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Tragedy
A modernized retelling of William Shakespeare's Othello, O changes its setting to an elite private school in the American South. Odin (Mekhi Phifer) is the only black student at Palmetto Grove and also the star basketball player, with hopes of reaching the NBA. A popular student, he is dating Desi Brable (Julia Stiles), the daughter of the school's dean (John Heard), and they are deeply devoted to each other despite their different backgrounds. His best friend Hugo (Josh Hartnett) is a starter on the basketball team, and the son of the hard-driving coach Duke Goulding (Martin Sheen), who considers Odin as much his son as Hugo. Hugo is jealous of Odin's widespread popularity, so he hatches a scheme to ruin Odin's reputation with the help of Roger (Elden Henson), his rich roommate who will do anything to be popular and get Desi's attention. Through carefully planned revenge, he begins to make Odin believe that Desi is carrying out an affair with teammate Michael (Andrew Keegan). As Odin begins to receive merely coincidental signs to prove it, he begins to slowly lose his grounding and turns to Hugo for help, not knowing that he is being set up. As the basketball season comes to a close, Odin's jealousy begins to consume him, resulting in the loss of everything he cares about the most. O was sometime actor Tim Blake Nelson's directorial follow-up to his well-received debut Eye of God. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mekhi Phifer, Josh Hartnett, (more)
Antigone's efforts to arrange the burial of her brother Polyneices are captured in this video featuring Amy Greenfield's version of Sophocles' play. Dance steps and narrative combine as Antigone reveals her singular bravery and commitment. The treachery surrounding Polyneices' death and the threatening behavior of King Creon provide the drama to this story. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Greenfield, Bertram Ross, (more)
One of William Shakespeare's most powerful comedies has been given a bold cinematic adaptation in this film version of The Merchant of Venice. Bassanio (Joseph Fiennes) is a young and vital member of the aristocratic classes in 16th century Italy; however, Bassanio's impulsive nature and lavish lifestyle have put him deeply in debt, and he will need at least the pretense of a fortune if he is to win the hand of the beautiful Portia (Lynn Collins). Bassanio turns to his close friend Antonio (Jeremy Irons), a successful businessman, for financial help, but with much of his fortune tied up in a sailing expedition, Antonio can do little to help him. To help Bassanio, Antonio turns to Shylock (Al Pacino), a Jewish money lender who lives in Venice's Semetic ghetto. Antonio has often expressed his contempt for Shylock, who charges high rates for his loans, and Shylock clearly seems pleased at the ironic prospect of having Antonio as a customer; however, instead of interest, Shylock demands an unusual security on his loan -- though Shylock demands no interest, if Antonio does not repay the three thousand ducats in three months, Shylock will be entitled to a pound of his flesh. This version of The Merchant of Venice was directed by Michael Radford, best known for the international hit Il Postino, and was shot on locations in Venice and Luxembourg. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, (more)
One of William Shakespeare's lesser-known plays, Titus Andronicus was staged in New York by award-winning theatrical director Julie Taymor in an acclaimed 1995 production, before her widely praised Broadway version of The Lion King. Taymor revisits that production for her first motion picture, with the addition of a star-studded cast. Roman General Titus Andronicus (Anthony Hopkins) has returned from defeating the Goths in a bloody battle, but the victory has left him with mixed feelings, as the war took the lives of several of his sons. Titus is reminded by his first-born son Lucius (Angus Macfadyen) that their faith demands the sacrifice of an enemy prisoner as a gift to the gods for their victory. Titus chooses the eldest son of Tamora (Jessica Lange), the Queen of the Goths, who has since been taken hostage by Titus's troops. Tamora pleads for her son's life, but Titus goes ahead with the sacrifice. She then becomes the lover of the new emperor of Rome, Saturninus (Alan Cumming), a weak-willed and corrupt man. Tamora uses her connection to the throne for her own ends: in retaliation for the death of her son, Tamora and her surviving sons, Chiron (Jonathan Rhys Myers) and Demetrius (Matthew Rhys), brutally rape Titus's beloved daughter, Lavinia (Laura Fraser). This act sets in motion an ever-tightening spiral of revenge and retaliation that leaves few of the participants unscathed. The supporting cast includes Colm Feore as Marcus, Harry Lennix as Aaron, and James Frain as Bassianus. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, (more)
One of the great stories of doomed love is given a new screen interpretation in this historical drama. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, King Donnchadh (David O'Hara) of Ireland has become the de facto ruler of England, but one of his underlings, Lord Marke (Rufus Sewell), dreams of uniting British forces with an eye toward self-rule. One of Marke's most valuable allies is Tristan (James Franco), Marke's protégé, who has become a brave warrior since he was rescued by the lord after his parents were murdered by Irish forces during a battle. While Marke and Tristan dream of banishing Ireland's presence in England, Tristan has a secret he's been hiding from Marke -- after suffering serious wounds during a hard-fought battle, he was rescued and nursed back to health by Isolde (Sophia Myles), King Donnchadh's daughter, and the two fell deeply in love. But the couple were separated after Tristan returned to England, and when King Donnchadh attempts to quell the British uprising by staging a tournament among the nation's greatest warriors, with an extreme and rather personal surprise in store for Tristan.
