2. A Commedia dell'Arte: "Hamlet"

Scenes from William Shakespeare's Hamlet are performed in the 16th century Italian dramatic style of "commedia del'arte." The performance by Michael Alaimo and company is part deconstruction, part social commentary and part farce. This early example of television experimentation was rescued from a film copy and has some noticeable video defects. It is the only visual record of this unique presentation. 1964, 27 mins.

 LEA Price: $135.00

3. A&E Biography--William Shakespeare

He is the most influential and admired writer--a man whose imaginative genius still moves us, nearly four centuries after his death.

 LEA Price: $30.00

4. The Angelic Conversation

Derek Jarman

1985

Derek Jarman's apocalyptic visualization of 14 Shakespeare sonnets read by actress Judi Dench, capturing the director's characteristic themes: desire, longing, homoeroticism and mysticism. With Paul Reynolds and Phillip Williamson. Music by Coll. "A hypnotically beautiful film" (Time Out).

Great Britain              1985              80 mins.  

5. Antony and Cleopatra (Dalton/Redgrave)

Lawrence Carra

1983

Shakespeare's most popular tale of love, war and political intrigues is realized with the star power of Timothy Dalton, Lynn Redgrave, John Carradine and Anthony Geary. History's most famous lovers are magnificently portrayed, bringing their passion and their ultimate dilemma into sharp focus.

Lawrence Carra    USA    1983   179 mins.  

6. Antony and Cleopatra (Royal Shakespeare Company/Patrick Stewart)

Trevor Nunn

1974

Patrick Stewart stars in this Royal Shakespeare Company production of Shakespeare's play. 

Trevor Nunn    Great Britain    1974  160 mins.  

 LEA Price: $30.00

7. As You Like It

Paul Czinner

1936

Laurence Olivier and Elisabeth Bergner star in this handsome and fairly faithful translation of the Shakespeare comedy, in which Rosalind (Bergner) and her love Orlando (Olivier) withstand the brutal tactics of her uncle Frederick to secure the throne for her deposed father, Duke Senior.
Paul Czinner  Great Britain   1936  96 mins.  

 LEA Price: $37.00

 LEA Price: $37.00

8. As You Like It (Stratford Festival)

A lavish staging of William Shakespeare's delightful romantic comedy, performed at the world famous Stratford Festival. Enjoy once again this favorite drama of reunited lovers, woodland wanderings, mistaken identity and passion. Directed for the stage by John Hirsch and for television by Sam Levene and Herb Roland. The fine cast includes Roberta Maxwell, Andrew Gillies and Nicholas Pennell. Two-volume set.

 LEA Price: $60.00

9. As You Like It: Multimedia Shakespeare

            Scenes from the 1936 film version of Shakespeare's play (starring Laurence Olivier as Orlando) are used in this user-friendly guide to a classic of theatrical comedy. "Hotwords" offer instant definitions of Elizabethan English, a character map reminds you of who's who and how they are connected, a scene-by-scene synopsis helps you keep track of the story, and a study guide is offered for students struggling to understand the meaning of the play. One hour of full-motion video and the complete text of the play are included.
            Requires multimedia computer 386SX or higher, 4 MB of RAM, 4 MB available hard disc space, CD-ROM drive, SVGA display, audio board, speakers, MPEG-1 card, MS-DOS 3.1 or later, Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later.

 LEA Price: $30.00

16. Charles Gounod's Romeo et Juliette (Royal Opera)

Gounod realized an opera of enduring magic by adapting Shakespeare's tragic romance. Robert Alagna and Leontine Vaduva bring terrific vocal talent to the title roles under the direction of Charles Mackerras. Sung in French with English subtitles. 170 mins.

 LEA Price: $45.00

 LEA Price: $45.00

17. Chimes at Midnight/Falstaff

Orson Welles

1967

The final masterpiece from Orson Welles, an austere, haunting work that reaches the greatness of Kane, Ambersons and Touch of Evil. Based on his 1938 Theater Guild Production, Welles has meticulously assembled the Falstaff parts from Shakespeare's history plays (including Merry Wives of Windsor) and thematically linked them with Holinshed's Chronicles to explore the full arc of Falstaff's relationship with Prince Hal--moving from grand affection to bitter disillusionment. Featuring the extraordinary montage sequence at the Battle of Shrewsbury. With Welles, John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson supplying Holinshed's narration.

