*** Recommend your favorite film version(s) of Shakespeare

I've gotten some great recommendations for film versions of Richard III on my thread, so I thought I'd throw it out to the group: What are your favorite film version(s) of Shakespeare?

I'll go first. My sentimental favorite is Lawrence Olivier's 1984 television version of King Lear. It was the first Shakespeare production that really connected with me. Lear's reunion scene with Cordelia made me cry, and I've loved Shakepeare ever since.

Who else has a favorite film version (or two, or three) of Shakespeare?

I have to add Al Pacino's "Looking for Richard." It's a wonderful documentary that follows his production of Richard III--everything from reading the Cliff's Notes to looking for settings to visiting the Globe to casting to interviewing scholars. It's fun to watch and gives some good insights. And the scenes he filmed are great--with Alec Baldwin as Clarence, Kevin Spacey as Buckingham, Winona Rider as Lady Anne, and more.

Pacino's The Merchant of Venice is another one I'd recommend.

And I still like Orson Welles's Macbeth.

I'm not one who is overly impressed by Kenneth Branagh. I thought his Henry V was very good, Much Ado about Nothing was OK (but Keanu Reeves? please!), not fond of anything since. The problem with Branagh, for me, is that he doesn't trust the audience and he doesn't trust Shakespeare's language; he has to hammer us over the head with everything. For example, it's much more interesting to ponder whether or not Ophelia and Hamlet have had sex than to have that decision made for you via nudie flashback scenes.

For me there is only one version of Hamlet & that was Sir Laurence Olivier.

#3 MarionV: yes, wasn't that a performance!

I must say that I love Shakespeare's comedies, so my faves are the less traditional 10 Things I Hate About You (Taming the Shrew) and She's the Man (Twelfth Night). I'm also kind of young, so that might be why :)

I love all three of the films in Sir Laurence Olivier's Shakespeare Trilogy.

Henry V 1944
Hamlet 1948
Richard III 1955

Hamlet is my favorite. I've watched it many times.

I have not yet seen his 1984 television version of King Lear or his 1965 film version of Othello. I will check netflix for them.

I also love Orson Well's Macbeth.

Julie Taymor's 1999 film version of Titus Andronicus is fantastic. It's my favorite "new" film adaptation of Shakespeare. Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Alan Cummings, and Harry Lennix are all great in it and the production is brilliant.

I love John Barrymore as Mercutio in the 1936 version of Romeo and Juliet. And of course the 1968 Zefirelli version of Romeo and Juliet is just wonderful.

Last but not least, the 1935 version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, a charming magical production.

Kenneth Branagh doesn't do anything for me.

I think the Taymor film of Titus is unbelievably good. It's so utterly chilling. If you can, view the special feature with the narrative by Taymor--it's excellent. I usually don't watch those narratives because normally they don't tell me anything, but hers is superb. She tells you why she set up the different scenes the way she did, how the production was done--well worth watching.

My sentimental favorite is the 1968 Zeffirelli version of Romeo and Juliet, because it was my first:-) It was a school trip to a second run theater in the big city of Boston where it was still showing.

Julie Taymor does terrific commentary on everything we've seen - most recently on "Across the Universe." Very much looking forward to her upcoming adaptation of "The Tempest."

The only other Taymor film and commentary that I've seen is "Frida," which was excellent. Never heard of "Across the Universe".

I'll bet she'll do a great job with "The Tempest".

>9 bobmcconnaughey: I didn't know that she was doing The Tempest. Thank goodness there will finally be a decent version to show my students! The lack of one is a major reason that I rarely teach the play. I've resorted to using segments of "Propero's Books" (which is a wonderful film as well--Peter Greenaway--but it's doing something entirely different with the play).

Has anyone seen the BBC series "Shakespeare Retold"? It's a mixed bag. All of the plays are updated--including the language. Some work better than others. I particularly liked Beatrice and Benedick as warring news anchors.

9> Across the Universe is a film based on the Beatles' songs -- I thought I would hate it, but my daughter dragged me to see it and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

11>I too am thrilled that she's doing a Tempest -- as I've mentioned above, I've been resorting to the ancient 60s Hallmark Hall of Fame production, so I hope this will be a treat! It's one of my favorite plays.

Branagh's Henry V!

Not sure its my favourite Shakespeare movie but I like The Tempest directed by Derek Jarman - very inventive and fun.

with Elizabeth Welch singing Stormy Weather surrounded by pretty sailors!
I love it as well!

I'll sneak in here my memory (which Avaland may have heard once too often) of seeing a stage production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Yale Repertory Theater in 1975, with Helena played by Meryl Streep, then a student at the Drama School.

The fairies were portrayed as creepy and cobwebby. The production had a chorus, dressed up as fairies, singing parts from Edward Purcell's The Fairy-Queen at various interludes. The mechanicals were a bit too broadly played for me, but I was the only one in the audience who thought so.

Carmen De Lavallade played Titania, most impressively

"We cannot fight for love, as men do."

12 -- hmmm! Maybe a recent update of Othello I saw last year was part of that series (in which our poor conflicted John Othello deals with racial tensions in the contemporary UK...)

Warring news anchors does sound like an interesting take though.

Anybody ever seen the Reduced Shakespeare Company's abridged version of the complete works? It's not a 'favorite film version' of mine, but there are a few pretty funny parts... :)

>18 Fullmoonblue: I think I had the RSCs abridged version on audio at one time, or something very similar.

>18 Fullmoonblue: My students enjoyed their version of Hamlet.

Fullmoonblue -- I've seen a production of the Reduced Shakespeare on a local stage and their Reduced World Lit in DC at the Kennedy Center -- wonderfully hysterical.

Hah -- Cariola, that bit was the one that had me laughing most. I've never seen it live, but I imagine that would be hilarious...

ETA: I've just found their website, and apparently they do a reduced Bible too! Talk about introducing an audience to something they *thought* they knew. And in a fun, shocking way... which is probably the most valuable function for younger viewers. As with Shakespeare, it gets you open to checking things out for yourself, and with the attitude that it will *not* be dry, boring stuff.

I liked Derek Jarman's Tempest, but I loooved his Edward II. Brilliant!

I can't wait for Julie Taymor's production of The Tempest!

>23 DavidX: Agree on Edward II (but it's by my man Marlowe, not Shakespeare).

but didn't Marlow write all of Shakespeare's plays anyway?

Oh, don't get me started!

How about, Shakespeare In Love and the 1967 version of Taming of the Shrew with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Beatles1964

Here in Minnesota, Ian McKellen's King Lear will be shown on PBS tonight (7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Central Daylight Time). It's part of Great Performances and according to the website (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/episodes/king-lear/introduction/475/) the production will be available for online viewing tomorrow, 3/26. Off to set the VCR!

Yes! I plan to watch it--and I pre-ordered my DVD copy on Monday. (I will be teaching King Lear in the fall.)