The Films of William Shakespeare

There are many films of William Shakespeare, whether they be direct adaptations like Romeo + Juliet or Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, or modern day interpretations like She's the Man or O. Either way, there are several films out in the world that are adapted from Shakespeare. However, though Shakespeare plays are almost all good, there are some adaptations that are simply too terrible.

I plan to write reviews on many of these Shakespearean films, reviewing not just if the film is good or bad, but on how well the actors portrayed the complex dialogue, how well any time and setting differences from the play work in the film, how well the film has reached its intended audience (such as 10 Things I Hate About You would be directed to a teenage audience and Kenneth Branagh's Henry V is more of passing itself off as a war film), and a few other items.

Works Cited

Branagh, Kenneth, dir. As You Like It. Perf. Romola Garai, Bryce Dallas Howard, Kevin Kline, Adrian Lester, Janet McTeer, Alfred Molina, and David Oyelowo. HBO Films, 2006. Film.



Branagh, Kenneth, dir. Hamlet. Perf. Kenneth Branagh, Julie Christie, Billy Crystal, Gerard Depardieu, Charlton Heston, Derek Jacobi, Jack Lemmon, Rufus Sewell, Robin Williams, and Kate Winslet. Castle Rock Entertainment, 1996. Film.



Branagh, Kenneth, dir. Henry V. Perf. Kenneth Branagh, Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench, Ian Holm, Derek Jacobi, and Emma Thompson. MGM Home Entertainment, 1989. Film.



Branagh, Kenneth, dir. Much Ado About Nothing. Perf. Kenneth Branagh, Michael Keaton, Robert Sean Leonard, Keanu Reeves, Emma Thompson, and Denzel Washington. MGM Home Entertainment. 1993. Film.



Hoffman, Michael, dir. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Perf. Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart, Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Stanley Tucci. Fox Searchlight Pictures. 1999. Film



Junger, Gil, dir. 10 Things I Hate About You. Perf. Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, Andrew Keegan, and Larry Miller. Touchstone Pictures. 1999. Film.



Kynnusk. “Hamlet, To be or not to be - Kenneth Branagh.” Youtube.com. Youtube. 07 Oct. 2007. Web. 24 Feb. 2012.



Loncraine, Richard, dir. Richard III. Perf. Ian McKellen, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey Jr., Nigel Hawthorne, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith, John Wood, and Dominic West. United Artists, 1995. Web.



Luhrmann, Baz, dir. Romeo + Juliet. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo, Pete Postlewaite, Paul Servino, and Diane Venora. 20^th Century Fox, 1996. Web.



Madden, John, dir. Shakespeare in Love. Perf. Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck, and Judi Dench. Miramax, 1998. Film



Nicksasexiebeast. “Shakespeare sketch - A Small Rewrite.” Youtube.com. Youtube. 31 May 2006. Web. 14 Feb. 2012.



Nunn, Trevor, dir. Twelfth Night; or What You Will. Perf. Helena Bonham Carter, Richard E. Grant, Nigel Hawthorne, Ben Kingsley, Mel Smith, Imelda Staunton, Toby Stephens, and Imogen Stubbs. Fine Line Features, 1996. Film.



OxfordGreats. “Henry V (1944) – Laurence Olivier.” Youtube.com. Youtube. 31 Dec. 2011. Web. 2 Jan. 2012.



Radford, Michael, dir. The Merchant of Venice. Perf. Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, and Lynn Collins. Sony Pictures Classics. 2004. Film.



Reilly, William, dir. Men of Respect. Perf. John Turturro, Katherine Borowitz, Rod Steiger, Stanley Tucci, Dennis Farina, and Peter Boyle. Columbia Pictures, 1990. Film.



Scooterpiety. “The Muppet Show - Hamlet/Brush Up Your Shakespeare.” 18 Sep. 2008. Web. 14 Feb. 2012.



Stoppard, Tom, dir. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Perf. Tim Roth, Richard Dreyfuss, Gary Oldman, and Iain Glen. Cinemcom Pictures, 1990. Film.



Taymor, Julie, dir. The Tempest. Perf. Helen Mirren, Djimon Hounsou, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, and Chris Cooper. Touchstone Pictures. 2010. Film.



Zefferelli, Franco, dir. The Taming of the Shrew. Perf. Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Natasha Pyne, and Michael Hordern. Columbia Pictures, 1967. Film.