Orson Welles   Italy/USA  1967    115 mins.  

19. Coriolanus--Westinghouse Studio One

Dave Nickell

1951

A modern dress update of Shakespeare's Roman play that moves the action to Fascist Italy. Written by Worthington Minor, who introduces the play. With Richard Greene, Judith Evelyn, Richard Purdy and Tom Poston of the Newhart show. Betty Furness does the commercials.

Dave Nickell   USA       1951     60 mins. 

 LEA Price: $37.00

22. Discovering Shakespeare

Take an interactive journey through William Shakespeare's life and times. This colorful, entertaining presentation is a must for enthusiasts or newcomers to the Bard's work. The places and events that shaped the writer's life and work are highlighted in a program aimed at ages 8 to adult.

 LEA Price: $74.00

25. Falstaff (Glyndebourne)

Verdi's final work is a tribute to Falstaff, Shakespeare's roguish hero. Donald Gramm stars and is given strong support by Benjamin Luxon. John Pritchard conducts the London Philharmonic on this Glyndebourne Festival production. English subtitles.

26. Falstaff (Royal Opera, Covent Garden)

Verdi's great comic opera, based on Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, is performed by a stellar cast in this Royal Opera House production. Katia Ricciarelli, Leo Nucci, Barbara Hendricks and Lucia Valentini-Terrani star, with Carlo Maria Giulini conducting. Subtitled in English. 135 mins.

 LEA Price: $45.00

27. Falstaff (Zeffirelli)

James Levine assembled a stellar cast, including Paul Plishka in the title role, Mirella Freni, Marilyn Horne, Barbara Bonney and Frank Lopardo, for this production of Verdi's last opera. Franco Zeffirelli's staging evokes the original Shakespeare play through scenery reminiscent of the theater at Stratford-on-Avon. 126 mins.

29. Forbidden Planet

Fred M. Wilcox

1956

Nervy, funny and very clever science fiction adaptation of Shakespeare's final play, The Tempest, set in the year 2200, about a group of space explorers investigating a previous space flight who encounter an embittered expatriate creating his own society on the abandoned planet with his beautiful daughter and trustworthy robot. Beautiful widescreen photography by George Folsey. With Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen and Warren Stevens. Available in two versions, a widescreen from Criterion and letterbox from MGM.

 LEA Price: $22.50

 LEA Price: $24.98

30. Hamlet (1948/Olivier)

Laurence Olivier

1948

Laurence Olivier produces, directs and interprets the title character in this, one of the most famous film adaptations of Shakespeare's

 LEA Price: $22.50

 LEA Price: $45.00

31. Hamlet (1969/Williamson)

Tony Richardson

1969

A brilliant, Tony Richardson-directed version of Shakespeare's Hamlet, starring Nicol Williamson, Gordon Jackson, Anthony Hopkins

32. Hamlet (1990/Gibson)

Franco Zeffirelli

1990

Mel Gibson stars as the melancholy Dane in this film adaptation of the Shakespeare classic, directed by Franco Zeffirelli. The distinguished supporting cast includes Glenn Close, Alan Bates, Paul Scofield, Helena Bonham Carter and Ian Holm.

Franco Zeffirelli     USA        1990           135 mins

 LEA Price: $22.50

33. Hamlet (1996/Branagh)

Kenneth Branagh

1996

Kenneth Branagh does Shakespeare again in this virtuoso performance as the Great Dane, featuring a stellar cast including Julie Christie, Billy Crystal, Gerard Depardieu, Charlton Heston, Derek Jacobi, Jack Lemmon, Rufus Sewell, Robin Williams and Kate Winslet. This was the first film version to tackle the uncut text of the play

Kenneth Branagh  Great Britain      1996  242 mins.  

