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Tuesday, November 09, 2021

Some Favourite Shakespeare Films

 I have just read an article in the Age newspaper about the author’s favourite Shakespeare film adaptations and why he loved them. He says that during the lockdown he decided to see at least one adaptation of each of Shakespeare’s 37 plays. He didn’t quite make it, but saw an impressive number of them. 


I thought I might mention here some of those I’ve particularly enjoyed, myself. 


When I was still at school the BBC released quite a few, though I’m not sure if they got through the lot as planned. You can buy them in DVD boxed sets, so anything you can’t find a production of elsewhere is probably available in the BBC series.


 I remember not caring for their Romeo And Juliet, but it did feature some impressive names, including Michael Hordern, who stole the show as Lord Capulet, and a 22 year old Alan Rickman, whose voice was unmistakable even then, as Tybalt; it was one of three versions our Year 10 students saw a few years ago, so I did see it again. The other two were Franco Zeffirelli’s beautiful Italian Renaissance film, the leads played for the first time on screen by teenagers, and the Baz Luhrmann version done in modern dress. There is no question in my mind that, beautiful as it was, the Zeffirelli version was a bit slower than most kids today like. When I went to see the Luhrmann film I thought, yes! The kids will love this! The ball scene, which showed the doomed lovers darting amid fish tanks, was not unlike that scene in the Zeffirelli version. The fights were ugly and believable. I like that Mercutio came to the costume party in drag and then got up to sing, because that was just the sort of thing Mercutio would do. 


But Romeo And Juliet is not one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. I prefer plays like Shakespeare’s screwball comedy Much Ado About Nothing, which I have seen both on stage and on screen. 


The article I mentioned above talked about the Kenneth Branagh version, in which he starred as Benedick, with his then wife, Emma Thompson as Beatrice. It was wonderful, yes, done in 19th century costume, and performed brilliantly. I hear there is a film directed by Joss Whedon - my great niece Dezzy says it’s very good - but I haven’t seen it.


I’ve seen it on stage several times, with one version in Regency costume, making me wonder if they got the idea from Pride And Prejudice. A few years ago, I saw it again on stage, with Benedick and Beatrice played by Hugo Weaving(aka Elrond and Agent Smith) and Pamela Rabe. That was done in 1950s clothes, and I still remember that scene where Beatrice is out in the garden, trying to open a deck chair, and nearly getting shut in by it when she overhears that Benedick loves her…


But my favourite version was a filmed stage show in which the leads were played by Catherine Tate and David Tennant, aka Donna and the Doctor, in 1950s costume There was such chemistry between them! They have to be my favourite Beatrice and Benedick. I have a download of it. If you are interested I think it may still be up on YouTube. You might also be able to buy it from the theatre’s web site.


If you can’t find anything else, it’s on DVD as one of the BBC plays. There were some well known actors in that too.


Hamlet has been filmed over and over, of course. The 1948 Olivier movie, in which he stars with Jean Simmons as Ophelia, actually got a mention in Catcher In The Rye, in which we read Holden Caulfield’s opinion(he liked some bits, not others). It has some big names in it too, with Stanley Holloway(Mr Doolittle in My Fair Lady) as the Gravedigger, Patrick Troughton, a future Doctor, as the Player King, with Peter Cushing, star of all those horror movies and another future Doctor, as Osric, whose main job is to flourish a sword to start the duel between Hamlet and Laertes(played by Terence Morgan, whom you might only know if you have seen the children’s series Sir Francis Drake). You can watch it for free on YouTube. 


But it’s not my favourite version. That would be the Branagh film. It’s four hours long, though they also showed a cut back version. I’ve seen the full production at the Astor cinema near my place. We all took picnic suppers with us to see it. 


Claudius is played by Derek Jacobi. In my younger years I saw him on stage as Hamlet, when there was a tour by the Old Vic. But he was born to play Claudius! In that film, Charlton Heston was the Player King. He was not, bless him, much of a Shakespeare actor, as I saw in his film of Antony And Cleopatra, but was able to handle this smaller role.  


I’ve seen A Midsummer Night’s Dream a number of times, with different interpretations, including, of course, the 1934 film, with Mickey Rooney as Puck, though that one seems to be hard to find. I’m currently watching a filmed stage production on National Theatre At Home. The role of Titania is played by Gwendoline Christie, whom you may have seen as Brienne of Tarth in Game Of Thrones, or, covered in stormtrooper armour, as Captain Phasma in Star Wars. But there is a difference: in this production, Oberon and Titania have swapped lines, and Puck is working for her, not him. So it’s Oberon who falls for Bottom, and Titania who is pulling all the strings. Definitely intriguing! 


