Twelfth Night, or What You Will

Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare's most accessible and enjoyable comedies for modern audiences. The most popular film production of the play is the 1996 Trevor Nunn version, which is awash is summery color and broad humor.

This modest 1988 film could not be more different from the Nunn film. Instead of emphasizing the comedy, the underlying melancholy stemming from the play's theme about the pain which comes from love dominates the entire story. Instead of vivid colors, we get a wintry setting and costumes dominated by blues, grays, and blacks. It gives the movie an almost desolate feel with little slapstick at all.

It's an interesting approach to the material and the characters pull it off well. Even though this is merely a filmed stage production, it is engaging enough and the unique focus of the production makes it worth a single view.

I had to read Twelfth Night in college, so I rented this from the university library and watched it while reading along with the actual play on my lap. It is dead on accurate (no cuts) and the play is very funny indeed. This is my favorite Shakespeare play, and I still remember this production of it 10 years later. Kenneth Branagh made Shakespeare look fun, and I actually laughed out loud at some points. I didn't really like Shakespeare before reading/seeing this production. (Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar are the wrong plays to subject to high school kids.) Since watching Twelfth Night, I have a new appreciation for the Bard and his other works. Kenneth Branagh did an excellent job with this one.

"Twelfth Night" continues to reveal delights with every re-acquaintance. It is warm, sympathetic, funny, wise, theatrically canny and occasionally dangerous.

This particular version of the play is chamber Shakespeare, based on a fairly intimate theatrical production. It is not particularly outstanding in any way, but it works. The old Shakespeare magic culminating in the final scene builds and releases as it should, and that is the ultimate test.

The cast is good, just good, across the board. There is one standout performance, and that is Richard Briers as Malvolio, and he is considerably better than good.

I found Anton Lesser's Feste a little strained and complicated, plumbing the part for depths not to be found. This is not Hamlet, nor was meant to be.

Some production decisions can be questioned, with anachronistic Christmas elements injected, along with a wholly awkward Christmas carol. The whole winter motif and monochromatic production can be challenged as well, but it all works nonetheless. Unlike some of Mr. Branagh's inspirations, no Bards were harmed in the making of this DVD, and that's a relief.

Many will tell you that Trevor Nunn's feature film of "Twelfth Night" with a potluck cast of stars is the best choice, but I find it a gross miscalculation in tone, scale and pace, and a complete misfire.

There is an 1969 ITV production floating around with truly towering performances by Sir Alec Guinness and Sir Ralph Richardson, but they unbalance the rest of the cast and threaten to capsize the play.

The best overall version with an ensemble cast that is beautifully balanced in every way is the 1980 BBC version from their complete traversal of the canon, with Felicity Kendal, Sinead Cusack and Alec McCowen. That is a delight from beginning to end.

I always did consider Branagh's Twelfth Night the best version of Shakespeare's play(my favourite actually as of now of his plays, mainly because it was one of my first ones along with Macbeth). Then just today I saw the 1980 BBC version, which ties with this version also. Trevor Nunn's film is also good, very well made with a great cast, and the 1987 Australia version is good if very hard to find. In terms of production values, I may just prefer the 1980 version and the autumnal feel of Nunn's film, but the melancholic atmosphere added a whole new dimension to the play that in my opinion Nunn's lacked. Branagh's version also captures the sexual and social themes of Twelfth Night better than the Nunn film(not bringing that film down, just explaining why I prefer Branagh's account). Despite the realistic-looking production values and melancholic atmosphere, the comedy and wit of the play is still there with little if anything left wanting, and while harsh at first the music does calm down and fits well overall. The cast are wonderful, with the standouts being Anton Lesser's scene-stealing Feste and Richard Briers' indignant and not too self-pitying Malvolio, the butt of the clownery. James Saxon and James Simmons are very amusing also as Sirs Toby and Andrew, and Abigail McKern's Maria is very good also. Christopher Hollis is a dashing Sebastian, as Viola Frances Barber, apart from in the Inspector Morse episode she starred in, has rarely looked more radiant and Caroline Langrische is innocent, moving and intellectual as Olivia. Christopher Ravenscroft impresses as Orsino, not resorting too much to buffoonery and I agree he does make us believe he knows that Cesario is female and brings a lot of dimension to that scene. There are a couple of anachronistic things, like with the Christmas Tree, but I for me really enjoyed that particular scene and am willing to overlook any discrepancies. A wonderful Twelfth Night indeed. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I've been a Shakespeare fan since I can remember, and this is one of the Bard's all time best. Anton Lesser is stunning as Feste (and he sings throughout, a wonderful tenor!) Well directed by Ken Branagh, though when I first put the tape in, I was expecting him to be onscreen, too. (Pout, pout...) Incredible performances by everyone involved, especially liked Caroline Langrishe (Olivia); perfectly cast, as well as Frances Barber (Viola). Great onscreen chemistry. So far I haven't found it for sale, only available to rent through the local library.