7 amazing and innovative william shakespeare adaptations
It’s a pretty good list, save for the glaring omission of Throne of Blood. (or, for that matter, Polanski’s MacBeth)
How is Ran “modern time”?
The list is not about being modern time. That was the OP’s addition.
Ah, I just saw the OP part. I liked Sons of Anarchy when it seemed to be a modern time adaptation of Hamlet although it appears to have departed from that narrative.
Titus is a striking film, especially the scene with the stump, and fine acting by Anthony Hopkins. Ran is both majestic and overblown, My Own Private Idaho is a bold interesting film, Chimes at Midnight is superb.
Kozintsev’s King Lear and Hamlet are among the best. Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, TS Eliot’s favourite film, may have the edge over Ran. Olivier’s Hamlet and Henry V are quite impressive. Welles’ Othello may be my own favourite. Prospero’s Books is a fascinating offshoot.
Not forgetting the revisionist Gnomeo and Juliet, of course.
Do you like Men of Respect, Matt? Besides enjoying the cast, I don’t remember the film being very good.
I do. Reilly’s not much of a director, but his writing has a nice sub-Ferrara lowlife randomness to it—“no man born of woman can do shit to me!”
Oh, and if we’re making a list, Tarr’s Macbeth should be on it, too.
Seems like they forgot Ian McKellen’s Richard III or even Al Pacino’s version. That Scotland PA film was terrible.
How about Tempest from 1982?
Seems like they need to do a little homework.
They could’ve left out Hamlet and a couple others and threw these in:
Greenaway’s Prospero’s Books
Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood
Polanski’s Macbeth
Welles’ Othello
Surprised not to see Throne of Blood on there, as well. But I suppose 2 Akira Kurosawa entries could be construed as gratuitous, and Ran is probably the more notable of the two.
I can’t blame anyone for forgetting McKellen’s RICHARD III and Mazursky’s TEMPEST.
Time for a Top Ten List:
1) Throne of Blood (Kurosawa)
2) Ran (Kurosawa)
3) Chimes at Midnight (Welles)
4) MacBeth (Polanski)
5) Henry V (Branagh)
6) Hamlet (Branagh)
7) Richard III (Olivier)
8) Hamlet (Almereyda)
9) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hall)
10) Much Ado About Nothing (Branagh)
love love love The King is Alive
Edoardo L'Astorina
The Bard lived centuries ago, but he – or whoever he lent his name to :p – had a lot to say about human nature
7 amazing modern time adaptations of works by William Shakespeare
Do you reckon they’re the best?