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Shakespeare Movies

Nyarlathotep

Philosopher
Nyarlathotep
Joined
Mar 26, 2003
Messages
7,503
A recent discussion in one of my classes got me thinking about this. We just got finished reading Hamlet in my English class and we watched the version of it that Kenneth Branagh did a few years back. One of my classmates and I were discussing which was better, the Branagh version we had just watched, or the one Mel Gibson did a few years back. Though I liked the Branagh version, I still prefer Mel Gibsons version better. The setting was more authentic and I liked Gibsons portrayal of the Prince better.

However, my absolute favorite movie version of Shakespeare is Branagh's version of Henry V. I could watch that movie 100 times.

What Movie versions of Shakespeare do the rest of you really like (or hate)? I would make a poll but I don't think that 10 options would be enough.
 
I like the modernized Richard III with Ian McKellan and Hamlet with Ethan Hawke (Bill Murray as Polonius is very good)

The Dresser with Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay is worth a look.
 
Kullervo said:
I like the modernized Richard III with Ian McKellan and Hamlet with Ethan Hawke (Bill Murray as Polonius is very good)

The Dresser with Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay is worth a look.
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I haven't seen that one. Richard III is one of my favorite plays, but the only movie version I have seen was an old one with Vincent Price. I might have to go looking for it.
 
Absolute worst Hamlet, bar none, was Kevin Kline's. There is a Hamlet shown on MST3K that is better than Kline's...*shudder*

I like Mad Max's Hamlet a lot, although it is much too Freudian. (as was Olivier's, but still wonderful). Only seen the Branagh one once, as it is a bit of a long production...I have heard that the Gielgud Hamlet is one of the best--now that this thread reminds me, I must pop over to the library to see for myself... There is a wonderful non-freudian Hamlet with Nicol Williamson in the title role. Worth finding. I also liked the Ethan Hawke Hamlet (much better than the dicaprio R&J, the other modern one of recent memory).
 
Mercutio said:
Absolute worst Hamlet, bar none, was Kevin Kline's. There is a Hamlet shown on MST3K that is better than Kline's...*shudder*

I like Mad Max's Hamlet a lot, although it is much too Freudian. (as was Olivier's, but still wonderful). Only seen the Branagh one once, as it is a bit of a long production...I have heard that the Gielgud Hamlet is one of the best--now that this thread reminds me, I must pop over to the library to see for myself... There is a wonderful non-freudian Hamlet with Nicol Williamson in the title role. Worth finding. I also liked the Ethan Hawke Hamlet (much better than the dicaprio R&J, the other modern one of recent memory).
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Having seen the one shown on MST3K I have to worry very much that there is a WORSE version out there.

Yeah, The Mel Gibson version of Hamlet was Freudian, but that didn't bother me too much. I like the way Gibson portrayed Hamlet's "insanity" though. Branagh, I think, was kind of going for "manic depressive" so sometimes he kind of reminded me more of Daffy Duck than Hamlet, i.e. the scene where he tells Claudius where to find Polonius' body. It kind of irritated me sometimes, other than that it was pretty good. I think you have a good idea though. I might look for some of the other movie versions sometime. It would make for a good comparison.

By the way, I avoided the modern day remake of Romeo & Juliet on the priniciple that it had DiCaprio in it. I can't stand anything that guy is in.
 
Kullervo said:
I like the modernized Richard III with Ian McKellan and Hamlet with Ethan Hawke (Bill Murray as Polonius is very good)

The Dresser with Albert Finney and Tom Courtenay is worth a look.
Click to expand...

Ditto on the Ian McKellan Richard III. How often do you get Shakespeare with tanks? The "My kingdom for a horse!" gag is great. Oh, I'll just spoil it. Richard is trying to escape in a jeep and the driver gets killed and it gets stuck. Richard is trying to back it out but can't. So he says "A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!" HA!

Tromeo and Juliet is a classic also. With a nice Juliet/Nurse girl on girl scene.
 
Branaugh's "Henry V" and "Much Ado About Nothing" are at the top of my list.

Michael Keaton as Dogberry: What a riot!! I laughed so hard at the interrogation scene that I had to watch it about five times just to see if from start to finish.

As for Olivier, I find him hard to watch. His "Othello" was unbearable, and his "Henry V" was wooden.

I enjoyed the "Shakespeare in Central Park" production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," but I understand a recording of this production is rather hard to find. Most "Midsummer" movies aren't all that great.

One of the films on my viewing list is "MacBeth," the Orson Welles version. I have heard that it is good. The most recent version of MacBeth I've seen is Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood," which was okay.

My favorite Shakespeare play is "King Lear." The best version I've seen of this play is Kurosawa's "Ran." I cannot recommend any other movie version of this play, but I hear that the version with John Hurt as Fool is quite good.
 
I do recommend the MST3K version of "Hamlet," starring Maximilian Schell and the voice of Ricardo Montalban as King Claudius. I am serious about this. There is some excellent humor in the commentary.

