Product Details

• Actors: Barbara Flynn, Ian Holm, Amanda Redman, Paul Rhys, David Lyon
• Directors: Richard Eyre
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: PBS
• DVD Release Date: September 28, 2004
• Run Time: 150 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002XVRIY
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,464 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Ian Holm's King Lear is a petulant, hot-tempered, selfish old man more a victim of his own smug self-importance than naive pride. His bout with madness and his clear-headed self-appraisal that concludes the play become resonant scenes of anger and inner torment, not the sentimental, self-pitying moments so many actors mine. Director Richard Eyre streamlines Shakespeare's tragic masterpiece with judicious textual pruning and places it in a sleek, austere set shrouded in somber colors. It's a dark, gloomy world, the perfect setting for intrigue, betrayal, and madness, and Eyre's thoughtful design and staging turn the theatricality of the production into an expressive component. The real tragedy, as Eyre's staging and structure emphasize, is not Lear's pained realization of the results of his actions, but the sacrifices his unwaveringly loyal subjects have made for the ungrateful old fool. "Thou should not have been old till thou'st been wise," his jester remarks, and how the line bites as the truth sinks in to the pained old man, his vanity and illusions stripped away. This British TV production is one of the finest presentations of King Lear you'll find. --Sean Axmaker

Product Description

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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 64 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Bad Dad October 1, 2004

By Aging Boomer VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Now a celebrity, courtesy of Bilbo Baggins (the keepcase to this King Lear DVD bills him as "of the Lord of the Rings"), Ian Holm was a great actor long before he was Bilbo. On this DVD he delivers a Lear on a par with the twentieth century's greatest, including Olivier's. But the excellence of this version results not just from one bravura performance, but from an intelligently conceived approach to the play, seamlessly executed by a competent, superbly chosen cast. Of innovative productions there is no end, but what a rarity, and what a joy, when innovation comes across as deeply authentic, rooted in the text and the humanity of the play, as if the new take had always been there, concealed in the text, waiting for centuries to be discovered. One can argue whether Lear should be presented as a "psychological" drama of broken family relationships, and I have mixed feelings about the approach; but if, as our leading Shakespeare critic maintains, Shakespeare "invented" our understanding of human nature, then surely this approach should be tried. And it works to perfection here. Goneril and Regan, the "bad daughters," evolve into monsters of pure evil, but along the way we see, via some remarkable facial expressions that play particularly well on the small screen, flashes of the agonizing pain and hurt that their overbearing father has inflicted on them. This is true also of Cordelia, the "good" daughter; all these daughters are visibly tormented in the presence of their father, though Cordelia overcomes her past through love and forgiveness. What keeps this from being the greatest Lear on video is that the text is heavily abridged. Those who know the play will have trouble escaping the occasional feeling that they are trapped in a "60 Second Lear" from Tom Stoppard or the Reduced Shakespeare Company. The greatest of Shakespeare's lines remain, but how much greater they are when they emerge from his larger linguistic context. At points the cutting even confuses the plot. One gets no hint from this version that the "bedlam" Edgar is only feigning madness; for awhile you would think he's actually gone bonkers.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece January 29, 2000

By A Customer

Format:VHS Tape

I have seen three versions of the play, and this one is tops. Ian Holm is at the high point of his art. I like the way he plays the King, not as a gentle but old man whose age makes him misjudge people, but as a man who has always lacked judgment. We see it in the very first line the king says, when he tells his old friend Gloucester to "attend the lords of France and Burgundy", when he should have had his place at this most important meeting where the king tells his daughters he is going to part his kingdom in three. I thought every actor was well directed, and the filming was done professionally. Some people say the fool is hard to understand. But remember that he speaks cockney: what else can you expect? I have seen this video about 50 times(when you're a teacher...) and still think that just as much as the play is a masterpiece, this rendition is masterfully done.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark and emotive. Make certain you watch this King Lear! June 24, 2000

By [e-mail]

Format:VHS Tape

Considering the fact that the characters in this 'King Lear' are played by some very well-known actors and actresses in England, I was a little worried at first that it would be spoilt as I had seen them playing several other roles on television. However, the acting, especially Ian Holm as Lear and Barbara Flynn and Amanda Redman as Goneril and Regan respectively, is superb, and you can really allow yourself to be 'swept away' with this production. The only real criticism is that Edgar may be viewed as a little too 'soppy' and gullible, and Edmund as being almost 'caricature-like'. The red sets reflect the general tone of the play very accurately, and the fact that it is adapted for television means that there is the bonus of having the storm scenes outside, as opposed to still being inside as is the case with a few productions. Certain parts of the original dialogue are cut, but although this may be confusing if you don't know the play well, the omissions do not affect the overall power of the play. This, along with the Paul Scofield and Laurence Olivier versions, and Jonathan Miller's 1980 film, is one of the best 'King Lear' adaptations around. Each has it's own individual strengths, but this version is definitely worth watching.