Shakespeare at the Movies

In my friend group, I’m known as the Shakespeare fan. This is quite earned as I quote it, make my kids read it, attend most live plays I can, and watched lots of movies. This is a completely fair assessment. This means my friends turn to me when they want to know a good Shakespeare production to show their kids. Every time I do a quick rundown of my favorite Shakespeare movies, and the most recent time I realized it probably makes more sense to put together my good Shakespeare movies list. They can make a great book and a movie night.

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Here are the caveats of my Shakespeare movies list

To me a good production does not have to be set in Shakespearean times. Shakespeare wrote plays happening in all sorts of times, and places. I’m not looking for Elizabethan garb.

My personal tastes run to not too much violence or nudity. There may be an AMAZING production of nude Hamlet complete with the best casting of Hamlet ever, but I’m not going to recommend it.

Hamlet was a cheap shot. It was the first play to come to my mind.

I really don’t care about the race of the actor, unless the person can’t act or it messes with the intent of the play. My theater teacher in high school saw an amazing production of Hamlet where Hamlet was Asian and everyone else was pale pale white. It helped emphasize how excluded Hamlet was from the rest of the court, and she said he was the best Hamlet she’d seen.

It really does look like I’m obsessed with Hamlet. I’m not.

Also, all of the movies I’m going to recommend I’ve seen. I’ll mention some ones I’ve heard of, but haven’t seen yet.

Without further ado, I give you my good Shakespeare movies list.

Good Shakespeare movies: The Comedies

I personally enjoy the comedies a heck of a lot more than the tragedies. I like laughing.

• Much Ado About Nothing– I cut my Shakespeare teeth on this play. It holds a special place in my heart because of it. There is brief nudity during the credits as you watch people run (from the back) into the baths. Joss Whedon also has a decent version he filmed over a weekend with friends, but there are a couple of sex scenes added in. Also, it’s hard to beat Branaugh’s Benedict.
• Twelfth Night– This is a fun play with twins, mistaken identity, and ends in a few weddings. Jeff and I saw this live at the Globe on our honeymoon, so it’s got a special place in my heart [Twelfth Night book club].
• Midsummer Night’s Dream– While Much Ado was my first, Midsummer is my favorite. My only complaints with this adaptation are the cutting of a brilliant Puck monologue and cutting a line from Puck’s final monologue. To be warned there is a brief sort of nudity. They are quite clearly not wearing clothes, but they are holding their clothes in front of them at the end. [Our Midsummer Night’s Dream book club]
• Taming of the Shrew– caveat, I haven’t seen all of this one, but my best friend and fellow Shakespeare lover highly endorses this version. It’s on my to-watch list. The friend who inspired this post told me there’s a production with John Cleese in it. That would probably be amazing!
• Love’s Labours Lost– This is another Branaugh, but it’s a musical set vaguely in the 1930s in a fictional country. It’s not great, but neither is this particular play. It’s just fun.

Okay, I just found out Branaugh has a 2006 movie of As You Like It. I must now watch this.

Good Shakespeare movies: The Tragedies

• Romeo and Juliet– Watch the ’90s Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Dane version. It much better gets the drama behind the play.
• Hamlet– go with Mel Gibson version. If you can find it. I couldn’t find one on Amazon, so I linked to the Branaugh one. It’s a bit crazy, but it’s good overall. If you want to go for a marathon event, then watch the Kenneth Branaugh Hamlet, be warned it’s got a sex scene between Hamlet and Ophelia.
• Merchant of Venice– this is emotionally hard, it’s well-acted, but it’s going to rip your heart out.

I told you, I don’t watch these as often, so I don’t have as many suggestions.

Good Shakespeare movies: The Histories

• Julius Caesar– This is a production from the BBC with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and it’s set in an African military dictatorship (or that’s the feel it has). It’s a bit more violent than some of these others (the murder of Julius Caesar and the executions of other characters) so know that when watching it. I’ve heard the Brando Julius Caesar is good, but I haven’t seen it. Wait no, I’ve watched the Funeral monologue from it. I’ve seen it live twice, and my favorite was changing the setting to a modern political campaign.
• The Hollow Crown– This is the Henriad, now I haven’t seen all of the plays in this. We got it for our Henry V book club, and then Jeff and I went back and watched the first one in the series, Richard II. I will say after having watched a live production that had someone playing Henry who really looked like soldier, I’d like to find a movie version like that. It’s such a great role, all of the actors want to play him, and therefore lots of pretty boys are cast in it.
• Richard III– this is costumed like Nazi Germany, a common plan if you want someone to look like a bad guy, and let’s face it Richard III is a bad guy, or so says Shakespeare. It’s another play that is emotionally hard to bear.

Any other good Shakespeare movies you can suggest?

I’m always on the lookout for another good production. We’re in the middle of reading/acting the Tempest. Before the quarantine hit, our local theater company was going to do a production this summer in the park. Sadly that is indefinitely delayed.

I still want to find a good movie version to watch.

I’m also on the lookout for a good version of Macbeth. I’ve heard Patrick Stewart was in a good production, but haven’t seen it yet. I know there’s one production that is seriously disturbing set in a mental unit, so I want to avoid that one.

One last Shakespeare bit

As you introduce Shakespeare it can be helpful to give an overview. We love these summaries.