war. And, many scenes at school.

One of the entertainment benefits of the film is the presence of Lesley Manville as Philip Burton’s housekeeper, friend and confidante.

By the end of the film, with all his gratitude to Philip Burton, we begin to see more vividly what was to come, the intensity of Burton’s personality, ambitions, recklessness, which was manifest in his later tempestuous relationships, especially with Elizabeth Taylor.

But, we see that Burton was accepted to Oxford, something a lot of his fellow Welshman, including his father, could not understand. We see him accepted at Stratford-upon-Avon, hopes, fears, drinking, moody, preparing for his debut as Henry V.

Which is where the film ends but, there have been so many films in his career, reports of his wonderful stage performances, the details of his sometimes scandalous life, so that we know where this portrait of the beginning of his life and career will lead to.

1. Audience knowledge of Richard Burton, his background, his career, Elizabeth Taylor, marriages, their work together, drinking, his death?
2. The film about his origins, Richard Jenkins of Port Talbot, his father and mining, his family? Hard life and background? His education, the encounter with Philip Burton, working with Philip Burton and the opening up of his acting career?
3. The setting of 1942, World War II, Wales, the re-creation of the town, the mines, the streets, shops, school, pubs, church…? The musical score and the atmosphere of Wales?
4. Richard Jenkins at 17, his life so far, his talents and abilities, the difficulties with his father, living with his sister and brother-in-law in the family? His visits to his father, the pub, boisterous, his father’s attitude towards his son and acting? The later sequence in the visit with Philip, the discussions about the adoption, the revelation about the father and his attitudes, £50?
5. Philip Burton as the main Mr Burton, his background, personal life, loner, suggestions of homosexual orientation? Quiet life at home, his friendship with his housekeeper, the routines of life, meals, conversations?
6. Philip Burton as a teacher, his pupils, his own love of theatre, poetry, and the Welsh atmosphere of poetry? The classes, his interest in Richard, in class, poetry and drama, Richard’s voice, the sequences of training, pronunciation, out in the hills, declaiming, the transformation in Richard’s voice?
7. The innuendo around the town, the range of people, the gossip, the pubs? The decision about adoption, Richard’s attitude, Philip’s visit to Mr Jenkins? Allaying some kind of suspicions? Richard’s own attitude towards the situation, at the time, afterwards?
8. The possibilities for Richard and a career, the issue of Oxford, the seeming impossibility of someone from the town going to Oxford, his father’s comments about Oxford?
9. Richard, branching out, going to Oxford, wilful, some alienation from Phillip, going to Stratford-upon-Avon, the rehearsals for Henry V, his nervousness, drinking, unreliable, timing? Philip’s visit, the encouragement, tutoring?
10. The performance, the nerves, success, responses, and the beginning of his career? Indications of future success, stage and film performance, voice? Yet scandals, drinking, untimely death?