How now, mine dear fellows!
Tomorrow is Shakespeare Day, and I figured that I'd celebrate by ranking some of the greatest movies based on the Bard's works. I decided to do two simultaneous top five -lists, one of which focuses on the more traditional cinematic adaptations that stay faithful to the source material, while the other focuses on the more unconventional adaptations that take some major creative directions. The line between traditional and unconventional is drawn somewhat arbitrarily, as is the line between adaptations and non-adaptations - for example, after a lot of back-and-forth consideration, I decided not to include films like The Lion King (1994) which are very loosely based on Shakespeare plays but so far-fetched that they don't feel like 'adaptations' per se.
#5. in Traditional: The Merchant of Venice (2004)
Michael Radford's cinematic adaptation of this classic Shakespeare comedy is decent, if not mind-blowing. The characters come to life gracefully, especially the Jewish merchant Shylock who is played by Al Pacino in a powerful performance. The adaptation isn't exactly one hundred per cent faithful to the source material, as it zeroes in on the play's alleged homoerotic undertones (in a manner that the Bard would've been proud of, by all accounts). Still, between the setting and dialogue, this adaptation doesn't take any major risks and definitely fits more into the 'traditional' category.
#5. in Unconventional: Hamlet (2000)
One of the many movies that take the story, characters and even dialogue from the original Shakespeare play, but set in a modern-day context (in this case, New York City). The reason for Michael Almereyda's adaptation of my favorite Shakespeare play not being higher on this list is that this juxtaposition doesn't flow as smoothly as in some other cases, making parts of the movie feel quite clunky. But there's still a lot to like, especially in the acting department: Ethan Hawke makes for a fantastic Hamlet, Kyle MacLachlan is terrifyingly magnificent as Claudius, and Bill Murray, out of all people, is surprisingly excellent (albeit a strange casting choice) as the proud and concerned Polonius.
#4. in Traditional: Romeo and Juliet (1968)
Quite possibly the most conventional cinematic adaptation of a Shakespeare play that I've seen, this film takes no risks and feels like a stage play come to life. I appreciate such movies, as I haven't had the chance to see an actual Shakespeare play in the form of live theater, so this is the closest I've gotten so far. Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey are spectacular as the titular star-crossed lovers, and the Academy Awards that the film won for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design were very well-deserved.
#4. in Unconventional: Hamlet Liikemaailmassa (1987)
This list has already covered one "Hamlet but in present day" film adaptation. So what sets this similarly themed movie apart? Well, it's Finnish, directed by Aki Kaurismäki (Finland's very own David Lynch), and its title translates to "Hamlet in the business world", as the film recontextualizes the classic tale in the milieu of a Finnish company that manufactures rubber ducks. The movie is bizarre and creative, and national treasure Pirkka-Pekka Petelius makes for a unique but nuanced take on the play's iconic protagonist.
#3. in Traditional: Macbeth (2010)
Now, I'm bending the rules a bit here: BBC Four's TV movie Macbeth isn't a completely traditional adaptation, as many of the locations and costumes have a modern-day vibe to them instead of the original medieval setting. But the dialogue and events are so incredibly faithful to the original that the film truly feels like a stage play, so the end product does feel more comparable to the films in the 'traditional' category than the 'unconventional' list.
What is otherwise an average Shakespeare adaptation with a lower budget than many of its blockbuster counterparts becomes one of my favorites, largely thanks to one thing: Sir Patrick Stewart in the lead role. Macbeth is one of the most challenging roles to play across the Bard's body of work, but Stewart does a mesmerizing job with the olde-English pronunciation and dramatic style of reciting lines, as well as conveying the character's gripping journey from hero to villain with dramatic gravitas. That performance is one for the ages, and one of the major reasons for Sir Patrick being one of my favorite actors.
