Product Details

• Actors: Laurence Olivier, Elisabeth Bergner, Henry Ainley, Felix Aylmer, Stuart Robertson
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: United American Video
• VHS Release Date: July 16, 1998
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000009RXZ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,035 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars At Long Last Like, May 28, 2000

By 

E. E. Kuersten "Psychedelic Surgeon" (East Village, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: As You Like it (DVD)

This is my favorite Shakespeare play, and I've often wondered why no one has ever made another movie version in all this time. This adaption is dated but generally well done, with an actively moving camera and some scattered attempts at making it more than merely a "filmed play." If you've seen it on TV then you probably remember the sound as awful and the picture pretty blurry (like many public domain movies, awful prints are everywhere). So know that this dvd is from an excellent print, with the sound much clearer, (though still not great) and the picture 10 times better than I have seen. So if you are wondering if this dvd is worth getting even if only to replace your inaudible old VHS copy, then let me assure you Arden has never looked better, nor Elisabeth Bergner's shrill voice more effortlessly deciphered. I would not change it.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DVD is a big improvement, July 7, 2001

By 

Carvet "carvet" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: As You Like it (DVD)

I have always enjoyed this movie even though the VHS version has very poor sound and picture quality. The DVD is much improved in both areas and is worth the additional investment (don't expect digital quality though). I love Olivier (young and handsome here) and considered him the star of this film, but the DVD keep box has about three "pages" of film history that set me straight. It explains that at the time this film was produced Elizabeth Bergener was the big star and Laurence Olivier a struggling young hopeful. Bergener insisted on him as Orlando. Her husband was the director of this and many other of her films. Also, I found her voice shrill, but hear it a bit differently now that I know that English is not her first language (she came to England as a fleeing Germany where she was already an international star). Fascinating stuff, a great film and good DVD quality.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Try the 1978 version with Helen Mirren, August 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: As You Like it (DVD)

This is not a bad play, but it feels tight. I wanted to see it to compare with the 1978 version with Helen Mirren (just about impossible to find - try Ambrose Video and sit down for the price). The setting is forcefully lush, but feels plastic. My general view is that Shakespeare needs to be "slowed down", performance-wise and most old movies (40-50 years) seem rushed.