Tristan & Isolde was directed by Kevin Reynolds, and produced in part by Ridley Scott, who attempted to bring the story to the screen back in the 1970s. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Tristan & Isolde was directed by Kevin Reynolds, and produced in part by Ridley Scott, who attempted to bring the story to the screen back in the 1970s. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Franco, Sophia Myles, (more)
Steven Soderbergh followed up his slick, star-studded sequel, Ocean's Twelve, with Bubble, a small-town drama about workers in a doll factory, played by a cast of unknowns. Martha (Debbie Doebereiner) seems to have acclimated herself to a very simple life. She works at the factory, where she eats lunch with a younger co-worker, Kyle (Dustin Ashley), and goes home to take care of her elderly father. Her routine is disrupted when an attractive young woman, Rose (Misty Wilkins), is hired at the factory to help them with the holiday rush. Rose soon tells the others that she's eager to leave their town, where there is "nothing to do." She immediately attracts Kyle's attention. One night, Rose asks Martha to baby-sit for her two-year-old daughter while she goes out on a date. Martha is startled to learn that her date is with Kyle. When Rose returns home that night, she's greeted by her angry ex-boyfriend, Jake (K. Smith), who accuses her of stealing from him. Martha looks on while Rose and Jake have a heated confrontation. The next morning, one of the characters is found murdered, and a detective (played by Decker Moody) begins to investigate. Bubble was written by Coleman Hough, who also scripted Soderbergh's Full Frontal. It was shown at the 2005 New York Film Festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Debbie Doebereiner, Dustin Ashley, (more)
At least the 22nd time William Shakespeare's most famous tragedy has been brought to the screen, Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of Hamlet was the first to preserve Shakespeare's entire text, uncut and unabridged. Moving the action into the 19th century, Branagh cast himself in the title role and, as in his adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, assembled an eclectic group of actors that mixed veteran Shakespearean performers (including John Mills, Judi Dench, John Gielgud, and Derek Jacobi) with Hollywood stars not known for interpreting the Bard's work (among them Robin Williams, Charlton Heston, Billy Crystal, and Jack Lemmon). However, unlike most interpretations, it's the women who really carry the show, with the two best performances delivered by Kate Winslet as Ophelia and Julie Christie as Gertrude. As usual, Hamlet finds himself torn over what to do after the death of his father and his mother's hasty remarriage. Branagh's version of Hamlet was also notable on a technical level, as it was filmed in the 70-mm format for increased visual clarity and detail. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Attenborough, Kenneth Branagh, (more)
Kevin Kline directed this television adaptation of the New York Shakespeare Festival's 1990 production of Shakespeare's most famous tragedy, in which Kline also stars as the melancholy Danish prince. Deeply saddened by the death of his father, Hamlet (Kline) is shocked to discover his mother, Queen Gertrude (Dana Ivey), has already taken a new husband, Claudius (Brian Murray), the brother of the late King. Visited by the shade of his late father, Hamlet is told that Claudius rose to his new status through murder, and the son is soon torn over what action he should take; meanwhile, Ophelia (Diane Venora) descends into madness. This adaptation of Hamlet was originally produced for PBS, where it first aired in 1990. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Director Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was touted at the time of its release (successfully, if the box-office receipts are any indication), as something of a "youth trip" movie. This is because Zeffirelli broke the long-standing tradition of casting over-aged, sometimes grey-haired players in the title roles. Seventeen-year-old Leonard Whiting plays Romeo, with 15-year-old Olivia Hussey as Juliet. The youthfulness and inexperience of the leading players works beautifully in the more passionate sequences (some of these breaking further ground by being played in the nude). Among the younger players are Michael York as Tybalt and John McEnery as Mercutio. The duel between Romeo and Tybalt starts out as a harmless, frat-boy exchange of insults, then escalates into tragedy before any of the participants are fully aware of what has happened. Photographed by Pasqualino DeSantis on various locations in Italy, Romeo and Juliet was one of the most profitable film adaptations of Shakespeare ever produced. Its most lasting legacy is its popular main theme music, composed by Nino Rota. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Olivia Hussey, Leonard Whiting, (more)
- 1996
- PG13
- AddWilliam Shakespeare's Romeo + Julietto QueueAddWilliam Shakespeare's Romeo + Julietto top of Queue
