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Special Features
-Los Angeles Rehearsal -- Features Julie Taymor, Dijmon Hounsou, Russell Brand & Alfred Molina
-Raising The Tempest -- Julie Taymor Documentary About The Making Of The Movie
-Julie Taymor Audio Commentary
-Annotated Shakespeare -- View The Tempest With Audio Commentary By Renowned Shakespeare Experts Virginia Vaughan & Jonathan Bate
-"O Mistress Mine" Music Video
-Russell Brand Rehearsal Riff
-Raising The Tempest -- Julie Taymor Documentary About The Making Of The Movie
-Julie Taymor Audio Commentary
-Annotated Shakespeare -- View The Tempest With Audio Commentary By Renowned Shakespeare Experts Virginia Vaughan & Jonathan Bate
-"O Mistress Mine" Music Video
-Russell Brand Rehearsal Riff
Editorial Reviews
This modern retelling of William Shakespeare's final masterpiece is an exciting, mystical and magical fantasy with Academy Award(R)-winner Helen Mirren (Best Actress, The Queen, 2006) leading a star-studded cast including Russell Brand (Get Him to the Greek) and Alfred Molina (The Sorcerer s Apprentice). Exiled to a magical island, the sorceress Prospera (Mirren) conjures up a storm that shipwrecks her enemies, and then unleashes her powers for revenge. Directed by the visionary Julie Taymor -- and complete with exclusive bonus features and an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design (Sandy Powell, 2010) -- The Tempest, with its innovative twist, is a supernatural dramedy filled with Shakespearian villains, lovers and fools that will leave you spellbound.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
347 of 360 people found the following review helpful
By J. C. Bloom
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Let me say right off: I am a total Bardolator. I teach Shakespeare, I am obsessed with Shakespeare, I have read and seen all the plays, and my love affair with the Bard began with seeing a live performance of The Tempest in 1975. It was pure magic. I also love movies, and I believe that in the 21st century, filmed versions of Shakespeare's plays are probably the best way to reach the widest audience. The sneers and sniffs of snobs aside, I am convinved that if Will were alive today, he'd be writing movie screenplays (or even television), NOT stage plays, which today are aimed at a narrow, elite, theatre-going audience.
As a literature professor who has been teaching The Tempest for a decade now, I have always been singularly bemused by the lack of a filmed version that really captures the magical spirit of the play. The old TV Richard Burton show is well-acted but silly, the BBC version has great actors but terrible, flat production values, Prospero's Books is brilliant but incomprehensible to all but those who know the play intimately, Derek Jarman's version is terribly dated and, despite being a good "film," just doesn't work as The Tempest, in my opinion. The other, "scholastic" releases are plagued by poor production and/or undistinguished acting. And I won't even bother with "adaptations" of the plot, such as Forbidden Planet or Cassavettes's Tempest.
Until this version, the only truly excellent version of The Tempest was the HBO animated one, but at 25 minutes, not much of Shakespeare's story remained intact.
Just last week I had the great pleasure of seeing Julie Taymor's The Tempest in London. It was absolutely amazing. The magic was there! The acting, for the most part, was brilliant. The script contained enough of the actual play's language that the minor tweakings to make it easier for contemporary audiences did not bother me a bit. The visuals were absolutely stunning. The movie was a joy from start to finish. I can't wait to see it again--repeatedly--to savor all the special moments over and again. My only regret is that my students will be unable to see it this year due to the late release date.
[REVISION NOTE: This year's students had the opportunity to see this version, and they overwhelmingly LOVED it. It brought the play to life for them. At last, I no longer have to convince them that The Tempest really IS a great play! 01/19/12]
If you love Shakespeare, and if you enjoy movie adaptations of the plays, DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!
As a literature professor who has been teaching The Tempest for a decade now, I have always been singularly bemused by the lack of a filmed version that really captures the magical spirit of the play. The old TV Richard Burton show is well-acted but silly, the BBC version has great actors but terrible, flat production values, Prospero's Books is brilliant but incomprehensible to all but those who know the play intimately, Derek Jarman's version is terribly dated and, despite being a good "film," just doesn't work as The Tempest, in my opinion. The other, "scholastic" releases are plagued by poor production and/or undistinguished acting. And I won't even bother with "adaptations" of the plot, such as Forbidden Planet or Cassavettes's Tempest.
Until this version, the only truly excellent version of The Tempest was the HBO animated one, but at 25 minutes, not much of Shakespeare's story remained intact.
Just last week I had the great pleasure of seeing Julie Taymor's The Tempest in London. It was absolutely amazing. The magic was there! The acting, for the most part, was brilliant. The script contained enough of the actual play's language that the minor tweakings to make it easier for contemporary audiences did not bother me a bit. The visuals were absolutely stunning. The movie was a joy from start to finish. I can't wait to see it again--repeatedly--to savor all the special moments over and again. My only regret is that my students will be unable to see it this year due to the late release date.
[REVISION NOTE: This year's students had the opportunity to see this version, and they overwhelmingly LOVED it. It brought the play to life for them. At last, I no longer have to convince them that The Tempest really IS a great play! 01/19/12]
If you love Shakespeare, and if you enjoy movie adaptations of the plays, DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!
