I’ve somehow avoided experiencing any of Shakespeare’s work outside of Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and Romeo and Juliet. I prefer to see plays acted out rather then just reading them so I’m looking for the best film versions of his work to experience.
My personal favorite is Franco Zeffirelli’s Hamlet, I watch it all the time and absolutely love it. I love how accurate it is to the play, as well as the costuming and set design feeling so real mixed with the gravitas and drama of the play.
Please share your favorites and tell me a little about why?
Tromeo and Juliet (1996)
There is a version of Macbeth from 1979 with Ian McKellen and Judy Dench. It’s not really a movie but a recording from the Royal Shakespeare Company. It uses minimal sets and just the actors standing in a circle. My wife is a huge Shakespeare fan, but I had no real interest in watching it outside of making her happy. But it was amazing. The acting was absolutely incredible. I’ve never seen anything else like it.
The version of Richard III staring Ian McKellen is great. The opening scene is a chilling depiction of facism.
It’s a re-imagining and not a film of the play, but Scotland, PA is a very good dark comedy about Joe “Mac” McBeth taking over a fast food restaurant through less than ethical means. Christopher Walken appears as McDuff, an investigator looking into the goings on.
I rented that movie once back when Netflix mailed you stuff, and I still think about it on occasion. I really enjoyed it.
Are you interested in productions or adaptations? Everyone’s recommending great productions but adapting Shakespeare (ripping Shakespeare off) is an industry in itself. My personal favourite adaptation is 10 Things I Hate About You. But to be honest is really on the back of some truly great performances not the retelling of Taming of the Shrew.
I’m interested in both!
Some of my favourite adaptations of Shakespeare and what they adapted:
Lion King - Hamlet
O - Othello
My Own Private Idaho - One of the Henrys I forget which one
10 Things I hate about You - 12th Night
West Side Story - Romeo and Juliet
And yeah don’t miss out on Ran
10 Things I Hate About You was an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew.
You might be thinking of She’s the Man?
And My Own Private Idaho was, I think, a multi-source adaptation of Henry IV, Henry IV 2: Die Henrier, and Live V or Die Henry.
Then check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ran_(film)
Resan till Melonia, which is a cartoon adaptation of The Tempest. In it, two evil capitalists happen upon the island Melonia, untainted by their greed. The inhabitants of Melonia travel to the capitalist society to save Melonia and all the children the capitalists have enslaved. You know, normal childrens’ cartoons :-)
The Lion King for Hamlet
I enjoyed Brannagh’s much ado about nothing. I rather enjoyed Mel Gibson Hamlet. Both seem very fresh and contemporary to me
Although I can’t stand him as a person, Roman Polanski made an excellent film out of Macbeth.
Branagh’s Henry V
Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing - it’s just a bit of fun, much like the play.
