One of my recent google searches is the character of Thomas Cranmer, as played by various actors in the movies. And I found others are also interested in the screening of Thomas Cranmer. Although, as of today's date, there still has not been a movie dedicated primarily to Thomas Cranmer--but the character of Thomas Cranmer has appeared in various movies and internet videos in recent years. Check out these links. IMBd Archbishop Cranmer (character)Lists 23 appearances of Thomas Cranmer in TV episodes and movies since 1933.MovieBalla.comProvides links to seven Internet videos about Thomas Cranmer.Thomas Cranmer screenedProvides credits information and photographs on 3 movies and 1 video about Thomas Cranmer.
The most recent portrayal of him I've seen was from The Tudors, which was deeply laced with profanity and 'heroic' Roman Catholic characters. You can guess what kind of bias was there. Cromwell was depicted as a conniving Protestant politician seeking to strip the 'Catholic Church'. No reference was made to the fact that he was actually Roman Catholic, or that Henry VIII (who engaged in x-rated activity in every episode) also was and died a Roman Catholic. Any show which manages to depict the Bloody Mary as a holy and virtuous princess is a precious example in propaganda... But, I digress, this isn't a review of that show... T. Cranmer is not depicted as badly as Henry VIII or Cromwell. He's also made to be seen as a minor character, often ignored and overruled by Henry VIII, which is actually exactly how it was, nowhere seen better than in Henry's publication of his Roman-Catholic Six Articles where he defends transubstatiation etc, and the Archbishop's objections are disregarded. So the utter lack of influence by Protestants under Henry VIII's court gets depicted quite vividly, and Cranmer is not shown as terribly vicious, although certainly not as impressive as Thomas More and princess Mary.
In 1968's "A Man For All Seasons", I seem to remember Cranmer being depicted as a somewhat boring, quiet, doting grandfather-type bishop in a few courtroom scenes. He doesn't appear to have been very important to the narrative. Can you imagine a grand epic focused on Cranmer, in modern cinematography, with music like Star Wars and design like the Lord of the Rings? Just get a few Anglicans to take hold of a Hollywood studio for a few years, and we could produce the faithful journey of a simple, but wise and amazing Christian.
If they could ever agree on how to portray Cranmer of course! But obviously the real question is who you'd cast to play the leading role? It might be a sign of Hobbit fever, but I'm sort of squinting at Ian McKellen and trying to replace the grey cloak with ecclisiastical garb and I'm thinking he'd really pull off the burning scene! Though I'm not sure who I'd pick for the 'young Cranmer' bits. To be honest I'm thinking the stock list of actors as being just a bit too good-looking for the role. It needs a somewhat more ah, 'distinguished' face perhaps? Also, could it be a muscial? Could you imagine the 42 Articles being set to a rousing ballad number? Actually I'm seeing a split into two parts- the rise up to the accession of Edward, and then the fall in the sequel. Problem is, if you go into that much detail it may well end up as a 'straight-to-dvd' set of movies...
British character actor Bernard Hepton as Cranmer in the 1970's: (See Scottish Monk's IMDb list in first post). I think there's a likeness to Flicke's portrait: