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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Emperor Jones, October 2, 2001
This review is from: King Lear / Jones, New York Shakespeare Festival (Broadway Theatre Archive) (DVD)
This live performance of The Public Theater's 1974 production of "King Lear" is refreshingly straight-forward and offers abundant proof that the play -- one of Shakespeare's very greatest -- cries out to be acted, not just read. By any standard, the acting (with a few surprising exceptions) is well above average; compared to more recent Shakespeare productions at The Public Theater, the acting is astonishingly fine. James Earl Jones gives a performance of awesome power and ferocity -- perhaps the greatest of his career. The sophistication and subtlety of his reading may surprise audiences unfamiliar with his work prior to his ubiquitous telephone company commercials. For the rest of us, this superb performance of a great artist at the height of his powers is cause for celebration, even as it is cause for sorrow: for here, too, is a stinging reminder of the scarcity of suitable roles for actors of Mr. Jones' refinement, technical mastery and colossal intensity. Are there no authors besides Shakespeare worthy of this extraordinary actor? Of course, no one but a churl would begrudge Mr. Jones the comfort and pleasure his commercial success apparently brings him -- long may he prosper! Then again, who but a churl could fail to grieve at the waste of an artistic life of such immensity and grandeur?
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A near perfect introduction to that world of Shakespeare., May 16, 2002
This review is from: King Lear / Jones, New York Shakespeare Festival (Broadway Theatre Archive) (DVD)
While attending High School in Michigan, I took a 9 week course in Shakespeare. Monday through Friday, for an hour, I would sit and study the words of the man often referred to as the greatest single writer that ever used the English language. In this class, we were exposed to both audio and video productions of various plays. After 4 weeks, I became fully convinced that anyone that said that they read or attended Shakespeare for entertainment purposes was either a liar or severely mentally unbalanced. Then I was shown this production, and my mind expanded. The production was taped from a Shakespeare in the Park festival, live. There are points during the production when it becomes apparent, yes it is live. It is also vital. It lives, it breathes, it is wildly passionate and elegent and bold and gentle, often within the space of one line to another. The cast is nothing short of astonishing. Rosalind Cash, Raul Julia, Paul Sorvino and Rene Auberjonois are stunning. These four actors, in and of themselves, make this particular performance a (what is now the hyped phrase) Must See. What makes it a Must Own is James Earl Jones. Mr. Jones is, IMHO, possibly the single greatest actor living today. He is also IMHO the finest voice in the industry, and has been from the time I became aware that this production existed. His Lear is a vain man, a proud man, and a man that is falling apart before our very eyes. He is indeed King, and a king that has brought himself low. Kingship does not imply wisdom. Any flaws in this production only remind us that Shakespeare was once performed live in the presence of those who would hoot and toss things at the actors if the audience was not happy with what they were seeing. Superb!
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best I've Seen, April 27, 2006
This review is from: King Lear / Jones, New York Shakespeare Festival (Broadway Theatre Archive) (DVD)
"Lear" is not an easy play to watch by any standard, or in any medium. Anyone who has ever wished that he or she had more money or property to leave to his or her children would do well to watch this one. Poor families get along better, believe me.
In a nutshell: An old king creates the worst living trust plan of all time (this was before estate planning attorneys). In a fit of fatigued grandiosity, he divests himself of his kingdom, disinherits his loyal daughter and entrusts himself to the care of his two greedy, grasping daughters. It's all downhill from there, with a "B" plot which also follows the theme of fillial vs. unfilial adult children. At the end, of course, there is a pile of bodies and a few stunned survivors.
What makes this Lear so special is the cast and the audience. It was filmed in front of a live New York audience, and so you can hear the audience laughing at the jokes and applauding a particuarly good speech. This gives the production a sense of immediacy.
In some ways, this production is sort of like watching an all-star baseball game - the players are so good, and it's a real treat to watch them. A very young and sexy Raoul Julia plays Edmund - the seductive bad guy, and you can really see how Lear's two wicked daughters would get into a cat fight over him. And as Edmund's good half-brother Edgar, Rene Auberjonois is wonderful. Edgar has to go from naif to feigned insanity to righteous warrior - quite a character arc, and Auberjonois does a fabulous job.
An unexpected favorite, though, is an actor I've never seen in anything else - Douglass Watson as the Earl of Kent. Kent is a loyal supporter of the King who risks death to follow Lear through all his trials and tribulations. I've always loved Kent for his loyalty - heck, I'd marry him if he wasn't fictional. This actor brings a tremendous amount of spirit and pepper to the part - I think it's the best Kent I've ever seen.
The female roles are generally quite well acted as well, although the actress who plays Regan (I think) has kind of an annoying squeaky voice - it sounds like she's swallowed helium. Too bad, as she's good in all other ways.
And what can you say about James Earl Jones? There isn't much I can add to the other reviews except to say that I would be very interested to see him do another production of this same play now, thirty years later. This Lear is quite physical, storming around the stage, frustrated by his own weakness - he can't even throw a chair in a fit of rage without falling down, but that doesn't stop him from trying. And Jones' voice is Jones' voice - is there anyone who wouldn't recognize his deep and mellow tones, even if only as Darth Vader? It is a wonderful treat to be able to hear Jones act this role. He brings a gravitas to the part which is necessary for it to be truly tragic. But then James Earl Jones can bring gravitas to a toilet paper commercial, that's why he's The Man.
All in all, of the many Lears I have endured, this is the strongest, and I wish there were more than five stars available.
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