The Tragedy of King Lear

Starring:Shakespeare Collection
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Description

The late Sir Lawrence Olivier stars in this Emmy Award winning production of Shakespeare's King Lear. It is the timeless tale of greed and lust for power, and of a sick old man, his scheming children and lost loyalties. Also stars Diana Rigg, John Hurt, Leo McKern, and Colin Blakely. Special DVD features include a biography and filmography on Sir Lawrence Olivier, character and cast list, chapter stops on each scene, and more. 158 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Definitive.......2007-05-08

This is by general consensus one of Shakespeare's two greatest works, Hamlet being the other. (Which one you think is best is purely a matter of taste; you can generate passionate arguments either way.) No matter where you come down on that debate, King Lear is indisputably a top masterpiece by the greatest writer in the English language.

This production features a cast that is consummately superb, from the title role on down. Every character is played by an actor who ranks near the top of the profession, including such luminaries as Diana Rigg, Leo McKern, David Trelfall, Jeremy Kemp, and on and on and on. And, of course, there is Olivier, who is at the very peak of his powers here. There isn't a weak, or even ordinary, performance anywhere.

A teacher I once knew used to describe Shakespeare's language as "opera for people who can't sing." This company makes the language crystal clear, but beyond that, they make it sing. If this production doesn't make Shakespeare accessible for you, no production ever will.

Magnificent in every way.......2007-02-17

This is the first Lear I ever saw and so it will always be dear to me as it touched me so deeply way back when it was first shown on TV as it still does now when I pop my video in the player. I can't imagine any production topping this one as each character is played so thoroughly true and with such amazing skill and clearness of language. Every student or lover of Shakespeare must watch this and is highly recommended to purchase it for repeated viewing throughout your life. To me, Shakespeare's plays are so rich because they can be performed successfully innumerable ways. So it is absurd to expect any one performance to encapsulate everything a play can offer. You can't do it all in one production. However, I could easily be satisfied with this one Lear without ever seeing another. All the actors here, even the bit parts, play their parts essentially to perfection. I suppose my favorites are Lear, Gloucester, Edgar, Cordelia and Regan, but that is not to diminish anyone else. My only complaint about the play in general is that it is too difficult to believe that the others (excepting perhaps Lear himself since he is so old, nearsighted, half-mad/senile) do not recognize Kent for who he is merely because he has shaved his beard and put on ragged clothes. But, of course, if they did, or he revealed himself, the plot would be ruined and it would become a very different play altogether. I say enjoy the magnificent acting, the beautiful poetry and insights into human nature, and let Shakespeare sweep you away. You can't help but be moved when Lear realizes he has "ta'en too little care" of the homeless wretches, or when Lear is reunited with Cordelia and she so tenderly speaks to him, or, alas, when Lear is overcome with grief as he carries the dead Cordelia onto the battlefield and desperately tries to will her back to life before succumbing himself. One final note: the violence of the play, though horrible to contemplate, is presented in such a way as to be believable but also watchable (not for small children of course). Obviously, they couldn't be TOO REAL about it or someone would really get hurt!

Makes the Peter Brooks version look bad.......2006-11-25

If you want to see King Lear presented the way it should be, then this is for you. If you want to hear the lines spoken with total clarity and intelligence, the story presented with total understanding, almost every part played with total mastery, then this is for you. If you want to see special effects, expensive scenery, kung fu fight scenes, graphic killings, quirky direction imposed on the text Shakespeare wrote, go elsewhere. This is not for semi-literate mental adolescents panting for eye-candy, but for people mature enough to value the lessons of life and to accept its injustices and paradoxes. This work is a 400 year old play, written for the stage, perhaps the greatest of its kind. It speaks to those who are capable of listening, concentrating, absorbing its marvellous composition; who can recognize great acting, who can allow themselves to be drawn in by a performance built on a long, long lifetime of superlative achievement, supported to the hilt by every other player. I could find a few petty flaws to complain about and carp at, but I'm not going to lower myself to a high-school level of crass stupidity.

