Fed up with the rule of King Charles I (the great Alec Guinness) and with a corrupt nobility, Oliver Cromwell (a somewhat hagiographic portrayal by Richard Harris) champions parliament and ultimately leads England into a civil war. While far from a history lesson (commented on extensively in 'goofs' elsewhere - worth reading by anyone who, like me, watches the film with limited knowledge of events depicted), the film is an entertaining costume drama. Harris and Guinness are very good and the costumes and set design are excellent. Despite the score having been nominated for an Oscar, I found it bombastic at times and intrusive, especially in the first half of the film. While I appreciate that some shortcuts are needed to compress years of eventful history into a couple of hours, I generally dislike 'historical' films that take too many liberties with the facts (or at least most accepted interpretations) simply for 'dramatic effect'.