I enjoyed the recent film Hamnet, but it is one of several adaptations that have focused on the challenges of staging a Shakespearean production. Here are three movies about producing Shakespeare.
To Be or Not to Be is funny as hell. Technically, this one is not a Shakespeare adaptation, but the writer’s words play a crucial part in this World War II-era comedy. Here, after the Nazis invade Poland, a courageous group of actors gets wrapped up in a bizarre spy plot to fight the fascists while simultaneously performing their art. Director Ernst Lubitsch and company strike just the right tone, satirizing the invading army while not being overly serious. Not only is the dialogue sharp and the performances funny, but I think the movie is a textbook example of how to do a great farce. Like a production of Hamlet gone mad, there are disguises within disguises, performances within performances, and like any good farce, the audience is always aware of information the characters aren’t. It all culminates in a madcap climax at the theater, where the troupe of actors must rescue their comrades, outsmart Hitler, and perform Shakespeare all in one night. If you haven’t seen it, the film is comic gold. ★★★★
Back in ’96, Pacino directed and starred in one of the best Shakespeare films. Rather than doing a straightforward adaptation of the work, Pacino and his collaborators make a movie within a movie about the making of their production. Here, in a deft blending of reality and fiction, we follow a star-studded performance of Richard III, set against Pacino’s investigation of the writer’s legacy in pop culture. For example, moments in which actors rehearse their scenes are intercut with street interviews with ordinary people discussing their familiarity with, or lack thereof, Shakespeare. That subject could’ve been cerebral and dry, but there’s a hunger to the actor’s performances, and a genuine curiosity about how best to communicate Shakespearean language to an audience. I dig the way Pacino genuinely tries to understand the words he’s saying. The resulting documentary is both a terrific realization of the play and a useful teaching tool for those who wish to understand the power of the written word. ★★★1/2
There is so much content out there now. There are so many movies, series, and events requesting our time and attention that it’s impossible to keep up, and smaller works can get lost in the shuffle. In the midst of all this new cinematic content, you will find Ghostlight, a quiet but effective drama about the relationship between art and grief that is one of the standouts of 2024. Here, we meet Dan, a family man and construction worker grappling with his own anger. One day, Dan stumbles upon a local theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet and gradually finds solace in performing a Shakespearean tragedy. Slowly, the reasons for Dan’s anger reveal themselves and, strangely, mirror the events of the play. There isn’t a moment of this movie that doesn’t feel emotionally authentic. From its raw family-therapy scenes (I completely believe these characters were actually family) to its more gentle moments about the relationship between art and reality, the film is made with such tenderness and care that you can’t help but get wrapped up in its story. ★★★★
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