King Lear.......2006-08-22

I gave it 3 star because of my own inadequacy - I am Filipino and we are more familiar with the American english. At first I had difficult time following the "British english" accent. Otherwise I would have rated it highier. It is very good because while it is a movie, you can still feel that it as if it was stage play. I recommend it for all students of Shakespeare

Great acting amidst clunky backgrounds.......2006-07-04

Granted, this production was made for television and they were obviously intent on keeping it a play and the set design as such. However, it certainly would have been a better "film" if it were given the budget to be so. A prime example being "Merchant of Venice" with Robert Deniro and Jeremy Irons. Just the wonderful cinematography and attention to detail alone give Shakespeare that extra touch of realism that makes for a truly satisfying film. "King Lear" could have benefitted from the same. In fact, even as a play, I found the sets simplistic, clunky, and distracting. HOWEVER, the acting is wonderful and that really is the main reason for watching this in the first place.

Average customer rating:

KING LEAR - review
Little Known Masterpiece
Yes, finally on DVD but what a transfer ...!
Yes, it's the Russian version! Finally on DVD!
It's the Russian Film

King Lear
Starring: Yuri Yarvet , Elsa Radzin , Galina Volchek , Oleg Dal , and Valentin Shendrikova
Director: Grigori Kozintsev
Manufacturer: Facets Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Grigori Kozintsev's Hamlet
The Conformist (Extended Edition)
Becket
Richard Burton's Hamlet
King Lear

ASIN: B000K2Q7H8
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Description

Hailed as one of the best adaptations of this Shakespearean tragedy, Grigori Kozintsev's KING LEAR is a striking epic interpretation based on a translation by novelist Boris Pasternak and driven by a stirring score by composer Dmitri Shostakovich. Kozintsev transposed the setting to a sparse landscape of moors and marshes, which provides an eerie backdrop to the bare castles and roaming bands of ragged, destitute wanderers. Thin, frail Yuri Yarvet's unique interpretation of the title role, in which he focuses on the king's suffering and pain, was internationally acclaimed. Kozintsev, a peer of Eisenstein's who worked well into the 1960s, was a master of cinematic technique who finally achieved recognition at the end of his career for his stunning interpretations of Shakespeare. According to film historian Richard Dyer: "Paradoxically, the two most powerful films of Shakespeare plays [Hamlet and King Lear] were made not in Great Britain but in the Soviet Union." (Boston Globe)

Customer Reviews:

KING LEAR - review.......2007-05-13

This version of LEAR is rightly regarded as seminal in the history of films made of Shakespeare's plays. The sparse, bare sets, the spiritual torment of the characters as Kozintsev explores Lear's fall from power endorses the NEW YORKER's declaration that the film would "stand as one of the unshakeable edifices of Shakespearean imagination."

Little Known Masterpiece.......2007-04-28

This version of "King Lear" is an incredible achievement due to the masterful adaptation from the Shakespeare original by one of the best Russian poets, writers, and translators of the last century, Boris Pasternak; elegant and powerful images by the cinematographer Jonas Gritsius (he also worked with Grigori Kozintsev on the earlier Shakespeare's adaptation, "Hamlet", 1964), the music of Dimity Shostakovich, and the great performances from all actors.

Estonian actor Jüri Järvet is masterful as the mad king in a performance which is reminiscent of Kinski as another brilliant madman - Aguirre. They were even the same age when they played Aguirre and Lear. The whole cast is amazing: Kozintsev chose the best actors possible for his project and everyone delivers. I'd like to mention Oleg Dal as the touching Fool; Karl Sebris as the Duke of Gloucester, whose scenes with his son Edgar after having been blinded are very moving; Regimantas Adomaitis as Edmund, a treacherous son and brother but a brilliant man; and Donatas Banionis (who played the main character in Tarkovsky's Solaris) as an intelligent and noble Albany. But like I said, everyone and everything is just perfect in this little known but IMO, the Best adaptation of the beloved and one of the most wrenching tragedies in the English and in the world literature.

Yes, finally on DVD but what a transfer ...!.......2007-03-03

Priceless masterpiece but unwatchable on my 16:9 TV because it was encoded in 4:3 aspect ratio. Of course I could zoom the picture to fill the screen but lost the subtitles (I don't speak Russian). Ultimately I had to reencode the movie in 16:9, adding ripped subtitles.

But that's not all. The DVD is 29.97 fps (video) and not 23.976 (film), as if encoded from S-VHS (picture quality is good-old-VHS like). So if your DVD player or display's deinterlacing is sub-par you get bonus picture artifacts.

I also bought the also priceless Hamlet of Kosintzev from the same publishers and has the same problems (but with burnt-in subtitles).

Well, in the end it's better than nothing ...

