Keep in mind that these are just a few of the great Shakespeare films out there, so don’t panic if you don’t see one of your favorites on here. I could have kept going with several other versions of Hamlet. Olivier’s version from 1948 is a more classically staged production, but is still outstanding (it won four Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actor). The two BBC productions, one from 1980 with Derek Jacobi and the other from 2009 with David Tennant (the tenth Doctor of Doctor Who), are both great as well.
I could have also included the 1995 contemporary version of Richard III with Ian McKellen as the scheming Englishman, or the delightful 1999 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Stanley Tucci, Christian Bale, and David Strathairn. However, I just wanted to give you a small taste of some of the very best versions that are out there without overloading the list with multiple plays (or multiple versions of the same play).
As we look to this weekend, we hope we can add another great adaptation to the list with Joss Whedon’s anticipated Much Ado About Nothing. It’s already been receiving great reviews and looks fascinating with its low-budget approach and no particularly big-name actors to speak of. I, for one, can’t wait to see how it turns out.
What do you think of the list of the 6 best shakespeare films? Are there any others you would include? Any you would throw out? Let us know in the comments!
