King Lear (1984)

The late Sir Lawrence Olivier stars in this Emmy Award winning production of Shakespeare's King Lear. It is the timeless tale of greed and lust for power, and of a sick old man, his scheming children and lost loyalties. Also stars Diana Rigg, John Hurt, Leo McKern, and Colin Blakely. Special DVD features include a biography and filmography on Sir Lawrence Olivier, character and cast list, chapter stops on each scene, and more. 158 minutes.

What can I say?

What can I say? This version of "King Lear" was absolutely perfect.
Minimal scenery to be sure, but that left me to actually SEE and HEAR Shakespeare and the inimitable Mr. Olivier without the any trappings.
Marvelous production! A "must see" for Shakespeare enthusiasts. September 11, 2007

Definitive

This is by general consensus one of Shakespeare's two greatest works, Hamlet being the other. (Which one you think is best is purely a matter of taste; you can generate passionate arguments either way.) No matter where you come down on that debate, King Lear is indisputably a top masterpiece by the greatest writer in the English language.

This production features a cast that is consummately superb, from the title role on down. Every character is played by an actor who ranks near the top of the profession, including such luminaries as Diana Rigg, Leo McKern, David Trelfall, Jeremy Kemp, and on and on and on. And, of course, there is Olivier, who is at the very peak of his powers here. There isn't a weak, or even ordinary, performance anywhere.

A teacher I once knew used to describe Shakespeare's language as "opera for people who can't sing." This company makes the language crystal clear, but beyond that, they make it sing. If this production doesn't make Shakespeare accessible for you, no production ever will. May 7, 2007

Makes the Peter Brooks version look bad

If you want to see King Lear presented the way it should be, then this is for you. If you want to hear the lines spoken with total clarity and intelligence, the story presented with total understanding, almost every part played with total mastery, then this is for you. If you want to see special effects, expensive scenery, kung fu fight scenes, graphic killings, quirky direction imposed on the text Shakespeare wrote, go elsewhere. This is not for semi-literate mental adolescents panting for eye-candy, but for people mature enough to value the lessons of life and to accept its injustices and paradoxes. This work is a 400 year old play, written for the stage, perhaps the greatest of its kind. It speaks to those who are capable of listening, concentrating, absorbing its marvellous composition; who can recognize great acting, who can allow themselves to be drawn in by a performance built on a long, long lifetime of superlative achievement, supported to the hilt by every other player. I could find a few petty flaws to complain about and carp at, but I'm not going to lower myself to a high-school level of crass stupidity. November 24, 2006

King Lear

I gave it 3 star because of my own inadequacy - I am Filipino and we are more familiar with the American english. At first I had difficult time following the "British english" accent. Otherwise I would have rated it highier. It is very good because while it is a movie, you can still feel that it as if it was stage play. I recommend it for all students of Shakespeare August 22, 2006

Tiger burning bright and out

Olivier's "King Lear" is a wonderful cap to his career, it is a part he understood deeply as evidenced by this performance. He was too physically weak to play it on stage and even with microphones his voice is not entirely up to the 'hurricanos' speech, and of course he had to have wires to help him carry Cordelia (which are very visible here). The physical production is underbudgeted, but that is more than compensated for by Olivier and the cast. McKern is wonderfully yeasty as Gloucester, a part in many ways better than Lear. Diana Rigg, Dorothy Tutin, Robert Lindsay, John Hurt, all stars in their own right, all fully engulfed in the play. Near the end, when Lear is mad but finds peace as a woodland creature feeding on what's available, Olivier leaps into rare territory. It's a play that is hard for a young man or woman to understand, usually, he builds a window for anyone. When life has 'done its dirty job' and you've experienced enough of it to realize how true and raw "Lear" is, your appreciation of the play and this performance will only ripen. June 29, 2006

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