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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