 LEA Price: $37.50

34. Hamlet (2000/Almereyda)

Michael Almereyda

2000

The gifted Michael Almereyda (Nadja, Another Girl Another Planet) adapts Shakespeare's great tragedy as a tale of corruption and betrayal in a contemporary, state-of-the-art, urban setting of big business and high technology. The witty, satirical barbs at our current state of living in no way diminish the power of the Bard's text. Ethan Hawke is the tortured title character, while the excellent supporting cast includes Kyle MacLachlan, Diane Venora, Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Bill Murray, Steve Zahn and Sam Shepard. "Almereyda's respect for his audience and his queasiness about the present register with equal weight, reinventing the poetry in the most relevant ways possible" (Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader).

LEA Price: $23.00

 LEA Price: $45.00

35. Hamlet (2000/Campbell Scott)

Campbell Scott/Eric Simonson

2000

Campbell Scott plays the lead in this television adaptation of Shakespeare's immortal tragedy, which he also co-directed. The setting is updated to turn-of-the-century America, but the poetic language remains. The cast includes Blair Brown, Roscoe Lee Browne, Lisa Gay Hamilton and Jamey Sheridan. "Scott's work in the title role is both strong and subtle" (Joanne Weintraub, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel).

Campbell Scott/Eric Simonson   USA  2000    179 mins.  

 LEA Price: $60.50

 LEA Price: $30.00

36. Hamlet (Kevin Kline)

Kevin Kline/Kirk Browning

1990

Kevin Kline directed and starred as the title character in this 1990 New York Shakespeare Festival production of Hamlet. "It is eloquent, moving and at times thrilling...flows with commendable grace from beginning to end, all urged on by Kline's intelligent interpretation" (The New York Times). Also starring Dana Ivey and Diane Venora. This television filming of the production was co-directed by Kirk Browning.

 LEA Price: $37.00

37. Henry V (Branagh)

Kenneth Branagh

1989

Kenneth Branagh makes his astounding directorial debut and stars in this critically acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare's rousing play. With Derek Jacobi, Ian Holm, Judi Dench and Paul Scofield. "...a depth and authority seldom encountered these days on stage or in film" (Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune).

1989 138 mins. 

 LEA Price: $23.00

 LEA Price: $30.00

8. Henry V (Olivier)

Laurence Olivier

1944

Laurence Olivier won a special Oscar for outstanding achievement as an actor, producer and director in bringing this work of Shakespeare to the screen. A colorful historical spectacle that includes the battle of Agincourt and serves as a stirring patriotic metaphor for England's survival in WWII. With Robert Newton, Leslie Banks, Renee Asherson and Leo Genn. 1944    137 mins.  

 LEA Price: $60.50

40. A History of Shakespeare on the Screen

By Kenneth S. Rothwell (University of Vermont, Burlington). From screen adaptations by US and British filmmakers to the works of Kurosawa, Kozintsev and other foreign directors, this book chronicles how Shakespeare's theatrical works have been brought to film and television. 1999, 368 pp., with photos.

Cambridge University Press;

ISBN: 0521000289; (April 2001)

 LEA Price: $65.50

41. In the Steps of William Shakespeare: London

Follow the trail of Shakespeare from Stratford to London in this video that visits 18 major sites associated with the great playwright. Included are stops at the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the site of the Globe Theatre. 22 mins.

 LEA Price: $60.50

42. In the Steps of William Shakespeare: Stratford

See the house in which Shakespeare was born, the school he attended, and other locations essential to understanding the writer and his work. A fine program for travel and literature buffs. 20 mins.

 LEA Price: $60.50

44. Julius Caesar (Heston/Gielgud)

Stuart Burge

1970

John Gielgud gives a superior performance as Julius Caesar in this adaptation of Shakespeare's play, also featuring Charlton Heston, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Vaughn and Diana Rigg. 116 mins. 

