I'm currently on a hot streak of watching cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare plays. Last night I watched Orson Welle's Othello which was excellent as well as the 2001 modern retelling of Othello which was also stellar.
I'm currently on a hot streak of watching cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare plays. Last night I watched Orson Welle's Othello which was excellent as well as the 2001 modern retelling of Othello which was also stellar.
I'm currently on a hot streak of watching cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare plays. Last night I watched Orson Welle's Othello which was excellent as well as the 2001 modern retelling of Othello which was also stellar.
1996's Twelfth Night with Ben Kingsley as Feste the Fool
My favorite Indian Film director is Vishal Bhardwaj. He did a trilogy of Shakespeare adaptations.
My favorite Indian Film director is Vishal Bhardwaj. He did a trilogy of Shakespeare adaptations.
I was a big fan of the Kenneth Branagh directed HAMLET (1996) when it was out in theatres--going to see it a few times. The reason was because this adaptation left in a lot of scenes from the play that would normally be left out. So one got more of Shakespeare's play. And it was a very good looking movie on the big screen. Other movies might have better acting or some cool insight into the text, but this would be my go-to movie for getting into Shakespeare. Of course, I only saw it on the big screen--I imagine it loses something if you only see it at home on a small screen.
Shakespeare is such a hard one to do on film, and get all elements right. I think Kenneth Branagh is definitely the best director of Shakespeare's language on film, by filming using soliloquies and monologues as one take, to really give the medium over to the words. But probably the best overall director of Shakespeare (in terms of bringing the visuals and language and world that Shakespeare wrote about) on film is Franco Zeffirelli. THAT SAID...
Kieran's "Top 5" Shakespeare Films
1. Henry V (1989)
2. Throne of Blood (1957)
3. Romeo & Juliet (1968)
4. the Merchant of Venice (2004)
5. Chimes at Midnight (1965)
FUN FACT: Baron Laurence Olivier is the only person who has successfully directed himself into an acting Oscar, for Hamlet (1950)
Oh, may I ask, how was... Welles as Othello? Was it... distracting? Or actually not that bothersome?
Last edited by Kieran_Frost; 01-26-2022 at 03:22 PM.
"We are Shakespeare. We are Michelangelo. We are Tchaikovsky. We are Turing. We are Mercury. We are Wilde. We are Lincoln, Lorca, Leonardo da Vinci. We are Alexander the Great. We are Fredrick the Great. We are Rustin. We are Addams. We are Marsha! Marsha Marsha Marsha! We so generous, we DeGeneres. We are Ziggy Stardust hooked to the silver screen. Controversially we are Malcolm X. We are Plato. We are Aristotle. We are RuPaul, god dammit! And yes, we are Woolf."
Forbidden Planet.
There came a time when the Old Gods died! The Brave died with the Cunning! The Noble perished locked in battle with unleashed Evil! It was the last day for them! An ancient era was passing in fiery holocaust!
I'm a big fan of Richard Loncraine's 1995 adaptation of Richard III starring Sir Ian McKellen, and I love Julie Taymor's 1999 Titus which is one of my favorite plays by Shakespeare.
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Julius Caesar 1953
10 Things I Hate About You
As You Like It
King Lear 1971 (the Magee/Scofield one)
Throne of Blood
Richard the Third 1955
Romeo + Juliet
Twelfth Night
Much Ado About Nothing
Titus 1999
Ophelia
Not sure if Ophelia is in my top 10 it is just the most recent one.
The late 80s and 90s had an impressive run of decent to great Shakespeare takes.
Last edited by BeastieRunner; 01-26-2022 at 04:34 PM.
"Always listen to the crazy scientist with a weird van or armful of blueprints and diagrams." -- Vibranium
A Midsummers Night Dream (1935)
10 Things I hate about you (1999)
The Lion King (1994)
Ran (1985)
Macbeth (1971)
Othello (1951)
Julius Caesar (1953)
West Side Story (1961)
Titus (1999)
Richard III (1955)
Forbidden Planet is actually a really good adaptation of the Tempest, as has been said.
Laurence Olivier's Hamlet is a classic and I enjoy it.
Every day is a gift, not a given right.
While they ain't exactly the golden children?
Strange Brew
Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead
Let The Devil Wear Black
My Own Private Idaho