A Midsummer Night's Dream | Judi Dench, Donald Eccles

A Midsummer Night's Dream | Judi Dench, Donald Eccles | Sentimental value and a look back

DVDs:

A Midsummer Night'...

	A Midsummer Night's Dream Judi Dench, Donald Eccles Water Bearer Films,, 2005 average customer review:based on 13 reviews view larger image
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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM is one fo Shakespeare's earliest comedies yet still resounds with the brilliance and charm of his later works. Directed by Peter Hall using THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE ACADEMY's cast of actors, this 1968 version is one of the wittiest and wildest of all versions to be produced. Hermia (Helen Mirren) is in love with Lysander (David Warner) but are forbidden to marry. Together they set off into the enchanted wood to live together in happiness. Unknown to them, the couple is followed by Demetrius (Michael Jayston) who loves Hermia. Demtrius in turn is followed by Helena (Diana Rig) for she is in love with him. Their collective adventures are further compounded by the inhabitants of the wood the Faeries. Oberon (Ian Richardson) and Titania (Judi Dench), the King and Queen of the Faeries, helped by Oberon's servant Puck (Ian Holm), cast the lovers into turmoil through their magic and their own jealousies. With its cast of great performers, this film version of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM is a hilarious and tremendous production of one of the Bard's greatest work. A must have for all fans of Shakespeare.

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A naked Judi Dench

An independent film Directed by Peter Hall and The Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon. This is one of those gems that allow many famous personalities of the time to display a little culture.

There are many fun facets of this film; right off we notice all the actors in a much earlier version. Who would have thought that Judi Dench was once so cute? And Helen Mirren before she was queen. Each version of midsummer Night's Dream displays a different star cast; and also to our advantage displays a different emphasis and dialog of William Shakespeare.

Then there is the negative side. Look closely and it looks like an Italian film with English dubbing; the words and voices are not quite in sync. The cameraman is the one that filmed "The Blare Witch."

Believe it or not it is better the second time through.
This film is a must for the collector.

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Sentimental value and a look back

I first saw this film in 16mm format when I was taking Shakespeare in college in 1980. I liked it so much that every year after I would find out when the class was showing it just to go see it. The film's image onscreen was always rich, lush, and filled with color. At the time aside from Diana Rigg and a couple of others, I didn't know who many of the actors were. Now, looking back 27 years later after many of them like Judy Dench and Helen Mirren have had such distinguished careers, it is really amazing to look back on it now and see them when they were so young etc.

The reason I bought the dvd was because it's the only way I can go back and see it now. Having seen a real film print in excellent condition, I can verify that unfortunately as one other reviewer said, the print is washed out and the colors faded, and while the overall image is clean, the film's imperfections are apparent. The whole thing could benefit from a better print and digital remastering. If you're just looking for a film version of this play, then you may be better off with more recent releases. However if you can get past the imperfections and have a keen interest, then it's a great way to look back in time at many of these fine British actors.

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Yes, the quality is poor, but......!

Yes, the quality is poor, but as an English teacher, who has watched almost every available video version in the past three weeks, this was the most faithful representation by far! I can't show it in class, but there is nothing more satisfying than seeing young Dame Judy brazen and lovely enough to pull off a nude Titania and seeing the lovely, elegant woman she is now. This is also the only version I have seen, so far, that portrays Hippolyta as the strong, amazon she is supposed to be! Hurrah for the brits, who don't have any problem keeping the complexity of the relationship between Theseus and Hippolyta! The trappings of the sixties just made it more of a romp! I would really rent this, the quality is absolutely terrible. I am sure I have caught snippets of a much better copy on television at some point, if I had known what a must see it was, I would have recorded it then. Rent it, watch it, love it for its kookiness and know that the Bard would have really appreciated it!

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Shakespeare's MidSummer Nights Dream

I love Shakespeare's work in most of its incarnations. This version of A Midsummer Night's Dream was purchased to show at a retirement community to celebrate the summer solstice - there were several to pick from and this one with a very young Judi Dench and Helen Mirren seemed the most worthy. I was disappointed on first glimpse at the poor color quality and the dated costuming which was based on the late-60s / early 70s style. Men had Beatles type bowl haircuts, women wore thigh-high black boots and mini skirts. That was my era - it's a dated look now.

The second disappiontment was the too-rapid delivery of the lines combined with very little expressive body gesture. It seemed the performers proffered the canto without wanting to impose their personas on the sacred words. Actually, it is the inhabiting of the character by the actor that brings Shakespeare to life. He did write for common folk, not exclusively for elitists, so overt physical gestures make sense. I wanted to see the actors really become those folks in the play.

Compare with a recent version starring David Straitharn, Stanley Tucci, Calista Flockhart, Michelle Pfeiffer and others. They really flesh out the physicality of their parts, and are believable despite the far-fetched nature of the story. That was the well-received version I showed to my seniors.

I did not finish watching this one - it was just too wooden.
Still, you do get to see a naked Judi Dench - which did not save it; on the contrary, that little touch was completely unnecessary and only distracted. I give it a C.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

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