King Lear (1997)

This spectacular film version of the award-winning Royal National Theatre production of King Lear stars the immensely celebrated actor Ian Holm. Critics used every superlative imaginable to acclaim Holm's performance in King Lear when it was first staged. The Sunday Times called his performance, "Timelessly classical, harrowingly modern and unforgettable," and The Evening Standard wrote: "Holm's triumph is indisputable total." The Royal National Theatre production of the Shakespeare classic has now won the award for Best Actor (Ian Holm) and Best Director (Richard Eyre) in the Evening Standard Awards, the London Theatre Critics Award and The Laurence Olivier Awards. Lear, King of Britain, has three daughters: Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. Intending to divide his kingdom among his daughters according to their affection for him, he asks them to say which loves him most. Goneril and Regan profess their extreme affection, and each receives one-third of the kingdom. Cordelia, disgusted with their hollow flattery, says she loves him according to her duty, no more or less. Infuriated with this reply, Lear divides her portion between Goneril and Regan. Eventually the two daughters reveal their true heartlessness and a tragic chain of events are set into motion.

Terrific

When I read that Lear would be played by Ian Holm, I was shocked.

Ian Holm??????????? That tiny man who always plays mousy nebbishes?

Bilbo Baggins????

Well, I am happy to report I was wrong.

Somehow, Holm manages to appear 7 feet tall and has ferocity and bluster to burn.

He is wonderful: he has fury, terrifying rage, delicacy, mordancy, sadness, waiflike pitifulness. All the things Lear should have.

The other actors are good-to-great, too.

The only bad thing about this production is the sets. It is essentially a filmed play, so the sets are usually a red-draped room with a table.

After all the lavish sets for Shakespeare by Branagh et al., I guess I got spoiled.

However, the acting and direction are thrilling. January 24, 2008

Ion Holm's Great

King Lear is a difficult part because of the old age of Lear. The energy that Ion Holm put into this part is outstanding. Great preformances in all of the cast. October 11, 2007

No Nuance

This is a production totally without nuance and its owes that to the bellowing of Ian Holm. Holm as Lear bellows at the beginning. he bellows in the middle. And he belows at the end. Lear bellows when he is dividing teh kingdom. he bellows then he rejects Cordelia. he bellows when he realises that he has been betrayed by Goneriel and Regan. The character presented as Lear is entirely one dimensional. Any change of circumstance or emotion is presented as more bellowing. There is no tragedy in this production because there is no change in Lear from beginning to end.

This DVD is not worth buying. April 15, 2007

Highlighters

This version of King Lear highlights the action of Lear and his daughters. The setting, costumes, and minor characters are downplayed so that the viewer can really focus in on Lear and his daughters.The change in setting from a bland inside to the stormy, or foggy outside makes the scenes more memorable and helps to highlight the events that happen in these outdoor settings. For instance, when Lear is outside in the storm, the storm seems to be used as a mirror to show Lear's madness.
The film was good. The staging at the end was especially useful to the viewer in tying up loose ends. After reading the play, the movie highlighted many things that may not have been understood from simply reading the play. September 28, 2006

Lackluster Lear

Holm is a really terrific actor, but I have a feeling his Lear is probably better served by the stage than by this rather uneven production. For one thing, he really doesn't seem old and frail enough. And the supporting cast doesn't seem particularly well thought out - or is it just the way they're directed. There are some particularly unfortunate moments where we get to see Goneril's twitching, overwrought facial reactions during Lear's lengthy outpourings of invective, and the thing would be hilarious if it weren't so hard to watch (and not in a good way). Lear shouts and everyone shouts back. There is no variation or contrast in the performances. Goneril, in particular, works better as a measured, icy presence, in my opinion. In a television production, we could still see his words cutting her as she keeps her infernal composure. The shouting matches leach the material of a lot of it's dramatic tension. It sometimes seems as if everyone is playing mad here - except, perhaps, for Michael Bryant, who gives faultless line delivery as the Fool.

I personally don't think 'Lear' has a chance of working unless as much care is given to the characters closest to him (particularly the daughters) as to Lear himself. The performances need to be developed interdependently, as the characters are interdependent. The music of the piece doesn't come out here.

Eventually, it becomes tedious. April 13, 2006

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