But my favourite is the film version with Kevin Kline as Bottom. It’s set in early 20th century Sicily. Bottom is shown as a bit of a dandy, in a white suit ruined by paint splashed on it. For him, the night with Titania(Michelle Pfeiffer)and the fairies is utter magic, far from his ordinary life with a difficult wife. While with the fairies he is given a gold circlet, which he wears as a ring when he goes home, suggesting he shrank to tiny fairy size while in the forest. 


The film is visually beautiful, and delightfully performed, magical in more ways than one. 


I’ve recently watched the Hollow Crown version of Richard III. Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant in the role. But some years ago there was a very good film with Ian McKellen in the lead, performed in 1930s costume. It worked well. The film started with a celebration party at the palace, with a big band playing and a singer doing a song with lyrics by Christopher Marlowe. Clarence is the family photographer. Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s brother is shown as an American, rather vulgar as far as the royals are concerned. And I have to say that it was jaw dropping to see Richard driving a tank! That is a version I’d love to get hold of, but can’t seem to find.


Speaking of The Hollow Crown, which follows Shakespeare’s history plays, from Richard II to Richard III, there are highlights for me, such as Patrick Stewart as John of Gaunt, doing the “this England” speech in Richard II. I also have to say, Tom Hiddleston is a wonderful Prince Hal/Henry V. He has that look of mischief, a small smile that tells you he is going to do something cheeky, from the first time you see him walking through the street to the inn run by Mistress Quickly(Julie Walters). Jeremy Irons is Henry IV and Simon Russell Beale is Falstaff, both of them veteran actors. 


I have compared the Crispian’s Day speech from Henry V, on YouTube, done very differently in each. The Olivier version was made as wartime propaganda, so of course, it’s done as an inspirational speech to his army. The film is well worth a look, as a play within a play. It starts in Shakespeare’s London, on a stage, with groundlings and all, and opens up from there. When Henry and Katherine approach their thrones, they turn around, and we are back in the theatre and Katherine is being played by a boy actor. The battle of Agincourt is done breathtakingly. The film has a score by William Walton. 


Film poster. Fair use



You can see it on YouTube if interested. 


The Branagh version is also brilliant. It earned Kenneth Branagh the title of the next Olivier. It’s a lot grubbier than the Olivier film, more realistic. Emma Thompson is Princess Katherine. Again, the Crispian’s Day speech is done to the troops. 


In the Hollow Crown version, Henry(Tom Hiddleston) speaks it just to a small group of his officers. More realistic, if less inspiring, but in the context, it works. 


The series is on Amazon Prime right now, and, here in Australia, also on the ABC’s iView app.


iView is also, right now, showing Coriolanus with Ralph Fiennes, in modern dress, and goodness, you can absolutely understand why the plebeians hate the hero! He is truly menacing in the opening scenes. I haven’t finished it yet.


The National Theatre production shows him as naive and a bit more sympathetic, a man whose behaviour started with his mother, played brilliantly by Deborah Findlay. 


It’s not performed a lot because the hero is not very likeable. I do think it deserves more attention than it gets.


A runner-up for me is the film of Twelfth Night, with Toby Stephens, son of Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens. The highlight was Nigel Hawthorne as Malvolio. You may have seen him in Yes, Minister, but he also did The Madness Of King George. He managed to make you feel sympathy for him when the jokers in Countess Olivia’s household lock him up and try to persuade him he is mad. 


So, these are some of my favourite Shakespeare films - have I missed any of yours?


 


So, these are some of my favourite Shakespeare films - have I missed any of yours?
















 





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11 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I've seen quite a few of these too and agree with your assessments. In the Hollow Crown series, I thought Jeremy Irons stole the whole series as Henry IV. And if you're a fan of Tom Hiddleston now, there's a filmed version of his recent (maybe 5 years ago) turn as Coriolanus in the Donmar Theatre production that's worth a look.

When I was in school, we saw the 1969 American film of Julius Caesar which I really liked, especially Jason Robards as Brutus. Charlton Heston was in it too, chewing the scenery as Marc Antony. And speaking of unlikely Hollywood stars doing Shakespeare, I actually quite liked Mel Gibson's Hamlet (probably because my expectations going in were so low, LOL). Of course, middle-aged Mel Gibson was way too long in the tooth to play Hamlet by then but he did a credible job, I thought.

My favourite "Shakespeare-adjacent" film is the 1990 movie of Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, with Tim Roth and Gary Oldman. I was especially taken with Richard Dreyfuss' cynical, world-weary portrayal of The Player.

Sue Bursztynski said...

