If you don't have the opportunity to see one of Shakespeare's
plays in real life, you can watch one of his many film adaptations
available on DVD or VHS, or even on the Internet. Even watching video
clips of these films can help you get a sense of how the lines are
read, the emotions in their dialogue and the way the plot unfolds.
More than 420 film versions of his plays have been
produced, from all the back to the silent film era!
Here are some films which are related to Shakespeare that you will
perhaps enjoy watching. You will realize that Shakespeare finds his
way into a lot of movies. For example, the popular teenager film
10 Things I Hate About You, as well as the Broadway
musical and film Kiss Me, Kate, were loosely based on
Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The musical
West Side Story featuring Natalie Wood was based on
Romeo and Juliet. What other Shakespeare movies do you
know that Shakespeare has influenced?
Comedies
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)
This comedy has a version with some very famous actors: Rupert
Everett, Calista Flockhart, Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci and Michelle
Pfeiffer. It is extremely whimsical and light, taking place in a
forest filled with mischieveous fairies.
Twelfth Night (1996)
Trevor Nunn is a theatre director for Shakespeare plays. Here he
aids in directing a film production, notably with the popular
actress Helena Bonham Carter as Olivia and Ben Kingsley as Feste.
Kingsley's performance definitely stands out as a jester who is
both the silliest and the wisest of all the characters. This is a
great Shakespeare movie to watch, and the gender role reversals are
hilarious to watch!
She's The Man (2006)
This is a teenage film starring Amanda Bynes that is based on the
play Twelfth Night, and is directed towards a very young
audience. It does not include any of Shakespeare's original
dialogue, but is loosely based on the play. While it may not be the
most educational of these films for understanding Shakespeare, you
can still get a sense of why Shakespeare's plays are so universal -
almost anyone can relate to them! Give this film a go!
Tragedies
Hamlet (1990)
This film really brought Mel Gibson into the limelight as a serious
actor and not just an action star from Lethal Weapon - he
stars as Hamlet alongside some very experienced Shakespeare actors.
This is often shown in high school English classes that are
studying Hamlet. Glenn Close and Helena Bonham Carter also star in
this film. The visual imagery in this film is suspenseful and dark,
almost like a thriller.
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996)
This is the 10th on-screen adaptation of the two star-crossed
lovers, but there are many reasons why this is one of the most
popular versions is because of the two famous starring actors:
Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. The cinematography by director
Baz Luhrmann is very stylized and artistically adventurous. This
film even has Shakespeare's original dialogue, even though film
takes place in modern-day Los Angeles. Definitely one of the most
entertaining and unique presentations of Shakespeare on film!
Henry V (1989)
Kenneth Branagh is one of the most successful and popular film
directors and actors for Shakespeare plays. Not only that, but he
was Oscar-nominated for both directing and starring in this film!
It won an Oscar for Best Costume Design and is an extremely popular
version for its music score, accessibility of Shakespearean
dialogue and for Branagh's performance as Henry V.
Othello (1965)
It is the only Shakespeare film in which all the leading actors and
actresses have been nominated for Oscars. This version is actually
just a filmed version of a live performance at the National
Theatre. One of the older Shakespeare films, it stars a younger
Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter!) and
Laurence Olivier.
Ran (1985)
Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa directed this film at the age of
75, loosely based on the legends of a Japanese feudal ruler named
Mori Motonari as well as on the tragedy of Shakespeare's King
Lear. This was the most expensive Japanese film ever produced
at that time, with a budget of $12 million. Obviously there are no
original lines from Shakespeare and the film is in Japanese - but
if you're looking for something different, the intense costumes,
imagery and use of colour should appeal to you.
Amazon
Post Comments