Paul Scofield plays Sir Thomas More, the highly respected member of King Henry VIII’s court who becomes embroiled in a political clash with the king (Robert Shaw), who’s seeking to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry Anne Boleyn (Vanessa Redgrave). The king’s request to get divorced so he can create a male heir to the throne is in defiance of the Roman Catholic Church. More, a devout Catholic, sticks by his religious principles and seeks to leave the royal court, prompting the king to charge More with treason. It’s a story about how far these men will go to follow their needs and principles.

Trivia: To create a snowy landscape, truckloads of Styrofoam were delivered to the set and arrived just as real snow began falling.

Also see: Our 2008 gallery of “The 25 Greatest Legal Movies.”