William Shakespeare was one of the greatest writers in the history of mankind. The level of work including his typical writing has left a strong aroma of his presence. He is considered England’s National Poet. His works form the fundamental of English in the high-schools. Although he is regarded as the greatest writer of all time, you wouldn’t be alone if you found his work confusing, hard to follow. He is one of the most adapted writers. Many movie works have been directly or indirectly adapted from the work of William.
If William’s work was not your thing in school, here are the top 7 most accessible William’s adaptations for you to enjoy.
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7. O (2001) – Othello
O is an American drama film based on the work of modern adaptation of William’s Othello. The movie is set in an American High school. O brings attention to racial discrimination. The biggest sparks that o reflect from Shakespeare is giving Lago ( in this HUGO) a sad backstory to supposedly explain his actions.
The boarding school is the perfect setting since it reflects the complete Satire of the theme and tries to present the image in a real sense. It also perpetuates the pressure on Odin to be the golden boy of the school. The school is the best place for setting rumours and lies to spread to have a tragic impact that they do in Othello.
6. Romeo and Juliet (1996)
Romeo and Juliet are one of the most loved works of William Shakespeare. The 1996 movie is also one of the best-known adaptations of Shakespeare’s works. The use of original script as written by William has juxtaposed with a 90’s vibe which creates this strange world at Verona Beach that is oddly familiar to the audience.
5. Delivers Us from Eva (2003) – the Taming of the Shrew
The taming of the shrew and modern rom coms do go hand in hand and Deliver Us from Eva is another that gets the formula spot on. This movie pays a perfect tribute to Shakespeare in the modern adaptation of his work.
4. West Side Story (1961) – Romeo and Juliet
West Side story is one of the phenomenal films. From the iconic opening of the movie to the excellent standout acting, from Rita Moreno and George Chakiris ( both of whom won an academy award). The movie-like William’s adaptation changes the feuding families of Capulets and Montagues into rival gangs.
3.Richard III (1995)
Richard III is a 1995 British film which is another Adaptation of Shakespeare. Director Loncraine does the movie well by not only mering and eliminating some of the less significant characters but setting the film in a better way. The movie has been an adaptation to William’s second-longest play into a single played movie to be followed by Several kings, queens, Dukes, Duchesses, Earls, lords, etc.
2. The Tempest (2010)
This movie one of the lowest-rated from among the list. Regardless, this movie got a place on this list. Writer and director Julie Taymor’s biggest change is the gender of the main character from Prospero to Prospera (Helen Mirren). Taymor doesn’t make the mistake of making this a throwaway action and instead shows the consequences of the gender switch.
it may not be the most critically acclaimed film on this list, but its visual effects- especially regarding its magical element- and costume designer Sandy Powell (who received an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design) alongside Helen Mirren’s lead make this film worthy of a watch!
1.The Lion King (1994) – Hamlet
The movie is not an unknown one. But this movie is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The Lion King is timeless however, this is not automatically associated and when we think of Simba, it’s hard to relate him to the melancholy Hamlet.
Studying Shakespeare may have been something you loathed in school, but don’t let the thought of reading Elizabethan scripts put you off exploring what Shakespeare’s work has evolved into. As Ian McKellen said ‘when you put this amazing old story in a believable modern setting, it will hopefully raise the hair on the back of your neck, and you won’t be able to dismiss it as “just a movie” or indeed, as “just old-fashioned Shakespeare.
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