Watching Shakespeare on film makes even the most seasoned and cultivated movie lover instinctively make an internal adjustment, as they ready themselves for poetic language of a type they never hear, and of which, if they concentrate, they might understand about 80%.
Reading the Bard is quite a different matter, as you can go back and study his unparalleled turn of phrase. But seeing his work performed, you really have to keep up, as like the French and Italians, Shakespearian actors can- as appropriate to the scene and character- deliver their lines at a speedy clip, and alas, momentarily, something may be lost in the transmission.
To which I say, worry not. The acting, plots, sets, and costumes in the best of these period pieces are ample compensation for missing that occasional phrase either mumbled in secret or bellowed in majestic fury.
In terms of Shakespearian film, it's well known that actors like Sir Ian McKellen and Kenneth Branagh have in more recent days taken up the tradition of introducing film-goers to the man most often acknowledged as the finest playwright humanity has ever known. Before them, there was Sir Laurence Olivier, and on either side of him, Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir John Gielgud.
My favorite Branagh outing is undoubtedly "Henry the Fifth" (1989). He emits a rugged fire that- dare I say it- makes him even more suited to the part than Olivier. This is not to say that Olivier's 1945 rendition pales by comparison. Though a more refined looking actor than Branagh, he possessed both the voice and countenance that would make most any Englishman follow him lustily into battle.
Olivier's Oscar-winning "Hamlet" (1948) is also vastly superior to Branagh's, unmatched to this day, though many praise Mel Gibson's version too.
Only recently did I revisit two of Olivier's slightly lesser-known film adaptations: his superb "Richard the Third" (1947) and equally fine "King Lear" (1983), which was done for British television just a few years before Olivier's death.
"Richard" is a marvel: rarely have I seen a character so poisonous, so thoroughly awash in evil. His deformity gives him all the hatred he needs to systematically usurp the throne of England. Of course, noone is terribly sad when the scheming hunchback finally gets his come-uppance. Shot in rich Technicolor, Olivier is supported by frequent collaborators Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, as well as Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and a young, stunning Claire Bloom. In all, "Richard" is a glorious achievement.
By the time Olivier was finally cajoled into doing "Lear" for posterity, he was chronically ill and frail. The television production values leave something to be desired, but again the cast is so outstanding that it hardly matters: joining Olivier here are Diana Rigg and Dorothy Tutin as Lear's two "false" daughters, and Anna Calder-Marshall as the virtuous youngest daughter, Cordelia. Also on hand are Colin Blakely, Jeremy Kemp, John Hurt, and Leo McKern, who almost steals the show as the ever loyal Gloucester.
For those of you who are steeped in "Henry the Fifth" and "Hamlet", I urge you to watch these other two entries. You may not catch the meaning of every word, but you'll know what's going on, and you'll be aware in both cases of experiencing something very, very special.
Adieu, Sir Laurence.