The classic Shakespearean romantic tragedy is updated by director Baz Luhrmann to a post-modern Verona Beach where swords are merely a brand of gun and bored youths are easily spurred toward violence. Longtime rivals in religion and business, the Montagues and the Capulets share a page from the Jets and Sharks of West Side Story when they form rival gangs. Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio) is aloof toward the goings-on of his Montague cousins, but after he realizes that Juliet (Claire Danes) is a Capulet at the end of one very wild party, the enmity between the two clans becomes the root of his angst. He relies heavily -- and with serious consequences -- on his rebel gender-bender of a friend, Mercutio (Harold Perrineau Jr.), and Father (not Friar) Lawrence (Pete Postlethwaite) for protection and support. Romeo is, of course, exiled, and it looks like Juliet will be forced into an arranged marriage with the bland Paris (Paul Rudd). It ends, as Romeo and Juliet must, when Romeo hears a tragic piece of misinformation and brings his suicide wish to what was meant to be Juliet 's temporary tomb. This time, though, the turf and the weapon of choice have taken a turn toward the surreal. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, (more)
Presented by Kultur video, this performance of Umberto Giordano's four-act French Revolution romance Andrea Chénier was performed at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. Directed by Michael Hampe, this special production features opera greats Plácido Domingo, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, and Giorgio Zancanaro, with Julius Rudel conducting. ~ Dana Rowader, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Plácido Domingo, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, (more)
Yiorgos Tzavellas wrote and directed this award-winning attempt at reimagining the classic tragedy by Sophocles as an actual motion picture rather than simply filming the play, as was common in Greek adaptations of theatrical productions since the late '20s. Manos Katrakis received widespread acclaim for his performance as Creon, who becomes King of Thebes after both of Oedipus' sons kill each other in a duel to determine ascension to the throne following his death. Creon orders the body of one son, Polynices, be left above ground, but the dead man's sister, Antigone (Irene Papas in an award-winning star turn), disobeys the new king and gives her brother a semi-proper burial by sprinkling him with dust. As punishment, Antigone is buried alive in a tomb despite her engagement to Creon's son Haemon (Nikos Kazis). Creon's mind is changed by Teiresias (Tzavalas Karoussos), a prophet who explains that leaving Polynices unburied sullies the realm of the gods. Unfortunately, by the time Creon gets around to burying Polynices and freeing Antigone, the poor girl has hanged herself in her tomb. This leads Creon's son to commit suicide as well, followed by the suicide of his own wife. Plagued with misery and guilt, the broken Creon abdicates the throne, crushed by the tragic chain of events that he had unwittingly set in motion. One of the best Greek productions of the 1960s, and highly recommended for students of classical Greek tragedy on film, Antigoni co-stars Maro Kondou, Ilya Livikou, Yiannis Argiris, and Theodoros Moridis. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
Adapted by French playwright Jean Anouilh from the Sophocles original, Antigone was originally produced onstage in 1942, while France was under German occupation, and the production is set in modern times. As the film begins, we discover that after the death of Oedipus, king of Thebes, his sons Polynices and Eteocles had agreed to share the responsibility of ruling Thebes. Unfortunately, this situation did not work out, resulting in a war that left both brothers dead and the throne being grabbed by their uncle, Creon (played by Fritz Weaver). Creon has buried Eteocles but has refused a burial for Polynices, ordering that his body be left as carrion for the birds; he further issues an order that anyone burying Polynices will be put to death. Antigone (Genevieve Bujold), sister of the two dead brothers, defies this order, and is brought before Creon. The bulk of the film consist of a long confrontation between the uncle and his niece, during which Creon tries to find why Antigone willingly and knowingly disobeyed him, and revealing that her brothers has unbeknownst to her spent years trying to kill her beloved father. Although stunned by these revelations, Antigone does not renounce her actions and is led to her death, though she no longer knows what she is dying for. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Like other productions of Antony and Cleopatra, this 1974 version assumes that the audience is familiar with events that took place before Mark Antony's affair in Egypt with Cleopatra. These events include the assassination of Julius Caesar and the formation of a ruling Roman triumvirate of Mark Antony, Octavius Caesar and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. When the armies of the triumvirate track down the armies of the assassins during a civil war, Egypt refuses to participate on the triumvirate's side. Antony summons Queen Cleopatra to Tarsus, Cicilia (present-day Turkey), to explain Egypt's position. But Antony falls in love with her and returns with her to Alexandria, Egypt. Shakespeare's play -- and thus the film -- begins there, in Alexandria. Captivated by Cleopatra's (Janet