Product Description

Ian Richardson (From Hell, M. Butterfly) returns as malevolent statesman Francis Urquhart in this acclaimed finale to the Masterpiece Theater trilogy that began with House of Cards and continued in To Play the King. Now Prime Minister, and nearing the end of his term, Urquhart plans to let international events help him to a luxurious retirement. But he finds himself caught in someone else's power play, and for the first time he is unable to see a way out. Will he outwit his enemies one last time, or will his long career end in disgrace and defeat? Brilliantly adapted by Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones's Diary), from Michael Dobbs's best-selling novel, this satirical trilogy took home a primetime Emmy, a Peabody, two BAFTAs and a Writers' Guild Award.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #86171 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2003-08-26
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 200 minutes

Features

• Ian Richardson (From Hell, M. Butterfly) returns as malevolent statesman Francis Urquhart in this acclaimed finale to the Masterpiece Theater trilogy that began with House of Cards and continued in To Play the King.Now Prime Minister, and nearing the end of his term, Urquhart plans to let international events help him to a luxurious retirement. But he finds himself caught in someone else's power p

Amazon.com
The final installment of the House of Cards trilogy strikes a more somber note than its predecessors. Francis Urquhart--prime minister and murderer--has almost overtaken Margaret Thatcher to become Britain's longest serving postwar leader, but the public is tiring of him and there are rumblings of dissent in the Conservative Party. When the prime minister's bullying goes too far, his foreign secretary, Tom Makepeace, resigns and prepares to challenge for the leadership.

Urquhart and his wife (who makes Lady Macbeth look benign) plot to secure both their place in history and their financial future. An opportunity presents itself in the shape of the Cyprus Agreement: a treaty between the Greek and Turkish inhabitants of that island. The Urquharts learn that there are massive oil deposits along a disputed sea boundary, and a Turkish businessman promises them a large "consultancy fee" if the oil ends up on his side of the border. However, Urquhart has other ties to Cyprus, because it was there (as a young soldier in the '50s) that he killed two Greeks. If this is uncovered, Urquhart will be finished. Attacked from all sides, it looks like there's no escape, but as he watches the Thatcher Memorial taking shape on the lawn outside his office, Urquhart vows to triumph again. With the help of his wife, the shadowy Commander Cawdor, and an ambitious member of Parliament who had an affair with Tom Makepeace, he might yet find a way to succeed.

Once again, writer Andrew Davies has created a satire to relish, one that confirms all of our doubts about the motives of politicians. Ian Richardson's wonderful performance--filled with sly asides and winks to the camera--makes Francis Urquhart as fascinating as he is wicked, and we find ourselves rooting for this terrible man. The world would certainly be a duller place without him. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews

A thrilling end to the saga.
A thrilling end to the saga. It's all beginning to slip away from Francis Urquhart, but the 'star' of this one is, for me, the Lady Macbeth-like Elizabeth Urquhart played by the brilliant and beautiful Diane Fletcher. In many ways I'd wish there had been even more of her than there already is. She is so delightfully ruthless in her determination to protect her husband, whom she clearly worships, that even though she has colluded with him in the most fearful crimes, I could not help feeling a pang of sympathy for her, and of course, one does want to know what happens to her relationship with Corder. Her passion for Wagner only adds to her charm. There are some other fine performances in this work. Not least from two tiny cameo roles, Muriel Pavlow as an Age Concern Lady [compare this with her performance as Douglas Bader's wife in "Reach for the Sky"] and Bunny May as a clerk in the Public Records Office. Mr May was one of the first [if not the first] to play "Noddy" onstage under the supervision of Enid Blyton. [Now that's real trivia.]

I must be a dreadful person, beacuse I actually wanted the Urquharts to live happily ever after, and to see Francis Urquhart get away with it one last time. Age does not wither him nor custom stale his infinite variety. Yes, I know I may very well think that, but you couldn't possibly comment!

Wonderful! Awful! Terrifying!
Fasten your seatbelts. This series is the most chilling political thriller I have ever seen. There is not a single misstep anywhere. Ian's Prime Minister is the most evil creature ever to walk the earth, and he just keeps knocking down the good guys without even breaking a sweat; they never know what hit them or even how. It's like watching a terrible accident happen in slow motion, knowing there's nothing you can do to stop it. Stellar performances, superb directing, this is just plain perfect. I just wish it was a happy movie...but then it wouldn't be The Final Cut.

A Most Satisfactory Conclusion To The Trilogy
The final days of our once loveable villain, FU, are, it would seem, rapidly approaching. He is quite prepared to foment an international incident to stay in power and to keep his not so little retirement nest egg intact. But time wounds all heels, and in the end even he cannot quite pull it off. His wife, though, the most cunnning of all the shrewd and political women that have surrounded him, finds a way to pull his chestnuts out of the fire, as it were - and what a surprising and most satisfactory ending it all makes. Top notch acting all round, especially by Richardson, and exciting and devious twists of plot make this (as well as the rest of the trilogy) an excellent performance and an enjoyable evening. See them all if you can.