Neither A Borrower Nor A Lender Be – Filmmakers Using Shakespeare

There are varieties of “Shakespearean” films and there is a big difference to what some of them owe Shakespeare. There are Shakespeare films like Olivier’s Henry V, 2015’s Macbeth where they are performed with the dialogue and setting given by Shakespeare. Then you have Romeo + Juliet or Richard III with Ian McKellan, the dialogue is kept and the setting updated. Then you have the films that are inspired by the story but jettison everything else – so 10 Things I Hate About You is based on The Taming of the Shrew. And then, of course, you have the huge influence of just Shakespeare’s ideas and plots – The Lion King has almost exactly the same plot as Hamlet but Shakespeare gets no writing credit. The criminally unknown film Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is an adaptation of the Tom Stoppard play of the same name, which is set in Hamlet but follows the inconsequential characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, in fact, so inconsequential are these characters they themselves do not know which is which. Any scheming female character is Lady Macbeth, countless love stories are compared to Romeo and Juliet and an indecisive lead character is Hamlet reborn.

What Is Past Is Prologue – History And Story

Shakespeare’s influence is even more pernicious. The cultural phenomenon of Game of Thrones is often said to be inspired by the Wars of the Roses, the medieval English civil war between great noble families. However, the popular conception of the Wars of the Roses is intrinsically bound up with the Shakespearean plays about those wars. The historical figure of Richard III is almost completely lost to the Shakespearean version. Separating Cleopatra or Julius Caesar from their plays is almost impossible. The tv show Rome wisely decided to not have a scene on the funeral of Julius Caesar, from which some of Shakespeare’s most famous lines come from, and instead have a character relate their experience of watching the funeral, comparing the eloquent and scholarly Brutus with the emotional and unrestrained Mark Antony.

Often Shakespeare stories are considered the definitive telling of that type of story – when writing about doomed love, star-crossed lovers, and young intense love then it is Romeo and Juliet that comes to mind. A struggle for power – Macbeth, Richard III, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra. Betrayal – Othello, Macbeth, Richard III.

To Thine Own Self Be True – Welles, Wilde & William

There is a famous quote concerning Shakespeare attributed to both Oscar Wilde and Orson Wells – “We now sit through Shakespeare in order to recognise the quotations.” This could mean a number of things from – such as the thrill of hearing “something wicked this way comes” from Macbeth is pleasant aside from any theatrical concerns, or that there is a pretentiousness at play, people do not like Shakespeare, they like to be able to say they’ve seen Shakespeare. It does demonstrate the outsized impact Shakespeare has had on how we speak and the list of words and phrases still in use that Shakespeare created is astonishing. There is a sense that Shakespeare is good for us, it’s worthy, to be called the greatest writer in the English language creates a feedback loop of admiration. Do we watch Shakespearean films to look clever? Do people make them to look clever? The answer is probably sometimes they do.

If Money Go Before, All Ways Do Lie Open – The Profitable Shakespeare

Romeo + Juliet made over $100,000,000 on a budget of less than $15,000,000, was a cultural phenomenon and helped make Leonardo DiCaprio a household name. They are capable of making a big profit and can garner huge critical acclaim. Financial success and critical acclaim are perhaps the only two metrics that measure in filmmaking. And you don’t even have to pay for the rights, not only is Shakespeare out of copyright, his plays were written before copyright even existed.

Though I Am Not Naturally Honest, I am Sometimes so By Chance – My Opinion

I do enjoy Shakespearean film and will certainly be watching The Tragedy of Macbeth, I have been accused many times of the twin sins of snobbery and pretentiousness, I don’t think that’s all it is. Shakespeare is a wonderful source for modern filmmakers. The great writer Robert Graves once said “The remarkable thing about Shakespeare is that he is really very good – in spite of all the people who say he is very good.”

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The post The Endless Adaptations of Shakespeare appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Today we will look at how the classic love story has been interpreted over the years. And what has made this story such fertile ground for reinterpretation. But before that, lets quickly summarise the play.

Story

In Verona, Italy, the Montagues and Capulets are locked in a violent feud. To the chagrin of Verona’s Prince. However, when Romeo Montague infiltrates a Capulet party, he meets Juliet Capulet. Over the night Romeo and Juliet fall in love, eventually marrying in secret.

Juliet’s cousin Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel for attending the party but he refuses. Romeo’s friend Mercutio duels instead and Tybalt fatally wounds him after Romeo tries stopping the fight. Romeo kills Tybalt in retaliation and is banished by Verona’s Prince. Romeo and Juliet manage to spend one night together before he leaves.

Juliet’s parents then blackmail her into marrying a man named Paris. Her friend Friar Laurence gives her a drug that will make her appear dead for 42 hours to allow her to escape and be with Romeo. Upon hearing of Juliet’s “death” Romeo races to her tomb.

After seeing Juliet’s body and killing Paris in a fight Romeo poisons himself, dying as Juliet awakens. Distraught Juliet takes her life with Romeo’s dagger. With Romeo and Juliet dead the Montagues and Capulets finally stop fighting.

Adaptations

Narrative adaptations of the play date back to the early 1900s and since then there have been many film versions of the story.

There are direct adaptations that set the action within the play’s time period. Examples include the 1968 version starring Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting. The Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer 1936 version, and recently the 2013 Hailee Steinfeld version. And aside from them Romeo and Juliet has been the basis for musicals (West Side Story), modern-day gang films (Romeo + Juliet), several animated films (Gnomeo and Juliet and Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride), horror-comedies (Warm Bodies), LGBTQ reinterpretations (Private Romeo), political satire (Romanoff and Juliet), exploitation (Tromeo and Juliet); even metafiction about Shakespeare himself (Shakespeare in Love). Just to name a few.

Evidently the play is a popular inspiration for filmmakers. And many adaptations have had decent critical or box office acclaim. But, what makes this story so attractive to filmmakers and audiences? It can be attributed to three major points.

Actors

Firstly, Shakespeare adaptations are great ways to show off actor’s talents. Many adaptations keep Shakespeare’s language intact which requires great skill to sound natural to modern ears. And because the characters in Romeo and Juliet are emotionally complex, they allow actors to show a great range in their performance. As a result, adaptations of the play have attracted many talented actors and actresses, young and old, new and established. Which appeals to filmmakers from a career perspective and audiences for entertainment value.

Themes

Secondly, the story’s themes are universally appealing and malleable. Allowing constant reinterpretation. The themes of love, the folly of youth, the power of individuals against larger systems of power, etc. speak to a great number of people. It also allows the story to be told in many different ways as writers and directors interpret these themes differently. And as our perceptions of these issues change over time so to can our interpretation of this story. Allowing infinite storytelling possibilities.

Young and Old

Finally, the story offers something for both younger and older audiences. The heightened emotions of the characters and rebelling against systems of authority are very relatable to younger people. Easily allowing young audiences to identify with the characters. And older audiences can appreciate the story’s subtext (the sins of the past ruining the future) and the different spins each new adaptation puts on the text. Whether that be American racial tensions in West Side Story, LGBTQ representation in Private Romeo, or the irreverent parody of Tromeo and Juliet. Which only improves its popularity.

This tale may be over four centuries-old but as this article proves so, there is a version of this story out there for every Juliet and every Romeo.

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