 LEA Price: $15.50

45. Julius Caesar (MGM/Brando)

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

1953

Friends, Romans, countrymen--before Marlon Brando wore a motorcycle jacket, he proved to be quite impressive decked out in a toga. Brando plays Mark Antony in this lavish production of the Shakespeare play. The film won an Oscar for set decoration and art direction, and includes such fine actors as James Mason, John Gielgud, Louis Calhern, Edmond O'Brien, Greer Garson, Deborah Kerr and George Macready. The producer was John Houseman. 120 mins.   

 LEA Price: $30.00

46. King Lear (Brook/Scofield)

Peter Brook

1971

A brilliant screen production of the Shakespeare tragedy, with Paul Scofield delivering a powerfully complex performance as the aging Lear. "Arguably, the years in waiting made Scofield's performance an indelible one, toe-to-toe with Olivier, greater than Gielgud" (Alexander Walker, The Evening Standard). 137 mins. 

47. King Lear

Jean-Luc Godard

1987

Struggling to re-interpret his famous relative's tragic tale of passion and madness, the young William Shakespeare, Jr. the Fifth encounters a bewildering array of bizarre personalities and cryptic, ritualistic imagery. A surreal examination of The Bard's most powerful drama, from one of the avant-garde's most adventurous filmmakers. Featuring Burgess Meredith, Molly Ringwald, Woody Allen, Norman Mailer and Peter Sellars.91 mins. 

48. King Lear (James Earl Jones)

Edwin Sherin

1974

One of America's greatest stage actors performs the title role in one of the theatre's greatest tragedies in this New York Shakespeare Festival production of King Lear. Paul Sorvino and Raul Julia also star in this staging, produced by Joseph Papp. "The magnitude Jones projects is not a matter of mere physical size, but of largeness of soul" (The Washington Post). 180 mins. 

 LEA Price: $37.00

49. King Lear

Grigori Kozintsev

1971

One of the truly great Soviet films, and possibly the greatest adaptation of Shakespeare to the screen, Grigori Kozintsev's epic adaptation, shot in Lithuania, is a stunningly visual tour-de-force. Screenplay by Boris Pasternak. Music by Dimitri Shostakovich. In Russian with English subtitles. 140 mins.  

 LEA Price: $90.00

50. King Lear (Laurence Olivier)

Michael Elliott

1984

Critically acclaimed as a performance as great as anything he had ever done in his illustrious acting career, this staging King Lear proved Laurence Olivier's talents had not diminished with age. The all-star cast includes Diana Rigg, John Hurt and Brian Cox. Olivier's monumental portrayal of Shakespeare's embittered King Lear is truly a performance for the ages and won the actor a much-deserved Emmy Award. Filmed for British television. 158 mins.

 LEA Price: $45.00

 LEA Price: $45.00

51. King Lear (Orson Welles)

Andrew McCullough

1953

A legendary production of Shakespeare's masterpiece, starring Orson Welles. Virtually unseen since its broadcast in the mid-1950's, this is a treasure of a lifetime for fans of film, Shakespeare, Welles, and theatre. 73 mins.  

 LEA Price: $30.00

52. King Lear (Patrick Magee)

Tony Davenall

1988

Patrick Magee stars as the title character in this Thames television production of Shakespeare's tragedy about the king's descent into madness. Despite some significant cuts to the text of the play, this is well worth seeing for Magee's thoughtful interpretation of the role. 110 mins.

 LEA Price: $30.00

53. King Lear--Mobil Masterpiece Theatre

Richard Eyre

1997

Ian Holm delivers a remarkable performance in the title role of the Royal National Theatre's celebrated production of William Shakespeare's great and ageless tragedy. The stark sets keep the focus on the dramatic interactions of an exceptional cast, which includes Barbara Flynn, Amanda Redman and David Lyon. "Holm's triumph is indisputably total" (The Evening Standard). 150 mins.

 LEA Price: $45.00

55. Lear '87 Archive (Condensed)

Jill Godmilow

2001

            Jill Godmilow's six-hour archive of the Mabou Mines ensemble's controversial 1990, gender-reversed production of Shakespeare's King Lear documents the first two-week workshop on the play at the Theatrical Outfit in Atlanta. Director Lee Breuer and the cast are seen working on transposing the play to 1950's America in this intimate record of a master class in avant garde performance work.