My favorite joke comes at the end of the movie, when the dying Hamlet plops himself down on the throne to give his dying speech. One of the hecklers says, "Hey, who died and made YOU king?" This smart-aleck remark basically sums up the entire plot of the play!
 
Brown said:
Branaugh's ... "Much Ado About Nothing" .... Olivier .... wooden.
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What adjective do you use to describe Keanu Reeves' thespian skills in Much Ado? That was a casting choice from some other dimension.

Orson Welles Othello is a triumph of low budget filmaking. The steam room scene....
 
Nyarlathotep said:


Having seen the one shown on MST3K I have to worry very much that there is a WORSE version out there.

Yeah, The Mel Gibson version of Hamlet was Freudian, but that didn't bother me too much. I like the way Gibson portrayed Hamlet's "insanity" though. Branagh, I think, was kind of going for "manic depressive" so sometimes he kind of reminded me more of Daffy Duck than Hamlet, i.e. the scene where he tells Claudius where to find Polonius' body. It kind of irritated me sometimes, other than that it was pretty good. I think you have a good idea though. I might look for some of the other movie versions sometime. It would make for a good comparison.

By the way, I avoided the modern day remake of Romeo & Juliet on the priniciple that it had DiCaprio in it. I can't stand anything that guy is in.
Click to expand...

Oh baloney, you loved Gangs of New York!!
 
I absolutely loved the modernized version of Taming of the Shrew, which is called 10 Things I Hate About You. Aimed at teenagers and although the names have not changed from the original and some of the lines are even the same, most teenagers won't even realize they have been tricked into watchin Shakespeare. :-)

I hated Westside Story. But the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliette is wonderful although I am about as sick of Romeo and Juliette as I can get. It has been way over done, despite the fact that the Queen Mab speech is always a pleasure to hear.

Other than that, I quite enjoyed Mel Gibsons angst ridden version of Hamlet. Yes, it is dripping with the Oedipal Complex, but then Oedipus Rex is among some of my favorite plays. :-)

I quite enjoyed Orson Wells version of Othello, but then I admit that I haven't seen any other versions.
 
For a medium that's meant to be seen and heard I've never been able to get into seeing a Shakespeare play, on stage or film. I can only enjoy them by reading them. I did see Kurosawa's "Ran" a long time ago and remember thinking it was a visual beauty, but I didn't really follow the subtitles - I just watched and let the little I knew of Ling Lear at that time carry me along.
 
I was lucky enough to see Ian McKellan with the Royal Shakespeare Company (or whatever they are called) perform their adaptation of Richard III before the movie was made. It was fantastic.

Sir Ian came out on stage in his long officer's coat, bundled up as though against severe cold, and belted out the opening monologue with his hands in his pockets, and a cigarette dangling out of the corner of his mouth. It was quite impressive.

Branagh's speech in Henry V makes me want to run out and go shoot arrows at frenchmen.
 
Chanileslie said:


Oh baloney, you loved Gangs of New York!!
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Okay, my desire to see that film made me compromise my principle regarding DiCraprio. I'm so ashamed.
 
Kullervo said:
What adjective do you use to describe Keanu Reeves' thespian skills in Much Ado? That was a casting choice from some other dimension.
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Actually, Reeves was okay in that role because it was a shallow character with no motivation. Don John is one of Shakespeare's weakest one-dimensional bad guys, and since Reeves has trouble acting beyond one dimension, the role was pretty well suited for him.

I suspect that Reeves was hired in part because of one line, in which he speaks of "the most exquisite Claudio." Reeves utters "exquisite" much like he utters "excellent" in the "Bill and Ted" movies.
 
How could I forget the great adaptation of "The Tempest" that is "Forbidden Planet". I wrote a paper on it for a Shakespeare class I had in college.




Am I the only one that's seen "Tromeo and Juliet"?
 
Does Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead count? If you're somewhat familiar with Hamlet, it is highly recommended. After you finish laughing at all the amusing stuff that's going on, the layers and layers of it start to get to you. I would say it's one of the best sequels ever made.

Kullervo said:
What adjective do you use to describe Keanu Reeves' thespian skills in Much Ado? That was a casting choice from some other dimension.
Click to expand...
When I saw Much Ado About Nothing in the theaters, I went opening night with a bunch of actor friends in Berkeley. The theater was packed with Shakespeare afficianados. It was a rollicking good time, and I especially remember the credits, because a name would come up and everyone would cheer madly and happily, stamping their feet and grinning ear to ear. —Kenneth Branaugh— Yay! Woo-hoo! —Emma Thompson— Woo-hoo! Yay! And then when it said —Keanu Reeves— the audience got conspicously quiet for a moment, and then people began to giggle at themselves and a low hissing started. I have never been able to see one of his movies again without remembering that wonderful second when an entire audience was united in catty, thespian jealousy against him.

However, upon reflection, I do like Keanu in the role. It is a one-dimensional character, and a character that is not very fun to play. And yet it is essential that he be someone with whom the audience does not sympathize. An excellent actor would be wasted on the part, I think. Keanu makes me cringe every time he comes into view, and I've come to realize that it makes the movie that much better. For that reason alone, I'd rank him as an excellent villain.
 
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