Shakespeare is no stranger to the screen, any more than he is to the stage. There are so many film versions, it can be hard to sift through them. Some are simply recordings of stage productions, some take liberties with the text in cutting or amending lines, and so on. To help you wade through the countless options, and in honor of the approaching anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, I decided to make a list of my favorites.
So here are my favorite Shakespeare films (in no particular order):
1) The entire Hollow Crown series. The two seasons encompass both Shakespeare’s tetralogies: Richard II, Henry IV Part 1 & 2, Henry V, Henry VI Part 1, 2, and 3, and Richard III. They are fantastic productions of these histories with the likes of Tom Hiddleston, Michelle Dockery, Simon Russell Beale (as a flawless Falstaff), and Jeremy Irons. Season 2, which I have yet to see, also brings us Benedict Cumberbatch as the title role in Richard III. Yum. I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am to see him as the diabolical Duke of Gloucester. So yes, this is technically eight movies, which is totally cheating, but they are so good, I couldn’t pick just one. Watch the trailer for Richard II here.
2) Richard III (1955) with Laurence Olivier. I love Laurence Olivier in general, but this one is probably his best – even better than his Hamlet. It has some of those cheesy little things associated with old movies (sorry to fans of old movies; they’re not usually my thing), but he is just so very good as the devious Duke. It’s a very thoughtful and brilliant production. Watch the famous opening lines here.
3) Henry V (1944) with Laurence Olivier. While Richard III is probably the better of the two, Henry V is my favorite of his. It is enormously creative. We start out like we are watching the performance of the play at the Globe, and then are brought in, almost like Olivier is creating a play within the play. Plus, the scene with the Princess at the end is one of my favorite scenes on screen. It’s so sweet. And the historical significance of this production should be not be ignored, either. Famous clip (”Once more unto the breach…”) here.
4) Much Ado About Nothing (1993) with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. I’m going to be very controversial here and honestly say that I am not a fan of most of Branagh’s work. However, I love this production of this comedy. It is, to me, precisely what a Shakespearean comedy should be. And I mean, you really can’t go wrong with Emma Thompson. She is brilliant. One of my favorite scenes here.
5) Love’s Labour Lost (2010). This is a recorded stage production from the Globe Theatre, and it is one of the best performances that I have seen. Absolutely top-notch cast and fantastic directing. Many of the Globe’s recorded performances are not readily accessible, but luckily, this one is available on iTunes. They also have an excellent recording of As You Like It that I absolutely adore. Little trailer for the production here.
6) Julius Caesar (2012). This is a little-known (it seems) version by the Royal Shakespeare Company set in a modern, politically turbulent Africa, which is a fascinating backdrop for the play. I often find that attempts to mess around with settings and time periods in Shakespeare’s plays are generally more unsuccessful than not, but this works brilliantly. The acting is as good as I’ve seen, and the overall quality of the production is astounding. Trailer here.
7) Macbeth (2011) with Patrick Stewart. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth work together fantastically in this version of one of my favorite plays. It’s haunting without being overly gory, and Patrick Stewart is an incredible Macbeth. So freaking good. Watch him perform the “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” speech here.
8) Hamlet (2009) with David Tennant. I’ve seen several versions of Hamlet (including Olivier’s and Branagh’s), and this one is my favorite film version by far. Tennant is, of course, absolutely brilliant, and I loved Patrick Stewart as Claudius. I highly recommend it. Watch David Tennant perform the most famous speech in the history of theatre here.
So there you have it. Of all the Shakespeare films I have seen, these are my favorite. The best of the best. I’d love to hear what your favorites are!