Yes, it's the Russian version! Finally on DVD!.......2007-02-10

Pay no attention to the previous comments. This is not a "second tier" film which "could be good." It is one of the best, if not *the* best filmed versions of Shakespeare. Not sure why the product description emphasizes Yuri Yarvet's being "thin" and "frail." Most commentators note the great energy of his performance, which makes his fall into madness all the more poignant. Also notable is the Shostakovich score, which together with the muddy, rustic backdrops heightens the sense of tragedy approaching. Think of this as great Russian filmmaking, combined with a great Shakespearean play, to the benefit of both.

It's the Russian Film.......2007-01-09

T'would be nice it were the Peter Brook film, which I remember liking quite a bit (cinematography by Sven Nyquist if I recall correctly). But in any case, if you enlarge the image here, the film being offered is "Grigori Kozintsev's King Lear", which, given Facets' propensity for issuing, shall we say "second tier" E. European film, could be something good or something utterly sleep inducing.

King Lear / Jones, New York Shakespeare Festival (Broadway Theatre Archive)

Average customer rating:

"As Good As It Gets"
Bravo for James Earl Jones and for Joe Papp
OF ALL THE KING LEAR'S THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST RECORDED
The Best I've Seen
Superb

King Lear / Jones, New York Shakespeare Festival (Broadway Theatre Archive)
Starring: John R. Tobinski , Robert Stattel , Anthony Chisholm , Rosalind Cash , and James West III
Director: Edwin Sherin
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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King Lear
Hamlet / Kline, New York Shakespeare Festival (Broadway Theatre Archive)
King Lear
Much Ado About Nothing / New York Shakespeare Festival (Broadway Theatre Archive)
Macbeth / McKellen, Dench (Thames Shakespeare Collection)

ASIN: B00005NG0D
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Amazon.com

Brilliant performances from an amazing cast highlight this piece of modern theater history. James Earl Jones stars as Lear in this digitally remastered recording of a live performance in the park. (If you've ever wished you could see one of Joseph Papp's legendary New York Shakespeare Festival productions, this is your chance.) The crowd reactions add a layer to the play by helping to bring the excellent production to life. The direction is vibrant, keeping both a reverence for Shakespeare's work and the importance of entertaining a crowd in mind. The astonishing supporting cast includes Rosalind Cash, Paul Sorvino, Rene Auberjonois, and Raul Julia, and a remarkable performance by Douglass Watson as Kent. --Ali Davis

Description

The formidable James Earl Jones reprises his critically-acclaimed King Lear in this television adaptation of Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival production. Of Jones's performance, The Washington Post wrote, "Jones has the qualities of mind, body, voice and movement which enable him to make us care deeply about the spectacle of an old man brought to grief by his folly. The magnitude Jones project is not a matter of mere physical size, but of largeness of soul."

Customer Reviews:

"As Good As It Gets".......2007-04-11

The earlier reviewers here are certainly on target in calling this the finest "King Lear" on DVD. While the supporting cast is never less than adequate, James Earl Jones is by himself one titanic show. He's able to do something rarely seen, excel in all aspects of this most demanding of roles. Pride, bluster, anger, genuine rage, madness, growing self knowledge, and then, at last, tenderness, even delicacy - all of these are convincingly and movingly played by this large, majestic actor. He's giving what add up, in fact, to acting lessons as he plays this part so skillfully.

Bravo for James Earl Jones and for Joe Papp.......2007-02-19

I agree completely with all of the reviewers that this is indeed the best recording of "King Lear", not only because James Earl Jones is to my mind the definitive Lear (and because this cast and production magnify and clarify everything there is to be seen and heard in this play), but also because it is a recording of a live performance in a theater, rather than a movie or TV-studio taping. What a difference this makes! Movie versions are always rescripted, truncated and sometimes oddly cast to make a play more saleable. (Orson Welles' "Othello" and "Macbeth" are gorgeous pieces of cinema, but they are much more Welles than Will.) The productions of the 1980s BBC series stick pretty close to the text and happily have made the entire Shakespeare canon available for home viewing. But their visual and aural effect is claustrophobic, and the colors are fading. It was a wonderful change for me to experience the sweep and power of Papp's "King Lear" DVD, proving that, in the end, the best venue for a Shakespeare play is the one it was written for: the stage. Fortunately for those of us who could not be at Central Park's Delacorte Theater in the summer of 1974, Joseph Papp had the historical sense to take on the hassle and expense of preserving this marvelous production on videotape. Would that there were enough of a market out there to encourage more theater angels to do the same!