Suzman) beauty and charm, Antony (Richard Johnson) dallies in Egypt, forgetting his duties as soldier and statesman, until he receives word that his wife, Fulvia, has died and that Rome is on the brink of a new civil war, this time against Sextus Pompeius, the son of the late Pompey the Great. After Antony returns to Rome, Octavius (Corin Redgrave) berates him for neglecting affairs of state. However, they reconcile after Antony agrees to marry Octavius' sister, Octavia (Mary Rutherford). Upon hearing of the marriage, Cleopatra becomes enraged. Meanwhile, the triumvirs -- Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus make peace with Pompeius. Then Antony, accompanied by his new wife, goes to Athens to take command of Roman armies fighting the Parthians. Taking advantage of Antony's absence, the ambitious Octavius defeats Pompeius in a new war, deposes Lepidus, and consolidates his power. Angry, Antony sends his wife, Octavia, to Rome to protest. Meanwhile, still in love with Cleopatra, Antony returns to Egypt and resumes his affair with the alluring queen. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro) is literally what its title suggests: a retelling of the "Orpheus and Eurydice" legend enacted by black performers. This time the setting is the annual Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Orpheus (Breno Mello) is a streetcar conductor; Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn) has just jilted her lover and is attempting to escape his wrath. Orpheus himself falls in love with Eurydice, whereupon her ex-lover, disguised as the Angel of Death shows up and kills Eurydice. To reclaim his lost love, Orpheus enters "Hell" (the Rio morgue) and uses supernatural methods to revive the dead girl. A multi-award winner on the international film scene, Black Orpheus features a samba musical score by Luiz Bonfa and Antonio Carlos Jobim. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn, (more)
Directed by Craig Lahiff, Black and White is a story about bigotry, social injustice, and a real-life murder trial that made Australian headlines in the late '50s. On a December afternoon in 1958, the body of a nine-year-old white girl is discovered in a cave off the coast of Southern Australia. Detective Paul Turner (Roy Billing) quickly arrests a half-aboriginal fair-worker named Max Stuart (David Ngoombujarra), who signs a confession. However, being that Max is illiterate, the legitimacy of the confession is contested by his legal aid representatives, David O'Sullivan (Robert Carlyle) and Helen Devaney (Kerry Fox). Despite the questionable confession, Max is found guilty by the all-white, all-male jury, and sentenced to be hanged. O'Sullivan lodges a series of appeals, but no conclusive evidence of Max's guilt or innocence has been found to this day. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Carlyle, Charles Dance, (more)
Choreographed by Roland Petit, ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov teams up with ZiZi Jeanmaire in this 1980 version of Carmen. Interestingly enough, Petit starred along side Jeanmaire in the original 1949 ballet performance with great success.
~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
Delius' masterwork is transported into a modern setting in a contemporized adaptation from filmmaker Petr Weigl. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A masterpiece of Japanese New Wave cinema, renowned filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda directs this brilliant modernist reworking of a famous 1720 bunraku (puppet theater) play written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. Set in Osaka in the 18th century, the film centers on the doomed romance between Jihei (Kichiemon Nakamura), a down and out married paper merchant passionately in love with doe-eyed courtesan Koharu (Shima Iwashita), whom he cannot afford to buy out of servitude. Koharu herself has also fallen in love with Jihei; she even starts turning away other patrons to be with him. Their love is further imperiled by Tahei (Hosei Komatsu), a rich, obnoxious merchant who flaunts his ability to buy Koharu's indenture. Suicide is the only way for the two to be together. Jihei's wife Osan (also played by Iwashita) senses the couple's intent and writes Koharu a letter pleading for his life. Touched by the sincerity of the letter, Koharu feigns reservations with killing herself, prompting Jihei to tearfully renounce her. Later, as Jihei skulks about the house as his wife runs the family business, he overhears that Tahei has at last bought his former lover's contract. Knowing that Koharu would just as soon kill herself, Osan -- the ideal of the dutiful wife -- offers Jihei her kimonos to pawn to save her husband's lover. Just as everything seems to be working out for the better, Osan's misinformed father bursts in just before Jihei is about to leave. The enraged old man cannot believe that Jihei is sacrificing his family for a prostitute and drags Osan away, demanding a divorce over Osan's protestations. Later, Jihei and Koharu--together at last--steal into the night, cut their hair -- absolving them from societal obligations -- and make love all night in a graveyard before they commit double suicide. This film won the prestigious Kinema Jumpo "Number One" prize for both Best Picture and Best Actresses. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kichiemon Nakamura, Shima Iwashita, (more)
