Shakespeare Around the Globe: Cinematic Adaptations

In preparation for a talk in June 2024 on film adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays for Chichester Literary Society last year I asked on twitter, for recommendations of cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare. The response was overwhelming with many new titles to add to my must watch list. So much so, that a list was needed!

Keep the conversation going using hashtag #ShakespeareAroundTheGlobe @cheshellen

Booking now open for Searching For William – Aspects of William Shakespeare, a special programme hosted by author Simon Brett will include aspects of William Shakespeare’s London life, costume and fashion and a look at how his works have been played out around the world in film. Speakers for the day are Prof. Duncan Salkeld, Prof. Bridget Escolme and me!

Saturday 15 June, 10.30 - 4pm. Tickets £30 (inc lunch)

And here's the list...

Apologies if I missed any of your suggestions, it was quite lively! Here’s the link to the original twitter thread.

A Comedy of Errors

Angoor (1982, Gulzar)

Recommended by: @robinalexbaker

Coriolanus

Coriolanus (2011, Ralph Fiennes)

Recommended by: @K__McGee

Hamlet

Hamlet (1921, Svend Gade and Heinz Schall)

Recommended by: @PamHutch @byronic

The Lion King (1994, Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers)

Recommended by: @bloodybishop

Hamlet liikemaailmassa (1987, Aki Kaurismäki)

Recommended by: @neufunkaum

Hamlet (1964, Grigori Kozintsev)

Recommended by: @AnneBillson @CulturalSnow @SimonNewton5 @byronic

Haider (2014, Vishal Bhardwaj)

Recommended by: @robinalexbaker @yooday @tig14

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990, Tom Stoppard)

Recommended by: @fuzzynick

The Bad Sleep Well (1960, Akira Kurosawa)

Recommended by: @IanNabney

Henry IV

My Own Private Idaho (1991, Gus Van Sant)

Recommended by: @scottcthompson @MCoxinScotland

Henry V

Henry V (1944, Laurence Olivier)

Recommended by: @TheAndrewF @ScottishLute @IMDBartlett

Henry V (1989, Kenneth Branagh)

Recommended by: @TheAndrewF @IMDBartlett

Chimes at Midnight (1967, Orson Welles)

Recommended by: @jasclarkewriter @AtkinsonPA1 @NJStreitberger @IMDBartlett @CulturalSnow

Hollow Crown series

Recommended by: @ConductorRobin

King Lear

King Lear (1935, State Yiddish Theater in Moscow)

Recommended by: @papers_on

Ran (1985, Akira Kurosawa)

Recommended by: @jasclarkewriter @robinalexbaker @MarinaSofia8 @flanderosa @bloodybishop @sherbetsaucers @rosstermad @IMDBartlett

King Lear (1971, Peter Brook)

Recommended by: @culham_mark

King Lear (1971, Grigori Kozintsev)

Recommended by: @SimonNewton5

A do not watch recommendation: King Lear (1999, Brian Blessed and Tony Rotherham)

Macbeth

Macbeth (1979, Philip Casson and Trevor Nunn)

Recommended by: @CulturalSnow

Macbeth on the Estate (1997, Penny Woolcock)

Recommended by: @byronic

Macbeth (1983, Bela Tarr)

Recommended by: @SaltyFilm

Macbeth (1987, Claude D'anna)

Recommended by: @SaltyFilm

Makibefo (1999, Alexander Abela)

Recommended by: @SaltyFilm

Throne of Blood (1957, Akira Kurosawa)

Recommended by: @robinalexbaker @thasceles @flanderosa @SimonNewton5 @TheAndrewF @bloodybishop @rosstermad @IMDBartlett

Macbeth (1971, Roman Polanksi)

Recommended by: @IMDBartlett

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021, Joel Coen)

Recommended by: @thasceles @TheAndrewF @rosstermad

Joe MacBeth (1955, Ken Hughes)

Recommended by: @psychojography

Men of Respect (1991, William Reilly)

Recommended by: @SonOfSirico

Maqbool (2004, Vishal Bhardwaj)

Recommended by: @robinalexbaker @tig14

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Strange Magic (2015, Gary Rydstrom)

Recommended by: @jasclarkewriter

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1959, Jiří Trnka)

Recommended by: @rosstermad

A Midsummer Night's Dream (2022, Creation Theatre)

Recommended by: @annainjozi

Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing (2012, Joss Whedon)

Recommended by: @IMDBartlett

Othello

Omkara (2006, Vishal Bhardwaj)

Recommended by: @robinalexbaker @FloStadt

Othello: National Theatre (2013, Nicholas Hytner)

Recommended by: @annainjozi

Othello (1951, Orson Welles)

Recommended by: @rickburin @IMDBartlett

All Night Long (1962, Basil Dearden)

Recommended by: @wb_gooderham

Richard III

Looking for Richard (1996, Al Pacino)

Recommended by: @MCoxinScotland

Richard III (1995, Richard Loncraine)

Recommended by: @cellulord @thasceles @Claire__M @byronic @ballooonmh @rosstermad

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet (1968, Franco Zeffirelli)

Recommended by: @ScottishLute

Romeo & Juliet (2013, Carlo Carlei)

Recommended by: @enchantedbyfilm

William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996, Baz Luhrmann)

Recommended by: @enchantedbyfilm @SimonNewton5 @annainjozi @rosstermad

West Side Story (1961, Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise)

Recommended by: @SimonNewton5

Sonnets

The Angelic Conversation (1985, Derek Jarman)

Recommended by: @Claire__M

The Taming of the Shrew

10 Things I Hate About You (1999, Gil Junger)

Recommended by: @MCoxinScotland @enchantedbyfilm @rosstermad @IMDBartlett

The Tempest

The Tempest (1979, Derek Jarman)

Recommended by: @ballooonmh @IMDBartlett @CulturalSnow @Claire__M

Prospero's Books (1991, Peter Greenaway)

Recommended by: @CulturalSnow @wb_gooderham

The Tempest (1908, Percy Stow)

Recommended by: @norloll @PamHutch

Forbidden Planet (1956, Nicholas Nayfack)

Recommended by: @Tombo_h

Three Colours: Red (1994, Kristof Kieslowski)

Recommended by: @MattTempest

Titus Andronicus

Titus (1999, Julie Taymor)

Recommended by: @CulturalSnow @byronic @rosstermad

The Hungry (2017, Bornila Chatterjee)

Recommended by: @SaltyFilm

Troilus and Cressida

Troilus and Cressida: RSC (2018, Gregory Doran)

Recommended by: @annainjozi

Twelfth Night

She's the Man (2006, Andy Fickman)

Recommended by: @enchantedbyfilm

Twelfth Night: National Theatre (2020, Simon Godwin)

Recommended by: @annainjozi

A Winter's Tale

A Tale of Winter (1992, Eric Rhomer)

Recommended by: @culham_mark @IanNabney

@annainjozi also sent a link to this Wikipedia page of even more Shakespeare screen adaptations!

Happy viewing and keep the conversation going using hashtag #ShakespeareAroundTheGlobe. Meanwhile enjoy a number from one of my fave Shakespeare re-workings, Brush Up Your Shakespeare from Kiss Me, Kate! (1953, George Sidney).