OF ALL THE KING LEAR'S THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST RECORDED.......2006-08-11

and that includes Ran.

In order of preference from my personal library:

This Joe Papp/ James Earle JOnes production is tops
then the early Peter Brooks/ Orson Welles tremendous adaptation
THen Olivier's gentler production (Olivier's best recorded Shakespeare)
THen the 1970's cardboard BBC production
THen the Ian Holms version

This James Earle Jones presentation is the best of all, despite a few technical flaws of miking and camera angle (I cringe that they have no footage of his final "Howl, howl, howl, howl; Oh! Ye be men of stone" entry- the greatest line in the play yet we see him not!)

Any other complaints here recorded - including hair style! are irrelevant and trivial. In any way this is the best production you can get of this intense play. Okay, well, Sorvino could have had a better wig and fake beard, and a stronger voice as an opera singer (which stands him in good stead during the eye-outing) but remember the actors were playing more to the enormous CEntral PArk audience than to the cameras. For this reason alone the subtlety of their presentation is especially remarkable, even if broad stage blocking is required, and minimal sets. THIS IS A LIVE PRESENTATION and makes you recall how great our world class theatre ONCE was.

Please do remember this is a live production. It is great to see Mr. Jones practicing lines while dressing during the miserable Hal Holbrook introduction. This is LIVE THEATRE, yet Mr. JOnes carries his lines tremendously. There is no memorizing lines scene by scene like for a movie. He had hundreds of lines to remember, and he makes each word TRUE and real and meaningful as no other actor does despite all sorts of grimacing. This is the younger Jones, long before becoming the voice of CNN, etc. He is a force of nature and of spirit and of soul and of INTELLECT such as Welles and such as we shall never again see.

It is a great production as well for the young and vibrant Raul Julia and REne D'Aubojoinois (SPELLING?) as the half-brother sons of Edmund. Incredible acting by both whose bright light outshines ANYTHING in their later very fine television and cinema opus. TO see Julia as a passionate male lead rather than world weary of as Mr. Addams is amazing.

All in all a great interpretation and a faithful presentation of this complex play. Get it. Compare it to the others, and watch which one you reach for when in a King Lear kind of a mood.

kindly overlook my limited superlatives and get this production.

The Best I've Seen.......2006-04-28

"Lear" is not an easy play to watch by any standard, or in any medium. Anyone who has ever wished that he or she had more money or property to leave to his or her children would do well to watch this one. Poor families get along better, believe me.

In a nutshell: An old king creates the worst living trust plan of all time (this was before estate planning attorneys). In a fit of fatigued grandiosity, he divests himself of his kingdom, disinherits his loyal daughter and entrusts himself to the care of his two greedy, grasping daughters. It's all downhill from there, with a "B" plot which also follows the theme of fillial vs. unfilial adult children. At the end, of course, there is a pile of bodies and a few stunned survivors.

What makes this Lear so special is the cast and the audience. It was filmed in front of a live New York audience, and so you can hear the audience laughing at the jokes and applauding a particuarly good speech. This gives the production a sense of immediacy.

In some ways, this production is sort of like watching an all-star baseball game - the players are so good, and it's a real treat to watch them. A very young and sexy Raoul Julia plays Edmund - the seductive bad guy, and you can really see how Lear's two wicked daughters would get into a cat fight over him. And as Edmund's good half-brother Edgar, Rene Auberjonois is wonderful. Edgar has to go from naif to feigned insanity to righteous warrior - quite a character arc, and Auberjonois does a fabulous job.

An unexpected favorite, though, is an actor I've never seen in anything else - Douglass Watson as the Earl of Kent. Kent is a loyal supporter of the King who risks death to follow Lear through all his trials and tribulations. I've always loved Kent for his loyalty - heck, I'd marry him if he wasn't fictional. This actor brings a tremendous amount of spirit and pepper to the part - I think it's the best Kent I've ever seen.

The female roles are generally quite well acted as well, although the actress who plays Regan (I think) has kind of an annoying squeaky voice - it sounds like she's swallowed helium. Too bad, as she's good in all other ways.