Hi Debra! Yes, I have seen that version of Coriolanus, and very good it was, too! Mark Gatiss of Dr Who fame plays Menenius, Coriolanus’s mentor. He was a bit young for the role, IMO, but did it very well. And yes, Tom H was also terrific in the part. That last scene was a shock; in the original play he is carried off in solemn procession for a beautiful funeral. There is a series of YouTube videos in which Tom(clearly just come from playing Loki with that hair) and his director, Josie Rourke, do a watch along and discuss what was going on behind the scenes, with Tom remembering when he had to crawl along a beam from one side of the stage to another, and be spattered with blood by assistants, and testing for how long a human can be hung upside down…

I have watched on YouTube several versions of the the Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech, including Charlton Heston, but that’s the only scene I have seen of that film. When I was at school, we saw the all-star black and white film with James Mason. Who knew Marlon Brando could do Marc Antony?

I didn’t mind the Mel Gibson Hamlet - you do know he studied at NIDA, an Australian answer to RADA, and you have to be very, very good to get in. But I much preferred the Branagh.

I have heard of that film of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern but never saw it. A pity. I love anything Tom Stoppard writes, and those two actors are wonderful.

Hels said...

You have selected some of my very favourite male actors eg Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Jeremy Irons and Ralph Fiennes. So I am not sure if your favourite Shakespeare films were selected because of the great acting or the because the cinematography was well done.

Sue Bursztynski said...

A bit of both. I have been a fan of Shakespeare since well before I heard of these actors and I’m keen to see his plays interpreted the way I like. Having them well acted does help!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Sue - I haven't seen as many as I'd like to ... I'm about to 'inherit' some DVDs from a friend who is moving - perhaps there'll be a few of these in the 'pile'. I did see the Coriolanus one - brilliant it was too. Now I'm more likely to be home - I'll be making a plan to watch more films ... thanks for these great notes. All the best - Hilary

AJ Blythe said...

Oh, I'll have to track down the Alan Rickman version. And Mecutio is my favourite character in Romeo and Juliet (the last Shakespeare I had to study at school - I presented a Mecutio monologue).

Much Ado About Nothing is definitely my favourite as well.

bazza said...

I loved 'The Hollow Crown' but, to deviate slightly because it's not really Shakespeare, one of my favourite films is Tom Stoppard's 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'.
Incidentally, did you know that 'The Madness of King George' was originally called 'The Madness of George II' but it was changed by the distributors who thought that the Americans would think it was a sequel!
CLICK HERE for Bazza’s stealthily sagacious Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

James Pailly said...

I really want to see Much Ado About Nothing with David Tennant and Catherine Tate. I've only seen clips of it on YouTube, and it looks marvelous.

I have Hamlet, staring David Tennant with Patrick Stewart as Claudius, and Macbeth, starting Patrick Stewart, on DVD. Those are probably my favorites.

twitter @Ridge_Cook said...

My favorite would have to be Richard Burton as Hamlet on Broadway, both audio and video available on Youtube. A very stark stage and modern dress but perhaps the best performance I've seen. He makes up for lack of visuals buy chewing up the stage.
Well worth the time.

Sue Bursztynski said...

Hi Hilary! Have a great binge! Well worth it.

Oh, James, so sorry you couldn’t get the whole Much Ado! It was on YouTube in full when I saw it. It may still be available on the company’s web site. I’ll look it up for you. You do seem to have some terrific DVDS, though. I haven’t seen either, though I’ve heard of the Tennant Hamlet.

Hi Anita! The BBC Shakespeare plays are available in boxed sets. I bought mine at J.B HiFi. I assume you have one in Canberra?

Thanks, @Ridge_Cook! I hadn’t realised Richard Burton’s Hamlet was on YouTube, must look it up. I saw a film with him as Edwin Booth, the brother of John Wilkes Booth, and he did snippets of Shakespeare. Did you see him and Elizabeth Taylor in The Taming Of The Shrew? Not my favourite Shakespeare play, but it was delightful and directed by Franco Zeffirelli.

Sue Bursztynski said...

Hi Bazza! Sorry, I just noticed your comment. I think Rosencrantz And Guildenstern counts as a Shakespeare film, just as Galaxy Quest has been voted one of the best Star Trek films.

I am a big fan of Tom Stoppard, anyway. There is a rather amusing Harry Turtledove story, We Haven’t Got There Yet, in which Shakespeare hears that there is this company performing a rip-off of his play Hamlet. Outraged, he goes to see it, and it turns out that a time travelling group of actors are performing the Stoppard play. He loves it!

I hadn’t heard about that title change, but it doesn’t surprise me! 😂

Welcome to my blog, by the way.