In Search of Shakespeare (2004)

The Life and Times of Shakespeare

Simply put, one of the best documentaries I've seen. I was one of those kids who suffered through Shakespeare in high school, but that began to change one warm, tranquil summer night when the local university staged outdoors a production of A Midsummers' Night Dream; so moving and atmospheric, it was the way Shakespeare should be appreciated--not cooped in some classroom reading it from a book. And so too this documentary captures the essence of Shapespeare the man and the Elizabethan England in which he lived (as a subversive, no less). Shakespeare was NOT the man that centuries of scholars and changing moral tastes have made him into; he was a dynamic man, one who lived at times on the fringes of society, a man in many respects at odds with his changing times. He was, therefore, a person that youth of any generation in truth should be able to identify with, and this ultimately is what this fine documentary reveals. One can only wonder what a difference this documentary would have made had I been able to see it when I was in high school. May 30, 2008

I can't imagine how it could be improved

IN Search of Shakespeare is a 4-part documentary shown on PBS recently. I missed the first part, but watched with increasing interest the last three. Rarely have I found a documentary so engaging and ultimately moving. I should also mention that it is beautifully photographed.

It was written and presented enthusiastically by host/narrator Michael Wood. Wood travels to the original scenes, sometimes the original buildings associated with various stages of Shakespeare's life. He goes into the archives and lets us see with our own eyes original documents like wills, legal documents, contemporary books, theater schedules, etc., that pertain directly to Shakespeare. He follows the modern Royal Shakespeare Company on tour, and we see scenes from Shakespeare's plays and other plays contemporary with Shakespeare. Most importantly, we learn about the events of history, politics, and Shakespeare's personal life that intersect with the plays and sonnets he wrote.

Can you really "know" Shakespeare by watching a four hour documentary? Hardly. I think his true beliefs are enigmatic, and whatever he expressed in his plays was necessarily limited by the censorship and political expediencies of his time. But his was a great art, and this biographical documentary gives us at least a hint of what lay behind that great art. Context is always helpful.

Even Shakespeare's greatest rival -- in a folio of Shakespeare's plays published after his death as a tribute that would allow future generations to remember and appreciate hitherto unpublished works -- wrote of William S., "He was a man not for our time, but for all time." March 17, 2008

Anne and Will

Just a comment on Anyechka's review immediately below. In Colonial New England it was common for a couple to prove themselves fertile and potent before marrying. November 5, 2007

Best Shakespeare biography yet!

Shakespeare was born in 1564, attended the Stratford grammar School , marries Anne Hathaway in 1582, his wife had their last children in 1585, a legal action is taken up against him in 1589 and then he is in London working as a playr and playwright. How did this country peasant come to write such magnificent works of art. Michael Wood seeks to answer age old questions about his identity and lost years. This DVD is an in-depth exploration with some pretty bold statements as to what kind of person Shakespeare was and how he grew and developed. He manages quite successfully to make a very strong case that in the end seem like the right answers. He fully supports his postulations with very convincing evidence, some of which is fairly recent. Many points that were previously contested are simply explained away. Is he correct? Who knows? What matters here is that these suppositions are supported strongly with evidence both hard and factual or linked by casual but strong inference. It is a creditable piece that offers clear counterpoint to all the conspiracy" Shakespeare was written by someone else" theories. Case in fact, we know more about Shakespeare than any other playwright except for Ben Jonson, those few facts coupled with Wood's explanations and evidence clearly supports the idea that Shakespeare wrote his own plays. October 11, 2007

The life and times of Shakespeare

Another wonderful work by Michael Wood. This time, he sticks close to home, wandering across England. Whether crossing a river estuary at night, watching the Royal Shakespeare Company rehearse, or sitting in front of the fireplace in the Shakespeare family home, Wood tells the story with all the enthusiasm his fans expect.

For the first time, Will Shakespeare actually comes alive. It's fascinating to see how much he was a man of his times. I was completely unaware of the "backstories" of his plays. For instance, Macbeth premiered shortly after the collapse of the Gunpowder Plot. As Wood points out, he presented a play about the murder of a Scottish monarch, shortly after an attempt to murder a Scottish monarch, in the court of this monarch.

Shakespeare comes across here on all levels. The country boy, the family man, the writer, the parent, the political man, and the religious man. Sonnets about the love for a boy turn out to be written just after the death of William's young son. Wood makes sure we see how much of himself Shakespeare put into his works, and how he used his work as a means of expressing his real feelings and emotions.

As I said, he was a man of his times, and they were fascinating times. Religious conflict, war, corruption, and other human acts all play a role in the plays and poems he wrote. Intriguingly, Wood shows us that racial strife was also part of this age, and that Will showed his sympathies with the classic "Othello".

The cinematography is excellent. It's fascinating to watch Wood wander through the streets of London with a hand-drawn map in his hands, discussing the location and significance of a long-vanished building.

It's also a glimpse into what I'll call The Idea of England, as we walk through breathtaking gardens, cozy cottages, bustling streets, and so on. We watch old fashioned printings of the Works of Shakespeare, laugh at plays by students at the Stratford school Shakespeare attended, and talk glove-making (the trade of Will's father John) with a Master.

I've long admired Shakespeare's works. I wish I could say that I love them, but they are hard to read on one's own. I shudder at what would have happened had Wood taken us down that road, but he doesn't. Instead, he presents snippets of plays- both those of the Bard, and those of his contemporaries- with The Royal Shakespeare Company. Watching these talented performers, one begins to get a real feel for the emotions the plays contain. Seeing a contemporary audience as the Company presents a bit of Shakespeare, you begin to understand why he's still so popular. It's also fascinating to listen to these performers talk about certain aspects of the works.

I highly recommend this. I wish it were another 2 hours long, but then Wood has never led me astray yet. I suspect I'll watch this as much as some of Wood's other works. June 5, 2007

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