Doc-57

Nothing is better on screen or stage than good Shakespeare, and this film will take its place as one of the best. Lush, beautiful Italian scenery and sets; great music including some well-placed opera arias; strong direction and camera work; and a natural dreamy tone that tops it all to make a wonderful adaptation. And with all that, the "hard-handed" "players" are a scream! We laughed along with the Duke at their most lamentable comedy, "very notably discharged." (That must have been a lot of fun on the stage of the Globe Theater, too.)

Some actors must be mentioned, and it was a nice blend of British and American talents, too. Michelle Pfeiffer outdid herself as the sensuous Fairy Queen, and was matched by her powerful Fairy King in Rupert Everett--these two aren't cute little fairies by any means! Stanley Tucci wasn't over-cute as Puck, either, but caught the necessary impish quality instead. Calista Flockhart was quite appealing as the hapless, love-struck Helena. But of course the amateur players are the stars; particularly the great Kevin Kline, still one of our most under-rated American actors. It's not fair to compare him to James Cagney in the first version, but it's hard not to, since he under-played it rather than over-playing it as Cagney did so well. (That's still well worth watching!) He interpreted the part as a bit of a rouge rather than a buffoon, and it comes off great.

Again, it's a wonderful production, a real treasure. This is the way to do Shakespeare.

Early Hollywood wasn't known for its high-brow culture, and this film was an important step in enriching the cinema. The opening titles reveal how proud Warner Brothers were to have done it, and what a production it was indeed: all the top Warner's stars, the best technical support in the world, a top composer of the day in Erich Korngold, ballet choreography by Nijinska, and the highly respected Max Reinhardt as director. You couldn't have asked for more in those energetic movie days.

And, happily, it works! It's still beautiful, exciting, technically enthralling--and very funny! There are too many great performances to single out even one; but as an ensemble, the "players" are marvelous. No one seems stilted; everyone is right at home; even though most of these individuals hadn't been trained to the classical stage--they were just good! and, incidentally, it just goes to show the timelessness of the play itself.

Some scenes today seem overlong, and I think someone should have toned down little Mickey Rooney a good bit, but all in all it's a triumph. Midsummer or not, it's a sweet interlude.

Many great actors made their names with this Richard, and it turns out to be Olivier's greatest Shakepearean role as well. He captures the whole production coiling his way around the Crown of England: his asides to us through the camera are lovely. They say all actors love to play a villain. Well, it works for me.

The movie is beautiful, rich; the costumes are awesome; and the dialogue, of course, is wonderful. He patches in that great speech from Henry VI, part 3: "Why, I can smile, and murder whiles I smile . . .": and the movie wouldn't be right without it.

The other actors, Britain's elite of the time, seem to be tyrannized by the boss; and the text should have been edited better, because if you don't know the play and practically the whole history you'll get lost. Not to worry, though; the subplots here aren't really important (but they should be), and the thundering battle at the end will leave you satisfied. Special mention of Sir William Walton's music, the vibrant colors, and of course, England itself.