The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare
on Film, edited by Russell Jackson. Second Edition.
2010. Read in October and November 2011.
Having
read several books about Shakespeare on film this one doesn’t have so much new
to offer but it’s still an interesting read and recommended especially to those
of you who haven’t started exploring the subject.
It starts with
a chapter on how the plays have been and can be adapted to the screen and goes
on to deal with the more modern use of video and DVDs. There is a chapter on the importance of the
various films of Richard III, especially Ian McKellen’s portrayal. It
goes on to do the same with Hamlet.
Part Two starts
with a chapter on the comedies and one on the history plays. Hamlet, Macbeth
and King Lear have a chapter together as do the love tragedies.
Part Three
focuses in several chapters on the directing efforts of Laurence Olivier, Orson
Welles, Gregor Kozintsev, Franco Zeffirelli and the “flamboyant realist”
Kenneth Branagh. I especially enjoyed that one.
The final part
deals with the issue of gender, national and racial stereotypes and filming the
supernatural.
At the end
there are lists of films and offshoots which are handy for reference.
Just paging
through the book to write this, I realise that I want to read the book again!
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