Coriolanus: an examination of a simple man and his place in a duplicitous and corrupt society
Ralph Fiennes, “Coriolanus” (2011) When I was 28 years of age, a mysterious Shakespeare-reading frenzy seized me and before I knew what I was doing, I had…
Shakespearean Films
Chinese and Chinese-language Films
Ye Yan aka Legend of the Black Scorpion aka The Banquet: Chinese adaptation of “Hamlet” is Much Ado About Nothing
Feng Xiaogang, “Ye Yan” aka “Legend of the Black Scorpion” aka “The Banquet” (2006) Source: www.chinese-embassy.org.uk An adaptation of William Shakespeare’s famous revenge play “Hamlet”, this…
Throne of Blood: a fine film let down by truncated plot and mostly sketchy characters
Akira Kurosawa, “Throne of Blood” (1957) Often referred to as an adaptation of the Shakespearean play, “Macbeth”, this historical drama by Kurosawa is a fine film…
Ran: stock characters make this film merely good, not truly great
Akira Kurosawa, “Ran” (1985) “Ran” (“Chaos” or “Revolt”) was Kurosawa’s last attempt at creating and filming an epic historical drama set in Japan’s Kamakura period when feudal…