Since cinema was invented film-makers have continually trid to adapt the Bard to the silver screen with - varying degrees of success.
The latest is Al Pacino as Shylock in The Merchant Of Venice.
Every director has their own approach with Laurence Olivier filming HENRY V (no,it's not the 4th sequel to Portrait of a Serial Killer) as a stage play with cameras to Baz Lurman's outrageous Romeo & Juliet.
Any thoughts as to why directors and writers feel compelled to return again and again to Master Will's plays ?
You know, the guy who has never seemed to really steer wrong when adapting Shakespeare would have to be Kenneth Branagh. I hope I spelt that right. Anyway, I liked "Much Ado About Nothing" and I sat through "Hamlet" in the theater and that was longer then LOTR! I would love to see him do a version of my personal favorite of the bard's plays: MacBeth.
Btw...did anyone else notice all the plot-references to MacBeth in "Chronicles of Riddick"?
Anywone else realize that since Disney ran out of fairy tales, they resorted to Shakespeare? The Lion King is Hamlet.....with less death at the end. I hate Disney....but I like Pixar and The Incredibles.
Shakespeare must be turning over in his grave with all the crappy modern versions of his plays being released. I saw the modern "Hamlet" and it was stupid >.< I wanted to cry it was so stupid. I liked Hamlet. I memorized all of his sililoquoys. Kenneth Branagh and Mel Gibson did Hamlet good though... they know what they are doing.
I liked Mel Gibson as Hamlet in 1990, I thought it was a great adaptation. I have yet to see a great movie adaptation for my favorite Shakespere play, Othello. In my opinion, Iago is one of the all-time great villains. Macbeth is another great piece. Shakespere's work just seems to hold up so well throughout the years.
Yes Tunnelrat, I've seen Henry V, and I even had it on tape, somewhere.
As for Romeo and Juliet, I can't even stand the ORIGINAL any more because of all the overuses of it's plot and characters for all sorts of movies.
Although, not all modern remakes of films are bad. I thought "10 Things I hate About You" was a great modern version of "Taming of the Shrew". Speaking of which, anyone here see "Kiss Me Kate"?
Great musical "We open in Venice...[/i[ I've got it on DVD. I loved Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore together.All the time they were supposed to be rehearsing their duet they were playing cards,drinking and tossing pennies or playing handball.
They were so much fun in that film! Brush up your Shakespeare....start quoting him now....
I loved those kinds of movies, with the front and back working of stage play. Have you seen "Noises Off"? Simular style, only not musical, or Shakespeare, but it did have Michael Caine in it and I'm sure he could do Shakespeare really well if we was so inclined.
Yeah.Trivia : In NOISES OFF the title of the play they were working on is Nothing On. Denholm Elliot as the lush,John Ritter,Christopher Reeve.
A great pastiche ofworks by Rix and Cooney (Brian & Ray if you want their first names) farces like Run For Your Wife This play turns up at the Edinburgh Fringe from time to time.
There was a version of Othello set in India during the Raj and Othello was played as a sikh.
I completely support Shakespeare in movie form for a couple reasons: Shakespeare is meant to be seen, not read. More people go see movies than go to the theatre.
If people see even a mediocre film version of a Shakespeare play, it may spark an interest in Shakespeare, which is not a bad thing.
And I completely adore Branagh's Hamlet. That movie makes me appreciate what film can do with Shakespeare.
I completely support Shakespeare in movie form for a couple reasons: Shakespeare is meant to be seen, not read. More people go see movies than go to the theatre.
In reply to TUNNELRAT, #17: Hell yes John Leguizamo was awesome in that movie and seeing the guy from OZ was really kewl. I can't say that I like leonardo dicaprio but I can overlook him in this movie.
