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The Gold Standard.In 1978, the BBC ambitiously set out to produce all of Shakespeare's 37 plays for television. (Alright – so it's 38 ... so they didn't include "The Two Noble Kinsmen," which is cribbed from Chaucer's "Knight's Tale" anyway. But who's counting beans?) With casts featuring the better part of British acting nobility, including some promising (then-)newcomers, the enterprise was completed in two launches with distinct creative approaches and, for all occasional frictions in continuity, remains a one-in-a-kind endeavor: the gold standard every Shakespeare enactment must either meet or fall short of in comparison; for truthfulness to the Bard's intent as much as for stellar acting and production values. Fifteen plays have since been released in sets of five tragedies, comedies and histories: one might've wished for some additions, or more sets overall; but all three compilations are worth their price's every penny.
Laced with murderous schemes, revenge, and the search for justice, love, and peace of mind, Shakespeare's tragedies delve into the human mind's darkest recesses; exploring greed, envy, ambition, guilt, remorse, and pure evil next to compassion, generosity, humility, and innocence, all interwoven in timeless plots unmatched in variety, construction, and richness of characters. Interpretation is substantially left to the actors: Despite Hamlet's litany of directions to the Players appearing in that tragedy's "play-within-the-play" – directions representing Shakespeare's own grievances, including his irritation with comedian Will Kempe's tendency for spotlight-seeking beyond his scenes' actual confines (therefore, "let those that play your clowns speak no more than is set down for them. For [some] will ... set on [the uninformed] spectators to laugh ..., though [meanwhile] some necessary question of the play [must] be considered. That's villanous and shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it," Hamlet quips) – the ultimate actors' playwright gives few express stage directions, leaving his own players considerable freedom, and making the world wonder, ever since their Globe Theatre premiere: What's driving the Prince of Denmark – madness? revenge? indecision? something else entirely? Is Claudius, that tragedy's king, evil incarnate or a man wrecked with guilt? Is Othello's antagonist Iago bent on revenge because he "hate[s] the Moor," or giddily enjoying his malicious plots' every second? How much capacity for guilt has Macbeth ultimately left: is he truly, thoroughly corrupted, or has something of the king's loyal thane remained inside him?
The set's natural centerpiece, both for its preeminence among Shakespeare's plays and for this production's superb quality, is "Hamlet," the Bard's four-hour-long adaptation of the Danish Amleth saga. As the Prince, Derek Jacobi – the legitimate heir to Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud, and mentor to Kenneth Branagh – gives a lifetime's performance: if you only know him as Claudius the Stutterer from the magnificent adaptation of Robert Graves's "I, Claudius," or as Cadfael from the equally magnificent series based on Ellis Peters's books, you're in for a truly unexpected treat. For Jacobi's first love is the theater, and it shows: with near-unmatched insight into Shakespeare's world (particularly this play and its title character), he makes the Prince of Denmark all his own, in a portrayal easily on par with the best in existence. There's no pulling of punches here, no wavering like Olivier's; but no genuine madness, either – just pure, unrestrained passion, often swinging between emotional extremes within seconds: I wonder whether Mel Gibson's vaguely similar approach in Franco Zeffirelli's 1990 movie was based on a study of Jacobi's performance. The production also features Patrick Stewart as a Claudius covering emotions from Macchiavellian intrigue to deeply-felt guilt, Claire Bloom as an unrivaled, regal, but very vulnerable Getrude, Eric Porter as scheming master politician Polonius (never mind that Hamlet calls him a "tedious old fool"), Robert Swann as one of the strongest Horatios I've ever seen, Emrys James as a wonderfully congenial Player King, Lalla Ward as a sweet, but not too sweet Ophelia, David Robb as impetuous Laertes, Tim Wylton as the First Gravedigger and Peter Glae as Osric (both milking their scenes to optimum, but never over-the-top effect), and an outstanding cast rounded out by Patrick Allen (the Ghost), Ian Charleson (Fortinbras), Jonathan Hyde (Rosencrantz), Geoffrey Bateman (Guildenstern), and Paul Humpoletz (Marcellus).
But while I'd probably have bought this set for "Hamlet" alone, I am equally delighted with the remaining productions:
Patrick Ryecart and Rebecca Saire as star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet (through which play we're guided by John Gielgud's Chorus) are every bit as youthfully innocent but determined as Franco Zeffirelli's and Baz Luhrman's Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, Leonardo di Caprio and Claire Danes; moreover, there's Anthony Andrews's captivatingly flamboyant Mercutio, a young Alan Rickman's brash Tybalt, Michael Hordern's Capulet, and Celia Johnson's Nurse.
The "Scottish Play"'s impact rests almost entirely on the shoulders of its title character and his lady, and those of Nicol Williamson and – particularly – Jane Lapotaire's breathtaking Lady Macbeth provide strong support indeed for the Thane-of-Glamis-turned-king (and murderer) and his ruthlessly ambitious wife. Brenda Bruce, Eileen Way and Anne Dyson scare you near-witless as the witches, maliciously mock-echoed by James Bolam's Porter, and besides Ian Hogg's Banquo and Tony Doyle's Macduff, among the production's most impressive performances are Jill Baker's and Crispin Mair's (Macduff's wife and son).
In the play that keeps me yelling, "Othello, wake up!!," Anthony Hopkins gives a tour-de-force performance as the Moor ("the part [he'd] always wanted to play," he is quoted); yet, he's almost upstaged by Bob Hoskins's deliciously, mirthfully evil Iago. Penelope Wilton's Desdemona is all blameless righteousness; and the production wouldn't be the same without the spot-on performances of Anthony Pedley (Roderigo), David Yelland (Cassio), and Rosemary Leach (Emilia).
In Shakespeare's look at the Ides of March from Caesar's murderers' and heir's perspective, finally – that play without heroes or villains – the four principals are well-divided among Richard Pasco (Brutus), Keith Michell (Mark Antony), Charles Gray (Caesar) and David Collings (Cassius), while Virginia McKenna (Portia) and Elizabeth Spriggs (Calphurnia) make the most of roles easily overlooked in weaker actresses' hands.
Themis-Athena's William Shakespeare page
Themis-Athena's "Hamlet" movie page
Themis-Athena's "Henry V" movie page
Themis-Athena's "King Lear" movie page
Themis-Athena's "Much Ado About Nothing" movie page
Themis-Athena's "Richard III" movie page
Themis-Athena's select annotated Shakespeare filmography
Themis-Athena's select John Gielgud filmography and audiography
Themis-Athena's select Derek Jacobi filmography and audiography
Themis-Athena's select Anthony Hopkins filmography
Themis-Athena's select Alan Rickman filmography
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