Whether we admire his work privately or were forced to read it in school, we all know William Shakespeare as a great playwright of the 16th century and whether you like his work or not, it must be admitted that the plots of his work are rock solid. Covering everything from romance and betrayal to comedy and satire, Shakespeare was able to write in almost every genre available with no difficulty. Shakespeare may be known for tragedies like Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet but that is not his only area of expertise.
Drama began with plays and most actors have a special place in their hearts for Shakespeare. That said, most actors have dreamt of playing a specific role in one of Shakespeare’s plays whether that be on stage or on the screen. The silver screen is the perfect place to recreate a stage play that will last through the ages and still hold the same charm from audience to audience. The plays have been recreated time and time again, but not all are successes.For example, Romeo + Julietwas a box-office and critical success while Merchant of Venice was left on the sidelines and largely forgotten, despite the outstanding speech by Jeremy Irons. Here are five Shakespearean film adaptations that everyone must-see.
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5 Romeo & Juliet (1968)
This is the original adaptation of the play to screen. While the Baz Lurhman version is far more modernized, Franco Zeffirelli’s version of the classic tragic love story recreates the emotions and the aura of the original play. Romeo & Juliet is set in a classic medieval village with costumes and weapons to match, fully immersing the audience in the experience of the story. It’s exactly what you would imagine when you think of a Middle-English play. The performance of the actors is phenomenal. From Juliet’s child-like innocence to Romeo’s vow of love to Juliet, to Juliet’s Nurse being a rambunctious addition to the cast, who also provides much of the comic relief from this tragic love story, it’s a wonderful performance to watch. Many have most likely not seen or heard of this version of the story, but in a sea of interpretations of Romeo and Juliet, Zeffirelli’s Romeo & Juliet is by far the most accurate to the stage-play.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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4 A Midsummer Night’s Dream
This dreamy interpretation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream brings in a phenomenal cast that includes Christian Bale, Michelle Pfeiffer, and even Stanley Tucci. With names like that on the roster, it’s difficult for the film to not be a success. The film follows a couple of storylines after two pairs of lovers enter the forest to escape their muddled fate in the real world. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is exactly that: a dream that doesn’t seem real. This masterpiece makes us believe in magic again, taking Shakespeare’s classic play and using modern technology to bring those fantasies to life, including turning the ass of a man Nick Bottom into a literal ass in order for him to learn a few lessons. This film is sure to warm your heart and show you the lighter side of Shakespeare that is not all tragic love stories and power struggles but comedic twists and turns that eventually end up in a happy ending.
3 Othello
Covering the topic of race relations at a time when slaves were being transported around the world, Shakespeare’s Othello is far ahead of its time. The title character Othello marries a white noblewoman, Desdemona, causing a stir in the community. As Othello leaves to carry out an invasion on Cyprus, his left hand, Iago, has a plan to convince Othello that his new bride is being unfaithful to him. Iago’s consistent badgering wavers Othello’s faith in his wife and leads to some rather dark events. With performances from Laurence Fishburne and Kenneth Branagh, Othello is a wonderful display of how Othello suffers fighting his own trust with what Iago is telling him. It also displays how racism disguises itself and the hardships of interracial couples. Both of these issues are still relevant, hundreds of years later. Othello is a wonderful adaptation and is definitely worth the watch for anyone wanting to see something with topics still so relevant.
2 Hamlet
Mel Gibson may not be the best person in the world, but if you can separate the artist from the art, his portrayal as Hamlet is one of the best. Done by the same director as Romeo & Juliet, Franco Zeffirelli, his adaptation of Hamlet brings with it many of the same benefits as Romeo & Juliet. The set and costumes are perfect for recreating the story to be set at the time it was written. The young prince of Denmark, Hamlet, struggles with himself as he vows to avenge his father’s murder. While Ophelia tries to gain his attention, Hamlet is far too focused on himself and the ghost of his father to pay her any mind. With legendary actress Glenn Close and a young Helena Bonham Carter, the ensemble cast is only another strong beam to the foundation of this adaptation of Hamlet. This tragic tale with the famous “To be or not to be” monologue is a must-watch.
1 The Tragedy of Macbeth
The newest on this list is the new release The Tragedy of Macbeth. Macbeth reimagined featuring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand which came out on Christmas day of 2021 is the retelling of Macbeth and his struggle for power after a prophecy is revealed to him that he would be King if he killed his own King. The classic tale is recreated by Joel Coen, half of the Coen brother filmmaking duo. The film is highly acclaimed so far and shows a great deal of ambiance as the entirety of the film is in black and white and with an award-winning director behind it, the auteur is bound to let his talent shine in this new interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragedy.
