The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

This lively Companion is a collection of critical and historical essays on the films adapted from, and inspired by, Shakespeare's plays. Leading scholars discuss Shakespearean films from a variety of perspectives -- as works of art in their own right, as products of the international movie industry, in relation to cinematic and theatrical genres, and as the work of particular directors from Laurence Olivier and Orson Welles to Franco Zeffirelli and Kenneth Branagh. The volume includes strong coverage of adaptations of Hamlet, Richard III, Macbeth, King Lear and Romeo and Juliet. COVER......Page 1 HALF-TITLE......Page 5 SERIES-TITLE......Page 7 TITLE......Page 9 COPYRIGHT......Page 10 CONTENTS......Page 11 CONTRIBUTORS......Page 13 PREFACE......Page 15 A NOTE ON REFERENCES......Page 16 Introduction: Shakespeare, films and the marketplace......Page 17 NOTES......Page 26 PART 1 Adaptation and its contexts......Page 29 1 From play-script to screenplay......Page 31 Speech, action and poetry......Page 32 The milieu – ‘production values’ vs. ‘poetry’......Page 35 Showing, telling and thinking......Page 40 Additional narrative: pictures telling stories......Page 42 NOTES......Page 48 2 Video and its paradoxes......Page 51 NOTES......Page 61 3 Critical junctures in Shakespeare screen history: the case of Richard III......Page 63 NOTES......Page 84 4 Shakespeare and movie genre: the case of Hamlet......Page 88 NOTES......Page 97 PART 2 Genres and plays......Page 99 5 The comedies on film......Page 101 NOTES......Page 112 6 Filming Shakespeare’s history: three films of Richard III......Page 115 NOTES......Page 131 ‘Who’s there?’: the question of Fortinbras......Page 133 Macbeth: of kings, castles and witches......Page 139 King Lear: a play for our times......Page 144 NOTES......Page 149 8 The tragedies of love on film......Page 151 Romeo and Juliet......Page 152 Othello......Page 160 Antony and Cleopatra......Page 169 NOTES......Page 171 PART 3 Directors......Page 177 9 The Shakespeare films of Laurence Olivier......Page 179 Henry V (1944)......Page 180 Hamlet (1948)......Page 186 Richard III (1955)......Page 191 NOTES......Page 196 10 Orson Welles and filmed Shakespeare......Page 199 Macbeth (1948)......Page 200 Othello (1952)......Page 205 Chimes at Midnight (1966)......Page 209 NOTES......Page 213 11 Grigori Kozintsev’s Hamlet and King Lear......Page 215 NOTES......Page 226 12 Franco Zeffirelli and Shakespeare......Page 228 NOTES......Page 236 13 Flamboyant realist: Kenneth Branagh......Page 238 NOTES......Page 253 PART 4 Critical issues......Page 255 14 Looking at Shakespeare’s women on film......Page 257 NOTES......Page 275 15 National and racial stereotypes in Shakespeare films......Page 277 NOTES......Page 288 16 Shakespeare the illusionist: filming the supernatural......Page 290 NOTES......Page 308 17 Shakespeare’s cinematic offshoots......Page 311 Romeo and Juliet: ‘There’s a place for us’ (West Side Story)......Page 313 King Lear: ‘ Let’s keep this in the family’ (House of Strangers)......Page 314 Hamlet: ‘People always confuse things with their appearance’ (Ophélia)......Page 316 Macbeth: ‘Which one of you guys done this?’ (Joe Macbeth)......Page 318 Othello: ‘Desdemona will not die tonight’ (Men Are Not Gods)......Page 319 The Tempest: the return of the father......Page 322 ‘I can’t stop crying’: recycling Shakespeare in the nineties......Page 324 NOTES......Page 328 2 Collected essays, special issues of periodicals......Page 330 3 General......Page 331 4 Published screenplays and other documentation......Page 332 1 Films of Shakespeare’s plays......Page 334 2 ‘Offshoots’......Page 339 INDEX......Page 341 Thanks To The Diversity Of Approaches The Companion Can Be Recommended As A Valuable Source Of Information And Sound Introduction To The State Of The Art. Introduction : Shakespeare, Films And The Marketplace / Russell Jackson -- From Play-script To Screenplay / Russell Jackson -- Video And Its Paradoxes / Michele Willems -- Critical Junctures In Shakespeare Screen History : The Case Of Richard Iii / Barbara Freedman -- Shakespeare And Movie Genre : The Case Of Hamlet / Harry Keyishian -- The Comedies On Film / Michael Hattaway -- Filming Shakespear's History : Three Films Of Richard Iii / H. R. Coursen -- Hamlet, Macbeth And King Lear On Film / J. Lawrence Guntner -- The Tragedies Of Love On Film / Patricia Tatspaugh -- The Shakespear Film Of Laurence Olivier / Anthony Davies -- Orson Wells And Filmed Shakespeare / Pamela Mason -- Grigori Kozintsev's Hamlet And King Lear / Mark Sokolyansky -- Franco Zeffirelli And Shakespeare / Deborah Cartmell -- Flamboyant Realist : Kenneth Branagh / Samuel Crowl -- Looking At Shakespeare's Women On Film / Carol Chillington Rutter -- National And Racial Stereotypes In Shakespeare Films / Neil Taylor -- Shakespeare The Illusionis : Filming The Supernatural / Neil Forsyth -- Shakespeare's Cinematic Offshoots / Tony Howard. Edited By Russell Jackson. Filmography: P. 318-324. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 314-317) And Index. Filmography. Film adaptations of Shakespeare's plays are increasingly popular and now figure prominently in the study of his work and its reception. This lively Companion is a collection of critical and historical essays on the films adapted from, and inspired by, Shakespeare's plays. An international team of leading scholars discuss Shakespearean films from a variety of perspectives: as works of art in their own right; as products of the international movie industry; in terms of cinematic and theatrical genres; and as the work of particular directors from Laurence Olivier and Orson Welles to Franco Zeffirelli and Kenneth Branagh. They also consider specific issues such as the portrayal of Shakespeare's women and the supernatural. The emphasis is on feature films for cinema, rather than television, with strong coverage of Hamlet, Richard III, Macbeth, King Lear and Romeo and Juliet. A guide to further reading and a useful filmography are also provided. This lively Companion examines the wide range of films adapted from, and inspired by, Shakespeare's plays. Leading scholars discuss Shakespearian films from a variety of perspectives including strong coverage of the work of individual directors from Laurence Olivier and Orson Welles to Franco Zeffirelli and Kenneth Branagh.