And what can you say about James Earl Jones? There isn't much I can add to the other reviews except to say that I would be very interested to see him do another production of this same play now, thirty years later. This Lear is quite physical, storming around the stage, frustrated by his own weakness - he can't even throw a chair in a fit of rage without falling down, but that doesn't stop him from trying. And Jones' voice is Jones' voice - is there anyone who wouldn't recognize his deep and mellow tones, even if only as Darth Vader? It is a wonderful treat to be able to hear Jones act this role. He brings a gravitas to the part which is necessary for it to be truly tragic. But then James Earl Jones can bring gravitas to a toilet paper commercial, that's why he's The Man.

All in all, of the many Lears I have endured, this is the strongest, and I wish there were more than five stars available.

Superb.......2005-11-21

This Movie gave me an actual reason to like shakespears writing and plays. There was superb acting by all the actor and actresses and mainly Mr. James Earl Jones. Just watching his anger and how it progressed through the play just gave a new meaning to acting, the way he used his facial expressions and when his saliva came pouring out of his mouth just showed how hard he worked to perfect his perfromance. As for the Director he could not have got a better cast. This is why i gave this mvie FOUR STARS

King Lear (Thames Shakespeare Collection)

Average customer rating:

Terrible version
Really 3.5 stars

King Lear (Thames Shakespeare Collection)
Starring: Patrick Mower , Ann Lynn , Philip Brack , Beth Harris , and Patrick Magee
Director: Tony Davenall
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Romeo and Juliet (Thames Shakespeare Collection)
Macbeth / McKellen, Dench (Thames Shakespeare Collection)
King Lear
King Lear
King Lear / Jones, New York Shakespeare Festival (Broadway Theatre Archive)

ASIN: B0007WFUB0
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Description

When England's aging King Lear renounces his throne to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, treachery, madness and murder soon follow. After banishing Cordelia, his most loyal daughter, Lear is betrayed and cast out by her elder sisters Regan and Goneril. Meanwhile, evil brews at the Gloucester castle as Edgar falls victim to his brother's deception. As battle lines are drawn and backs are stabbed, Lear rages against a fearsome storm. Can a man undo his wrongs? Will Cordelia be saved? Or will the wheels of fate crush all in its way? Produced by Britain's distinguished Thames Television, this compelling production of Shakespeare's KING LEAR stars Patrick Magee (A Clockwork Orange), Ronald Radd (The Iceman Cometh), Patrick Mower (Emmerdale), and many other mainstays of stage and television. DVD Features: Edmund: A Pivotal Role - An Interview with actor Patrick Mower; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Customer Reviews:

Terrible version.......2007-04-02

The production of the play was terrible. The acting was even worse. I was going to show it to my students, but I can't show them that performance. It was pathetic. Also, there is no closed captioning. If you were thinking about getting this version, I highly recommend that you think again.

Really 3.5 stars.......2005-06-12

3 stars to me means "If you like this sort of thing, you'll like this one".

It fails to get 5 stars for the following reasons:

- As Patrick Mower (Edmund) notes in the included interview, Patrick Magee's (Lear) performance is "strange" (but not really bad)
- No subtitles (These help me to follow Shakespearian language)
- The important and interesting role of Fool is underrepresented and not played well

The positives:
- Mower is pretty good as Edmund
- Ronald Radd is really good as Gloucester
- The interview with Mower is interesting for insights into the process of creating this production and the actors involved
- As Mower notes in that interview, this is a "clear reading"; It is pretty easy to understand what the characters are saying even if you don't speak Shakespearian English every day
- I was truly moved by Lear, Gloucester, and Edmund at some points

The Plays of William Shakespeare - King Lear

Average customer rating:

Wow! Mike Kellin as Lear!
Weak In Every Area Of Production

The Plays of William Shakespeare - King Lear
Starring: Mike Kellen , Darryl Hickman , Charles Aidman , David Groh , and Kitty Winn
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

The Plays of William Shakespeare, Vol. 6 - Othello
The Plays of William Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet
The Plays of William Shakespeare, Vol. 1 - Antony and Cleopatra
The Plays of William Shakespeare - Macbeth
The Plays of William Shakespeare - King Richard II

ASIN: B000059XTQ
Release Date: 2001-01-30

Description

The clearest and most understandable Shakespeare productions ever made. Staged as seen in the 16th Century, featuring award-winning performers. The renowned story of familiar deceit and murder. Starring Mike Kellen, Darryl Hickman, Charles Aidman, David Groh and Kitty Winn. 182 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Wow! Mike Kellin as Lear!.......2005-08-22

In reacting to the other review posted for this DVD version of "King Lear", I must take considerable exception.