#3. in Unconventional: The Coup (The Office (U.S.), Season 3 Episode 3)
Apparently, the writers for The Office (2005-2013) haven't confirmed whether or not they had Shakespeare's Macbeth in mind when writing this episode. But of course they did. That is what the cast noticed when filming the episode, it is what fans online have analyzed, and it's what I thought of within the first minutes of the episode and continued to think throughout my viewing experience. The similarities are just too striking for it to be a coincidence: the episode essentially tells the simplified story of Macbeth, but in the hilarious context of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.
Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) is the Macbeth of the story, as his vaulting ambition takes over and he turns against the leader who mentored him, wanting to grab the power for himself. Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) is Lady Macbeth, manipulating her man in order to make things better for herself (the scene where she whispers "You should be running this office" to Dwight was when I was convinced that I was watching a Shakespeare adaptation in disguise). And poor Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is King Duncan, the man in charge who becomes the target of a shocking coup attempt from the last man he would expect.
#2. in Traditional: Henry V (1995)
As one can deduce from my 'Top 10 Shakespeare Plays' -post, Henry V isn't as good of a play as the likes of Macbeth or Romeo and Juliet. But the film adaptation is one of the better ones, largely for one reason: Kenneth Branagh. The king of modern Shakespeare actors is absolutely brilliant in the lead role, truly bringing every aspect of the fleshed-out protagonist to life in a majestic manner.
Branagh also directed the film, and his deep understanding of the Bard's vision is clear through the movie's stylistic choices. I especially enjoyed the extra-dramatic flair in the iconic Act III battle speech, as well as the way in which the Chorus (Derek Jacobi) was inserted into the film's transition sequences.
#2. in Unconventional: Romeo + Juliet (1996)
The champion of the "A Shakespeare play, but as a movie in a modern setting, but with the original dialogue" subgenre. Baz Luhrmann's zany vision sees Verona re-imagined as a hip suburb, with the extravagant clothing design and set design making for some memorable scenery. The main couple, played by dashing youngsters Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, have amazing chemistry together. Furthermore, the use of Radiohead's best song Exit Music (For a Film) in the final credits is nothing short of spine-chilling, as the tragic overtones of the play's ending become downright haunting.
#1. in Traditional: Othello (1995)
In short, Oliver Parker's Othello is the perfect conventional cinematic Shakespeare adaptation. There are no mind-blowing alterations or revolutionary points-of-view, but the story of Othello is told in a very concise and satisfying manner. If you want to see Othello and a stage adaptation isn't available. this film surely is the next-best thing. All of the source material's best elements, from the dramatic soliloquies to the themes of racism and war, come across in a gripping manner.
Laurence Fishburne is just the right casting choice for the lead role, yet the spotlight is stolen in an extreme fashion by the film's best element - Shakespeare enthusiast Kenneth Branagh, at it again. Branagh's tour-de-force performance as the iconic villain Iago is nothing short of mesmerizing, making for a very memorable and enthralling viewing experience.
#1. in Unconventional: West Side Story (1961)
You most likely saw this one coming - really, what else was it possibly going to be? The story of Romeo and Juliet, re-contextualized as a Broadway-musical-turned-movie-that-wins-10-Oscars, is a classic of the highest order. Between Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim's snappy music and the mesmerizing choreographies that come with them, the impeccable work of the costume, makeup and hairstyling departments, and the powerful performances from legends such as Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno, West Side Story certainly earns its glorious place in the movie musical hall of fame.
In addition to standing out on its own due to the aforementioned factors, the musical is also a very successful Shakespeare adaptation - while the time, place, character names and other such things are completely different from the original Romeo and Juliet, the basic premise and the lesson at hand are exactly the same. And the ending is pretty much just as powerful in the context of the Sharks and Jets as it was with the Montagues and Capulets.
Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my celebration of Arbor Day as I rank the top 10 most iconic movie trees (no, really) - I might be back before then for a special weekend post relating to the Academy Awards. Stay tuned!
No comments:
Post a Comment