            Taken from over 100 hours of material, this condensed archive comes with a 32-page handbook with guides for tracking the production.360 mins. 

 LEA Price: $120.00

57. Looking for Richard

Al Pacino

USA

Al Pacino's critically acclaimed tribute to Shakespeare features Winona Ryder, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin, Estelle Parsons and Aidan Quinn in rehearsals and meetings, allowing the audience to eavesdrop on the behind-the-scenes process that goes into creating characters and mounting a production. In this case, the production is Shakespeare's gripping drama of power and betrayal, Richard III. With Sir John Gielgud, Kenneth Branagh, Vanessa Redgrave, James Earl Jones and Kevin Kline.  112 min.

 LEA Price: $30.00

58. Love's Labour's Lost

Kenneth Branagh

2000

            Kenneth Branagh turns again to his favorite playwright, but this time the object of his affection is less Shakespeare than classic American musicals. The play is updated to the 1930s and peppered with the songs of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Irving Berlin.

            Not all the cast members are the finest of singers, but the sheer fun of the production shines through. "Branagh has taken this lesser Shakespearean comedy and turned it into a faux '30s musical that's carried by its own enthusiasm, with help from a diverse slate of elegantly costumed actors more than willing to face the music and dance" (Jay Carr, Boston Globe). With Branagh, Nathan Lane, Adrian Lester, Matthew Lillard, Natascha McElhone, Alessandro Nivola, Alicia Silverstone and Timothy Spall.

 LEA Price: $48.00

59. Macbeth

The Shakespeare masterpiece in a stunning production by the Bolshoi Ballet taped live at Moscow's historic Bolshoi theatre. Choreographed by Vladimir Vasiliev and featuring Alexei Fadeyechev and Nina Timofeyeva. 105 mins.

 LEA Price: $60.00

60. Macbeth

Michael Bogdanov

1997

Greta Scacchi and Sean Pertwee star in this contemporary re-imagining of William Shakespeare's timeless tragedy. The Bard's original text is used, but the setting is an abstract vision of the 20th century, where an industrial government is the ruling power. A daring visualization of one of history's greatest dramas. Produced for England's Channel 4.

 LEA Price: $30.00

61. Macbeth (Evans)

Maurice Evans

1954

Sir Maurice Evans and Dame Judith Anderson star in Shakespeare's turbulent drama, produced for television. 113 min.

 LEA Price: $30.00

62. Macbeth

Jeremy Freeston

1996

Filmed on location in Scotland, this production of William Shakespeare's timeless masterpiece is highlighted by the fine performance of Helen Baxendale as Lady Macbeth, and by the well executed battle scenes. Jason Connery stars as Macbeth. Includes a short documentary on the making of the film. 103 mins.  

63. Macbeth (Jayson)

Thames Television produced this brilliant adaptation of Shakespeare's play with the cast including Michael Jayson, Barbara Lee Hunt, Ralph Nosseck, Richard Warner.

 LEA Price: $30.00

64. Macbeth (McKellen/Dench)

Trevor Nunn

1978

This brilliant Royal Shakespeare Company production of one of Shakespeare's greatest works stars Ian McKellen in the title role and Judi Dench as Lady Macbeth. Filmed for Thames Television, the production was directed by Trevor Nunn and features what some consider to be the best performances ever given by McKellen or Dench. "Trevor Nunn aimed with deadly accuracy at the medium he was tackling and scored a magnificent hit" (London Daily Express). 146 mints.

 LEA Price: $30.00

65. Macbeth

Roman Polanski

1971

Roman Polanski's highly controversial version of Shakespeare's Macbeth stars Jon Finch as Macbeth in a graphically violent interpretation that struck some as entirely appropriate and others as rather excessive. Whatever one's reaction, there's no denying Polanski's visual command here. Many critics saw the director's bloody vision as a cathartic exercise in the aftermath of the horrific murder of his wife, Sharon Tate, in 1969.  141 mints.

