Shakespeare the illusionist : magic, dreams, and the supernatural on film

In Shakespeare the Illusionist, Neil Forsyth reviews the history of Shakespeare’s plays on film, using the basic distinction in film tradition between what is owed to Méliès and what to the Lumière brothers. He then tightens his focus on those plays that include some explicit magical or supernatural elements—Puck and the fairies, ghosts and witches, or Prospero’s island, for example—and sets out methodically, but with an easy touch, to review all the films that have adapted those comedies and dramas, into the present day. Forsyth’s aim is not to offer yet another answer as to whether Shakespeare would have written for the screen if he were alive today, but rather to assess what various filmmakers and TV directors have in fact made of the spells, haunts, and apparitions in his plays. From analyzing early camera tricks to assessing contemporary handling of the supernatural, Forsyth reads Shakespeare films for how they use the techniques of moviemaking to address questions of illusion and dramatic influence. In doing so, he presents a bold step forward in Shakespeare and film studies, and his fresh take is presented in lively, accessible language that makes the book ideal for classroom use.

In Shakespeare the Illusionist, Neil Forsyth reviewsthe history of Shakespeare's plays on film, using the basicdistinction in film tradition between what is owed to Méliès andwhat to the Lumière brothers. He then tightens his focus on thoseplays that include some explicit magical or supernaturalelements-Puck and the fairies, ghosts and witches, or Prospero'sisland, for example-and sets out methodically, but with an easytouch, to review all the films that have adapted those comedies anddramas, into the present day.

Forsyth's aim is not to offer yet another answer as to whetherShakespeare would have written for the screen if he were alivetoday, but rather to assess what various filmmakers and TVdirectors have in fact made of the spells, haunts, and apparitionsin his plays. From analyzing early camera tricks to assessingcontemporary handling of the supernatural, Forsyth readsShakespeare films for how they use the techniques of moviemaking toaddress questions of illusion and dramatic influence. In doing so,he presents a bold step forward in Shakespeare and film studies,and his fresh take is presented in lively, accessible language thatmakes the book ideal for classroom use.

In Shakespeare the Illusionist, Neil Forsyth reviews the history of Shakespeare's plays on film, using the basic distinction in film tradition between what is owed to Melies and what to the Lumiere brothers. He then tightens his focus on those plays that include some explicit magical or supernatural elements-Puck and the fairies, ghosts and witches, or Prospero's island, for example-and sets out methodically, but with an easy touch, to review all the films that have adapted those comedies and dramas, into the present day.Forsyth's aim is not to offer yet another answer as to whether Shakespeare would have written for the screen if he were alive today, but rather to assess what various filmmakers and TV directors have in fact made of the spells, haunts, and apparitions in his plays. From analyzing early camera tricks to assessing contemporary handling of the supernatural, Forsyth reads Shakespeare films for how they use the techniques of moviemaking to address questions of illusion and dramatic influence. In doing so, he presents a bold step forward in Shakespeare and film studies, and his fresh take is presented in lively, accessible language that makes the book ideal for classroom use