Two years before director Derek Jarman died of AIDS, he directed this extremely ambitious variation on Christopher Marlowe's 16th-century play. While Marlowe is the root of this film, Jarman has taken a great deal of leeway with the manner of presentation. The story revolves around King Edward's open homosexuality, which eventually led to his murder and succession. Instead of lush historical settings, the film uses bare walls and dirt floors and puts the cast into smart suits. This "staginess" works to the advantage of Jarman's design, and he takes every opportunity to anachronize. (For example, Annie Lennox shows up to provide a lovely rendition of Cole Porter's "Every Time We Say Goodbye".) A striking film, and a high point of Jarman's career. ~ John Voorhees, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Waddington, Andrew Tiernan, (more)
This excellent adaptation by Michael Cacoyannis of the famous tragedy by Euripides garnered him his first international success and an award at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival. Irene Papas plays Electra, the daughter of King Agememnon and sister of Orestes, caught up in an uncontrollable need for revenge. After the king returns from the battlefield, Clytemestra (his wife) joins with her lover in murdering the hapless ruler while he bathes. Orestes is sent away immediately, and Electra is left to simmer in her growing hatred of her mother until one day, she and Orestes manage to get together and hatch a scheme to avenge Agememnon's death. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Irene Papas, Yannis Fertis, (more)
Most movies are composed of many small snippets of film which are spliced together, connected by "wipes," and "dissolves" and any number of other clever techniques which move the eye (and the story) from one piece of film to the next without being too obtrusive. Renowned Hungarian director Miklos Jancso has instead shot this film recounting the classical story of Electra's revenge in about nine long "takes." This is a technical feat of some magnitude; it is all the more remarkable because he makes it seem perfectly natural to the story, which is told in an allegorical and highly symbolic fashion, mixing primitive Greek settings with modern ones. In it, the woman Electra seeks vengeance for the murder of her father. Due to the highly abstract form of storytelling used, this film might best be appreciated by those who have studied or have knowledge of the original Greek myth on which it is based. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mari Töröcsik, Jozsef Madaras, (more)
Faust was the mammoth German production which won F. W. Murnau his contract with Hollywood's Fox Studios. Emil Jannings glowers his way through the role of Mephistopholes, who offers the aging Faust (Gosta Eckman) an opportunity to relive his youth, the price being Faust's soul. Though highly stylized, the film is unsettlingly realistic at times, especially during the execution of the unfortunate Gretchen. Even in old age, actress Camilla Horn could recall how close she came to genuine immolation when Murnau burned her at the stake. An American version of Faust had been planned earlier as a Mary Pickford vehicle, but Pickford's mother wanted no part of a film in which her darling daughter strangled her own baby. The scenario for Faust touches lightly upon the previous retellings by Goethe and Marlowe, but is more heavily reliant on the paintings of Pietr Breughel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gösta Ekman, Emil Jannings, (more)
This production of Umberto Giordano's Fedora, stars Mirella Freni in the title role, and offers performances by Ainhoa Artera, Dwayne Croft, and Placido Domingo. This production was stages with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus under the direction of conductor Roberto Abbado. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Although criticized by Shakespeare devotees upon its release because of director, producer, and star Laurence Olivier's decision to excise large portions of the text, his cinematic version of Hamlet is widely considered the best out of several dozens (and counting). Hamlet (Olivier) is a medieval Danish prince who's still melancholy over the sudden death of his father and the quick, subsequent remarriage of his mother, Queen Gertrude (Eileen Herlie) to his uncle, Claudius (Basil Sydney). Informed by the ghost of his father that Claudius murdered him, Hamlet schemes to take revenge. Unsure how best to proceed, his delays and the horrible secret burdening him eventually lead to the violent snuffing out of several lives in both his family and that of courtier Polonius (Felix Aylmer), whose daughter Ophelia (Jean Simmons) is in love with Hamlet. Greatly influenced by the inventive camera work in Citizen Kane (1941) and by modern, psychological reinterpretations of Shakespeare's play, Olivier's masterpiece was the winner of four Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Actor (Olivier), Best Black and White Art Direction/Set Direction and Best Black and White Costume Design. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Olivier, Eileen Herlie, (more)