46 of 47 people found the following review helpful
By Emma Abraham
Format:DVD
I saw this movie at the Chicago Film Festival last fall, introduced by Alan Cumming. While I'm a huge fan of Helen Mirren (and Alan), I was much less familiar with Julie Taymor, and not sure what I was in for.
If you're the same, then you can relax - this is brilliant, and I wish that Mirren & Taymor would do some other Shakespeare plays with Helen in the (strong, male) lead. Aside from a few minutes in the very beginning, where I thought the verisimilitude of the storm interfered with actually being able to understand what the actors were SAYING - there weren't any problems with either the language or being able to follow the plot.
Despite changing of the gender of the lead character, all the other elements we expect from Shakespeare remain intact: elevated, aristocratic figures bickering over their positions or inheritance, a love story featuring the younger generation of characters, a comedic subplot running alongside the primary plot, etc. And the acting was great top to bottom - those who weren't aware that RusselL Brand could actually act will be very pleasantly surprised, and we get the amazing performances we expected from the "known" names. Reeve Carney comes off least well, but that is the fault of the character having so little to do (and most of THAT being to look attractive and moon over the young woman).
All in all, I was very happy I was able to catch this in the cinema, and can hardly wait until I'm able to own a copy.
If you're the same, then you can relax - this is brilliant, and I wish that Mirren & Taymor would do some other Shakespeare plays with Helen in the (strong, male) lead. Aside from a few minutes in the very beginning, where I thought the verisimilitude of the storm interfered with actually being able to understand what the actors were SAYING - there weren't any problems with either the language or being able to follow the plot.
Despite changing of the gender of the lead character, all the other elements we expect from Shakespeare remain intact: elevated, aristocratic figures bickering over their positions or inheritance, a love story featuring the younger generation of characters, a comedic subplot running alongside the primary plot, etc. And the acting was great top to bottom - those who weren't aware that RusselL Brand could actually act will be very pleasantly surprised, and we get the amazing performances we expected from the "known" names. Reeve Carney comes off least well, but that is the fault of the character having so little to do (and most of THAT being to look attractive and moon over the young woman).
All in all, I was very happy I was able to catch this in the cinema, and can hardly wait until I'm able to own a copy.
39 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The final Opus of William Shakespeare was carried to the big screen with that required vision, secure pulse and distinguished visuals without lacking the spirit of the play.
Helen Mirren is actually (Who can deny it?)one of the three best actresses in the world. She chews the whole show all the way through. But additionally the narrative rhtyhm never decays. Taymor (The Lion king and Titus, proves by far how domains Shakespeare's nerve) never abuses of the visual effects (dislike many of her colleagues).
And the outcome could not be more succesful. One of the best twenty films of the last year. No doubt it and go for it.
Helen Mirren is actually (Who can deny it?)one of the three best actresses in the world. She chews the whole show all the way through. But additionally the narrative rhtyhm never decays. Taymor (The Lion king and Titus, proves by far how domains Shakespeare's nerve) never abuses of the visual effects (dislike many of her colleagues).
And the outcome could not be more succesful. One of the best twenty films of the last year. No doubt it and go for it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Prospera
"The Tempest." A film by Julie Taymor, starring Helen Mirren, 2011
First, let me say that I find Prospero regendered into Prospera a marvelous idea, and can think of no one... Read more
First, let me say that I find Prospero regendered into Prospera a marvelous idea, and can think of no one... Read more
Published 5 days ago by Phyllis A. Karr
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Tempist
This movie was visually masterful and so well done that I actually understood what Prospera was on about. And I have seen versions of the Tempist about a dozen times.
Published 18 days ago by Rhonda S. Peyrot
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun and Beautiful
A bit risque to use in a classroom and it makes several key plot changes like making Prospero into a woman. Russell Brand is fabulous and definitely makes the video worth it. Read more
Published 21 days ago by Shakespeare Nerd
4.0 out of 5 stars
Helen Mirren great in The Tempest
Good movie. I watched this for a class. When I got back to reading and studying for the test it was difficult for me to get back into thinking of a male Prospero rather than a... Read more
Published 23 days ago by Gary S Lea
4.0 out of 5 stars
Feminism Works with the Bard
If I were watching this play solely for the entertainment values, I would love it. I bought it, however, to use with high school classes. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Daryl Wilkins
2.0 out of 5 stars
Don't bother with the Blu Ray
This is such a visual movie, it is an affront to the audience that the Blu-Ray edition has no improvement on the DVD version to offer. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Theodore Keer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Prospera the Great!
I really love this adaptation of The Tempest because of Taymor's choice to change Prospero into Prospera. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Gabriella
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent movie!
This is one one great movie.It is a must to see.
Helen Mirren fans will be delighted. A real treat for
movie fans.
Helen Mirren fans will be delighted. A real treat for
movie fans.
Published 1 month ago by John F. West
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful visuals
Shakespeare was a strong proponent of the polytheist world view, a believer in the serious magic of it. This is his crowning statement. Read more
Published 1 month ago by whit
5.0 out of 5 stars
Helen Mirren....need I say more?
Wonderful and gorgeous movie. Just watch it (unless you are a Shakespeare hater). Helen Mirren can play anything and is fantastic as usual.
Published 1 month ago by Rachel Davis
