Customer Reviews

BBC Shakespeare: As You Like It

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like a large portion of Shakespeare film viewers, I needed help for school. I was pulled into the story nicely by this version. The performances of the actors playing Rosalind and Jacques are especially great. The wresting match was pretty clunky, but I expected that from the budget, and that stuff is secondary to the language and the acting. In a way, the less expensive production helped separate the experience from the gloss of movies in general. It seemed to bring the language to the front. Although I love the big, lush Branagh(sp?) productions, I hope to find other smaller productions like this one for my other classroom assignments.

Hello there....
Question: Do you like the colour green?.. What a very odd question you may ask yourself, but before you press the, (ta ta) button, let me assure you that there is relevance in my question, and it is this....
This BBC Shakespeare DVD of, (As You Like It), directed by, (Basil Coleman), and produced by, (Cedric Messina) is set in the most beautiful green fields, and woodland that I have ever seen on the TV screen.. It really is a breath of fresh air, and quite intoxicating....
In this play the two principle characters of, (Rosalind) and (Orlando) are played by, (Helen Mirren) and (Brian Stirner).. In her role the young, (Helen Mirren) handles this demanding part very well, (even if troubled by the occasional flying insect).. She also plays her, alter-ego part of the young man nicely as well, in fact, I think that dressed as a boy she looks rather cute... The young, (Brian Stirner) also carries his role very well...
This production also benefits by having a distinguished supporting cast that absolutely oozes years of thespian experience, including, (Angharad Rees), (Richard Pasco), and (James Bolan) as the convivial, (Touchstone)...
All this wonderful action, and faithful dialogue takes place in the afor mentioned luscious, green countryside....
If you are not famillier with this Shakespearian comedy then this cast of accumplished players makes following the plot less demanding, especially as this product is equipped with sub-titles....
To my mind, (BBC Shakespeare) is a by-word for tele-visual excellence, and I thoroughly recomend the DVD to any one....
It is my hope that this DVD review has been of interest to you....
Happy viewing.. Chris Stayt....

If like me you're into the whole Shakespeare thing, then this romantic comedy is well worth experiencing.

Inspired by the prose piece Rosalynde by Thomas Lodge, the pastoral poetry of Christopher Marlowe, The Passionate Shepherd, and the romantic poetry of Edmund Spenser who would stick his poems on trees,here then a very endearing period piece, that captures the spirit of the play very well. The name Ganimede appears in Marlowe's poem Hero and Leander, as is the title line above, quoted in this play.

Helen Mirren does an absolutely excellent job playing Rosalinde /Ganimede, whose father becomes disinherited from his estate by his brother the Duke. She is allowed to remain because she was raised from birth with her female cousin.

When Rosalinde gets banished too, she and her cousin both head for the Forest of Arden, located near Stratford, and for safety she changes identity, assuming the guise of a man. Meanwhile her would be suitor, heartbroken, heads to the same forest, and pines and writes poetry which he sticks on trees. When he meets her in her disguise he does not recognise her/him despite the common resemblance to Helen Mirren. Several alternate romantic themes are developed with different with different characters simultaneously.

The language reaches the very height of invention we have come to expect from Shakespeare.

Her would be lover's life is in jeopardy from another parallel story.

I have enjoyed this and watched it several times. Now, if you have Amazon Prime, as I write you can watch this for free, as you can watch many Shakespeare movies. Some of the BBC Shakespeare Tragedies DVD Giftboxcannot be bought separately, and can be quite expensive to get the whole collection, but again, as I write you can Derek Jacobi's BBC Shakespeare: Hamlet for free on Prime.

If you like this I highly recommend Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet, and you can watch it on Amazon video. Olivia Hussey, 15 at the time, gives a simply awesome performance as Juliet, and the movie conveys the wonderful passion of these star crossed.

I think you will enjoy this and I hope this was helpful.

I have the Canadian version on VHS tape of this play.
I like Helen Mirren's version, but after seeing two versions of this play
with mature women playing the leading role,
I'm convinced that a younger maid without a bust and slender hips
would be more convincing. Mirren dressed as boy is still too much of a
woman. The Canadian version while not as well in scenes of the outdoors
is better acted in the supporting roles like the fool.
This play is one of the best of the comedies.