by Rick

Jan 25, 2000

The director's concept was half-baked. Moving to c. 1900 was OK. But despite the many times in the play where the locale of Athens is cited, this director played it as if it was in Italian. The poster announcing the "Competizione" was in Italian. Kevin Kline's wife is heard speaking in Italian. The badly chosen Italian opera selections didn't do anything except to add to the confusion. Why use as a principal musical theme the Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana? This is a tragically sad piece played before a jealous murder scene. This isn't knowledge that comes from dusty study. A few million people around the world know this, but apparently the director and the guy who did the score didn't talk to any of us. Other filmmakers - Wells, Wertmuller, Zefferelli, even Coppola, Merchant & Ivory - know how to use opera in movies to underline dramatic concepts. Beyond that, the line readings and acting was all over the place. Rupert Everett's Oberon was particularly dull. Underplay is one thing. Murmurring colorful lines for no good reason is quite another. There are some isolated good scenes - the Rustics' play, Bottom's waking scene, and Pfeiffer is good as Titania - but generally the thing is a mess. Too bad. It could have been a good movie in a better director's hands.

 

by Phyllis

Jan 25, 2000

This movie starts out very slowly. We dozed off for the first half. Then it picked up some and there were some funny parts in the last half. The language was sometimes Shakespearean and sometimes not. The costumes were not consistent though very much fantasy in the first half. Puck stole the show. Wait for the rental.

 

by Adam Romberg

Jan 25, 2000

This movie was made for TV. It's good to see it in the theater, but its more suited for TV. Yes, it does start slow, but at the end it picks up, and makes for a great movie. If your a fan of shakespere, go see it now, if not, wait for rental, or go to your local budget theater and see it!

 

by George Jobson

Mar 15, 2004

a strong cast which includes Keviv Kline and Calesta flockhart has recreated the Shakespeare Play inwhich I studied in college. The 1997 version is beautiful to look at, I hope they show in Shakespeare Classes. Which I hope they don't ignore the 1935 version starring Mickey Rooney.