 LEA Price: $30.00

 LEA Price: $45.00

66. Macbeth: The Witches Scenes

Miroslaw Rogala

1988

Adapting scenes from Shakespeare's Macbeth, video artist Miroslaw Rogala projects the action from a mythic, barbaric past to a violent, post-apocalyptic future where order and technology have broken down. Rather than "eyes of newt," the magic possessed by the witches is the computer. 18 mints.

 LEA Price: $30.00

68. The Making of a Monologue: Robert Wilson's "Hamlet"

Marion Kessel

1995

            Acclaimed as the "high priest of postmodernism," Robert Wilson is especially noted for such productions as the CIVIL warS: a tree is best measured when it is down, Einstein on the Beach, and When We Dead Awaken.

            This behind-the-scenes documentary offers a fascinating view of how Wilson created his unique one-man performance of Hamlet. Focusing on the Monologue's world premiere at the Alley Theatre and drawing on rehearsal and performance footage, the video captures the rich texture of Wilson's multi-dimensional mode of working in the theater. Interviews with Wilson as well as his principal artistic collaborators reveal how this Hamlet offers a fresh new interpretation of the classic Shakespeare text while exploring new means of theatrical expression. 62 mins.

 LEA Price: $375.00

72. The Merchant of Venice

Sir Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright star in Shakespeare's complex tale of jealousy and greed. 131 mins.

 LEA Price: $30.00

73. The Merry Wives of Windsor

Georg Wildhagen

1950

The Otto Nicolai opera based on William Shakespeare's high-spirited comedy was brought to the silver screen with this entertaining production from East Germany's DEFA studio. The exceptional voices of Rita Streich, Martha Modl, Hans Kramer and the choir of the Staatsoper Berlin aid the on-screen performances of Sonja Ziemann, Camilla Spira and Paul Esser. In German. NO ENGLISH SUBTITLES.

 LEA Price: $225.00

74. The Merry Wives of Windsor (Esquire 4+4)

Jack Manning

1981

An eclectic cast is featured in this performance of Shakespeare's timeless comedy about a lover wooing a potentially unfaithful wife. Starring Gloria Grahame, Valerie Seelie-Snyder, Joel Asher, Dixie Neyland Tymitz and Leon Charles.

 LEA Price: $90.00

 LEA Price: $45.00

75. A Midsummer Night's Dream (BBC)

Joan Kemp-Welch

1964

A live BBC production of Shakespeare's play of star-crossed lovers and the influence of supernatural creatures. Benny Hill appears in the role of Bottom. Also in the cast are Anna Massey, Jill Bennett, Cyril Luckham, Patrick Allen and Peter Wyngarde. A comical fantasy. 111 mins.  

 LEA Price: $45.00

76. A Midsummer Night's Dream (Peter Hall)

Peter Hall

1968

Peter Hall's delicate and merry adaptation of Shakespeare's enchanting farce about the shifting loyalties and evolving relationships among two pairs of lovers. Their romantic affection is manipulated with the help of Puck, a magic fairy. With Diana Rigg as Helena, David Warner as Lysander, Ian Richardson as Oberon, King of the Fairies, Judi Dench as Tatania, Queen of the Fairies and Ian Holm as Puck. 124 mins.

 LEA Price: $23.00

77. A Midsummer Night's Dream (Reinhardt)

Max Reinhardt

1935

The brilliant German theater director Max Reinhardt adapts his Broadway production of Shakespeare's enchanting and lyrical play about love, companionship, fate and star-crossed affairs. Two opposite pairs of lovers ward off extravagant spells and the supernatural to consummate their transcendent passion. The film is visually intoxicating and dramatically powerful, retaining Shakespeare's words though finding a sublime grace and subtlety to the moods and rhythms. Music by Mendelssohn. Choreography by Bronislawa Nijinska and Anton Grot. With James Cagney, Dick Powell, Olivia de Havilland and Joe E. Brown. 135 mins.

 LEA Price: $30.00

78. A Midsummer Night's Dream (Royal Shakespeare Company)

Adrian Noble

1996

Alex Jennings, Lindsay Duncan and Barry Lynch lead the Royal Shakespeare Company in this feature film version of William Shakespeare's grand comic fantasy about love, lust and magic. Presented by the Arts Council of England for Channel Four. 103 mins.