Apparently, the goal of the production was to convey the tone and style of a VINTAGE, authentic performance of Lear, and in that regard, I feel that it is very valuable and, in its own way, fascinating.

It is a simple production, shot with 2 or 3 cameras in fairly straightforward fashion. Nevertheless, it moves well and the various camera angles and the director's use of the limited space makes for a very interesting and involving experience--although one that it is admittedly rather low-key, even, dare I say, SUBTLE.

This is the all the more surprising, considering the actor who portrays LEAR---and this was my sole reason for purchasing the DVD. I have never seen a performance on film by Mike Kellin that was not in some way RIVETING. He was a most distinctive actor, usually cast as heavies in Westerns, military officers, etc.

His onscreen persona was really something--a glowering, brutish intensity coupled with an almost tortured and pitiful vulnerability. Who could forget his performance as Brad Davis' angst-ridden father in "Midnight Express"?

Mr. Kellin's (and his name is constantly mispelled on the DVD as
"KellEn"), portrayals often walked the edge of nervous, almost neurotic intensity and pathos. Yes, he could chew the scenery with the best of them, but was also capable of a remarkable, touching subtlety.

And it's the subtlety and sensitivity of his LEAR that makes this performance so commanding. It was taped in December of 1982, so Kellin had only 8 months to live, before succumbing to lung cancer at age 61. What a summation of a life's work as an actor! And don't you feel, from my description of Kellin's persona, that he would indeed make a fascinating and compelling Lear?

And, whereas the other reviewer blasts the cast, I must point out that the actor who portrays the doomed Duke of Gloucester, Charles Aidman, was one of early TV's finest stage-trained performers. He was (and in the present case IS) first-rate!
Again, intense, subtle and commanding as an actor, and masterful in his performance in this production. (Go to IMDB and check his credentials--you have probably seen and heard him dozens of times
in older TV performances---he's one of those expert actors who
never dominated--never called attention to himself----because he didn't have to--he was too GOOD!)Anyone who can honestly watch the scene with Mr. Aidman having his eyes ripped out by Corwall and still say that the actors are emotionally dull---must not have made it through to this scene.

My advice would be to check out this restrained and very unadorned production, which relies, as Shakespeare should, upon the eloquence and conviction of the actors. True, the cast IS variable (with some pretty funky accents at times), there are numerous small nips and tucks in the text, plus there's a really cheesy, early 80's synthesizer score (minimal, though)--- but it's still very well done, especially since it gives us a last look at the unique Mr. Mike Kellin in all of his distinctive glory.

Weak In Every Area Of Production.......2003-02-16

Having viewed eight different productions of KING LEAR in this past month, I must say this version is the worst! Unfortunatelly, this version is quite often promoted as a production that English or Shakespeare students can easily understand (apparently because the actors perform the roles without an English accent). To quote from the back cover: "Unfamiliar English accents, so prevalent in most Shakespearean productions, are absent from this series. English and drama teachers, as well as the typical playgoer, will find this feature of tremendous value." In my opinion, english and drama students, as well as the typical playgoer will be completely bored with this feature! The major falt must be placed on the actors who seem to simply walk through thier roles without any passion whatever. The director must also take most of the blame for not getting better performances from his actors. In short, this production looks like a "made for television" item that lacks great acting or direction. Mediocre all around! I feel sorry for the student who has to sit through this! For those others who can...avoid it!!!

Average customer rating:

The Tragedy of King Lear
Starring: Charles Aidman , Brenda Blethyn , David Groh , Darryl Hickman , and Michael Hordern
Director: Alan Cooke , and Jonathan Miller
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00001O2G2
Release Date: 2000-01-01

Description

The renowned story of mistaken love, familial deceit and murder. Lear, the aging king of Britain, has chosen to divide his kingdom among his three daughters. Their share is to be determined by their expressions of love for him. Goneril and Regan speak before the court with grandiose expressions of love while Cordelia says she can find nothing to say. For this lack of display, she is disinherited. After relinquishing the throne, Lear becomes the object of ridicule and slight and harsh treatment by the two daughters that had professed their great love. Much treachery, murder and deceit ensues. Lear and Cordelia are captured and sentenced to death. Cordelia is hanged and Lear, bearing her on stage dead in his arms, collapses and dies of grief.

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