Favorite Movie Adaptations

[superhero99]

Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and Franco Zefirelli's Romeo and Juliet. I absolutely loved both versions. Although I admit I haven't seen too many Shakespeare adaptations.

[Niamh]

Zefirelli's Romeo and Juliet is brilliant.
I also saw a really cool arty version of A Midsummers Nights Dream well over ten years ago. I think it was done by Film Four. Been a long time since i've seen it. Once had it on Video but god only knows what happened to it.
I also love Branaghs As You Like It. Thought his Loves Labour Lost was Horrific though.

[Charles Darnay]

The worst adaptation I've seen is the most recent version of As You Like It (sorry to any Branah fans but he should have stuck to acting)

Some of the best adaptations I've seen are:

Merchant of Venice with Pacino

Taymore's Titus

and for purely comical reasons, BBC's version of Measure For Measure (although I can't really call this good)

[Niamh]

I agree with the merchant of venice.

[Janine]

Branagh's Much Ado and Olver's Richard III. I haven't been really satisfied with any of the Hamlets I've seen so far, though of the lot I prefer Brannagh's. And can omeone PLEASE suggest a REASONABLY decent version of Macbeth? it's my favourite play and I've been thouroughly disappointed so far- and don'treally like "modernized" Shakepeare. I did like Throne o Blood, but what I want is a reasonably straght from Shakespeare version.

;1581,I like Branagh's "Much Ado About Nothing" and I like his "Hamlet", athough I can see flaws in each; although, as someone else, pointed out he did have the guts to do the entire play word for word; I can really appreciate that. I love watching it even if it has some descrepancies in the staging or time period; I over look them since I am into the interaction of the cast and think they all did a fine job. I usually forgive him, since I am a huge Branagh fan; however, I feel his "Henry V" is a perfect film. Someone on Lit Net alerted me to an earlier BBC version of "Hamlet" starring Derek Jacobi; as you know, he plays Claudius in Branagh's film and does a terrific job of it. Jacobi was Branagh's mentor. This early film might be difficult to find, but it is the full text and excellent. It is more like a filmed stage play, with sparser sets, but the entire text; a huge plus. I still prefer Branagh's "To Be, or Not To Be, spoken in the mirror reflection - I thought that one of the stellar moments in his "Hamlet," and in the history of film, period! Way to go Kenneth!

There is a film version of "Macbeth" directed by Orwsen Wells and he stars as Macbeth. It is a pretty amazing film; very intense and in B/W, very graphic. I have seen that several times, although I find this play difficult to watch with all the blantant killing, especially the children. Olivier's "King Lear" is amazing also - very intense and I believe contains the entire text. It is hard to watch, but so worthwhile to do so; it is just so darn intense one is exhausted afterwards. It is set in a scene version of Stonehenge - interesting; also much like a filming of a play.

Nick Adams, I think Clive Owen playing Macbeth would certainly be an interesting prospect.

I also hated Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo and Juliet". He did a far better job on "Moulin Rouge", Zefferelli's version of R&J is a classic. I also hated the Ethan Hawk version of "Hamlet". I think he recites "To Be, Or Not to Be" while walking through a laundramat....something weird like that...I just could not make the transition. I do like the Mel Gibson "Hamlet" but it is much abreviated and also some scenes are scrambled in sequence or combined; that bothers me some. He was surprisingly good in the role.

[Equality72521]

I actually like the Branagh versions of Shakespeare more than others. I think they're pretty good. More specifically Hamlet. I have attempted at watching two other versions of Hamlet, the Ethan Hawke version, which I really didn't like. I dislike any version of Shakespeare that is thrown into the modern world, it's weird and just doesn't seem right. It doesn't flow as well. The time period has got to match the language or it just doesn't work, the whole time period switch also occurs in Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio. That one was TERRIBLE. I think that movie just kind of shut that play down for me. Also, the Mel Gibson Hamlet was all right. Not my preferred favorite, but still okay, mainly my thoughts on it are similar to that of Janine's on the Mel Gibson part.

[shakespeare87]

My favourite is Branagh's Hamlet - uncut! About 4 hours long, It is the best movie I have ever seen.

[wessexgirl]

Branagh's Much Ado and Olver's Richard III. I haven't been really satisfied with any of the Hamlets I've seen so far, though of the lot I prefer Brannagh's. And can omeone PLEASE suggest a REASONABLY decent version of Macbeth? it's my favourite play and I've been thouroughly disappointed so far- and don'treally like "modernized" Shakepeare. I did like Throne o Blood, but what I want is a reasonably straght from Shakespeare version.

Have you seen the version with Ian McKellen and Judi Dench? It's an RSC version from I think the 70's or 80's. It's a filmed version of the stage play, if you see what I mean, rather than a film. It is outstanding. Very dark, and Dench gives the most heart-rending scream I think I've ever heard in a play. Give it a go, if you haven't already.

I love Branagh's Henry V and MAAN too. Excellent adaptations. I do like his Hamlet as well, but not as much as Olivier's, the old b & w version.

For a modern version that's just such fun, try the Beeb's Much Ado About Nothing from a few years ago. I don't usually like updated versions, but it is very funny, and well adapted. Damian Lewis is spot on as Benedict, and Sarah Parish is an excellent Beatrice.

As a Shakespeare fan, I will watch pretty much all adaptations, but I have to say I love Kenneth Branagh, who just seems to "get it" and must be the most adept "Shakesperean" film maker around at the moment. He has truly taken over Olivier's mantle.

[Lioness_Heart]

Branagh's Hamlet is by far the best that I've seen, perhaps helped by the atmoshere when we watched it, as my English class turned it into a pizza night in the lecture theatre at school. It was incredibly dramatic whilst keeping to the original script, which is quite rare for modern adaptations. I found the time period they used effective too, although I didn't expect to. It just goes to show how universally relevant Shakespeare is, I suppose. I wish that I could see David Tennant as Hamlet though!!!

Also, the most recent Romeo and Juliet (with Leonardo DiCaprio) was amazing; it seemed to get the intensity of the emotions to come across more effectively than any other production that I've seen.

[Equality72521]

I watched Branagh's Love's Labour Lost the other day...it was cuteee