79. Midsummer Night's Dream (Trnka)

Jiri Trnka

1959

The real-life story of Edie Sedgwick, Warhol superstar, Vogue fashion model, heiress to a fortune and a blitzed-out druggie. Vogue dubbed her a youthquaker, and Life photographed her as a baby-faced mannequin dressed up in Momma's castoff clothes. "This is Sunset Boulevard for real, an Acid Aged Snake Pit," wrote Richard Corliss in Time. 92 mins.

93. Much Ado About Nothing

Kenneth Branagh

1993

Kenneth Branagh's energetic, highly cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy of love is notable for its beautiful Italian locations and first-rate performances from Branagh, Emma Thompson, Michael Keaton, Robert Sean Leonard, Keanu Reeves and Denzel Washington. "Ravishing entertainment" (Vincent Canby, The New York Times). 110 mins.

 LEA Price: $30.00

 LEA Price: $45.00

96. Orson Welles, Shakespeare, and Popular Culture

97. Otello (Del Monaco)

The great tenor Mario Del Monaco stars in this version of Verdi's opera based on the Shakespeare play. Filmed from a live 1958 television broadcast, Del Monaco's performance is considered a classic of the genre. "Del Monaco was the finest Otello of my generation" (Tito Gobbi, My Life). 134 mins.

 LEA Price: $53.00

98. Othello (1922/Silent)

Dimitri Buchowetzki

1922

A remarkably successful silent transposition of Shakespeare's great play, featuring fine performances from two of German Expressionism's best actors: Emil Jannings (The Last Laugh, The Blue Angel) and Werner Krauss (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari). Jannings is the Moor of Venice and Krauss is Iago in this classic rendition of the timeless story. Elaborate costumes and large scale exterior and interior sets recreate Renaissance Venice in a moody fashion. Silent with English subtitles.

 LEA Price: $45.00

 LEA Price: $45.00

99. Othello

Sergei Yutkevich

1955

Russian actor/director Sergei Bondarchuk (War and Peace) stars as the Moor of Venice in this very unusual and compelling Russian adaptation of Shakespeare's great play. The film was awarded the Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. Dubbed in English. 108 mins.  

 LEA Price: $45.00

100. Othello (1996/Parker)

Oliver Parker

1996

Laurence Fishburne stars along with Irene Jacob and Kenneth Branagh in this recent screen adaptation of the Shakespeare play. His tale of passion, intrigue, jealousy and murder has fascinated audiences for centuries. This version is both entertaining and accessible to today's audience. 124 mins.

 LEA Price: $30.00

 LEA Price: $38.00

101. Othello (Masterpiece Theatre)

Geoffrey Sax

2001

Eamonn Walker (TV's Oz) plays the title role in this fiery updating of Shakespeare's great tragedy. In this contemporary version, John Othello becomes London's first black police commissioner, while the man passed over for the job feigns loyalty but plots revenge. Christopher Eccleston (Shallow Grave, Jude) co-stars. "Shakespeare's most hot-blooded, high-voltage play on power and jealousy has been transposed into a churning urban cop drama...a nasty, funky thriller with a great cast and a muscular plot" (Sunday Herald, Scotland). 96 mins. 

 LEA Price: $30.00

 LEA Price: $30.00

103. Performing Shakespeare

Expert Kathleen Conlin leads you through a highly physical series of exercises designed to move you from the exploration of specific words and phrases through the development of complete Shakespearean scenes. 120 mins.

 LEA Price: $225.00

108. Prospero's Books

Peter Greenaway

1991

Peter Greenaway's pattern-obsessed reworking of Shakespeare's The Tempest furthers his thematic obsession with numbers and order. Sir John Gielgud is Prospero, the former Duke of Milan who's banished on a magical, isolated island, where he plots his revenge against the men who dethroned him, engages in magic and spectacle, and seeks solace in his collection of extravagantly illustrated books. With Michael Clark, Isabelle Pasco, Erland Josephson and Michael Gambon. 126 mins.