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Description
The first Shakespeare film King John was made over a 100 years ago, yet to some people the very idea of putting Shakespeare's plays on to film seems a very suspect one. How can cinema possibly conv...ey the richness and complexity and subtlety of Shakespeare's texts? For some film directors though Shakespeare is the consumate script writer, a playwright whose work lends itself very powerfully and memorably to the big screen. In this programme we'll be looking at some of the notable achievements in the history of Shakespeare on film. Later in the programme we'll be talking to the Polish film maker Roman Polanski about the making of his Macbeth, and we'll also be looking at some scenes from Macbeth recorded in Arizona specially for this programme.
The first Shakespeare film King John was made over a 100 years ago, yet to some people the very idea of putting Shakespeare's plays on to film seems a very suspect one. How can cinema possibly conv...ey the richness and complexity and subtlety of Shakespeare's texts? For some film directors though Shakespeare is the consumate script writer, a playwright whose work lends itself very powerfully and memorably to the big screen. In this programme we'll be looking at some of the notable achievements in the history of Shakespeare on film. Later in the programme we'll be talking to the Polish film maker Roman Polanski about the making of his Macbeth, and we'll also be looking at some scenes from Macbeth recorded in Arizona specially for this programme.
| Module code and title: | AA306, Shakespeare: Text and Performance |
|---|---|
| Item code: | AA306; VC04 |
| Recording date: | 1998 |
| Published: | 1998 |
| Rights Statement: | Rights owned or controlled by The Open University |
| Restrictions on use: | This material can be used in accordance with The Open University conditions of use. A link to the conditions can be found at the bottom of all OUDA web pages. |
| Duration: | 02:29:18 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Jenny Bardwell |
| Contributors: | Stephen Regan; Kiernan Ryan; Sue Wiseman; Orson Welles; Roman Polanski; Francesca Annis; Robert Tree Cody; Rob Wallace; Dennis Alley; Dennis Alley Junior; Mary Fiddler; Ken Duncan Senior; Lizbeth Goodman; Tony Hill; Alex Jennings; Tim Pigott-Smith |
| Publisher: | Open University |
| Subject terms: | English drama - Film adaptations; Television adaptations - History and criticism; English drama - Television adaptations; Film adaptations - History and criticism; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 - Film adaptations; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 - Television adaptations; |
| Footage description: | Different views of the projection booth at Phoenix Theatre cinema, East Finchley. Curtains on cinema screen open to show a black and white film. Stephen Regan in projection booth panning to cinema screen showing Laurence Olivier's film of "Hamlet"; interspersed with Stephen Regan talking to Sue Wiseman and Kiernan Ryan from the stall in the Phoenix theatre cinema. Curtain closes (00:00:51 - 00:04:41) Stephen Regan talking to Sue Wiseman and Kiernan Ryan from the stall in the Phoenix theatre cinema interspersed with stills (00:04:42 - 00:10:25) Footage from Orson Wells' Macbeth interspersed with Stephen Regan talking to Sue Wiseman and Kiernan Ryan from the stall in the Phoenix theatre cinema (00:10:26 -00:12:46) Footage from Orson Wells' Macbeth interspersed with Stephen Regan talking to Sue Wiseman and Kiernan Ryan from the stall in the Phoenix theatre cinema (00:12:47 - 00:24:55) Roman Polanski in his Paris office cleaning a painting. Close-up of painting. Footage from Roman Polanski's Macbeth. Roman Polanski speaking. Poster of Laurence Olivier's Hamlet. Roman Polanski. Pages of Shakespeare's works being turned. Roman Polanski (00:24:56 - 00:27:37) Roman Polanski interspersed with footage from his film "Macbeth" (00:27:38 - 00:29:43) Stephen Regan talking to Kiernan Ryan. Stills. Stephen Regan talking to Kiernan Ryan. Roman Polanski interspersed with footage of Macbeth (00:29:44 - 00:34:17) Black and white still. Roman Polanski interspersed with footage from "Macbeth"(00:34:18 - 00:38:28) Kiernan Ryan with Stephen Regan. Footage of Roman Polanski's "Macbeth". Roman Polanski (00:38:29 -00:40:13) Stephen Regan talking to Sue Wiseman and Kiernan Ryan from the stall in the Phoenix theatre cinema. Stills (00:40:14 - 00:46:33) Shots of native Americans in Arizona. Stephen Regan. Superstition mountain. Robert Tree Cody in traditional costume then riding a horse. Dennis Alley and Dennis Alley Jnr. playing drums and speaking to camera. 2 native American women dancing (00:46:34 - 00:52:13) View of camera crew. Stephen Regan and Robert Tree Cody. Close-up of traditional costume. Native American walking towards the pass the camera holding a spear. Robert Tree Cody riding a horse along a path. Different views of 3 native American children in traditional costume. View of child holding Native American head-dress. Views of native American child in traditional costume. Views of hills at sunset. Native American child as silhouette against darkening sky. Sunset. Native American walking away from camera. Views of a native American standing on a rock (00:52:14 -00:59:19) Views of Times Square, New York. Lizbeth Goodman in Times Square. Tony Hill's "Choices" workshop, views of students participating and the audience (00:59:37 - 01:05:20) Tony Hill interspersed with "Choices workshop" (01:05:21 - 01:14:57) Tony Hill's "Choices workshop". Man operating machine. Man holding camera. Torch shinning on page of script. Blue light moving over audience in workshop. Workshop interspersed with Tony Hill talking (01:14:58 - 01:22:16) Alex Jennings holding gun to audience, surrounded by suitcases. Alex Jennings puts gun in paper bag (01:22:17 - 01:25:37) Pages of Shakespeare text being turned. Tim Pigott-Smith works with 3 RADA students Jamie, Amanda and Alex. Tim Pigott-Smith opens a copy of the first facsimile of Shakespeare and turns pages, 3 students watch. 1 student reads from piece of paper. Tim Pigott-Smith moves table around on stage. Student moves chair to the table and sits. Close-up of Tim Pigott-Smith and student. Various shots of Tim Pigott-Smith and the 3 students. Tim Pigott-Smith sits down. Students swap places. Table and chair moved. Alex stands. Tim Pigott-Smith stands. Amanda. Jamie, Amanda and Alex perform their soliloquies (01:25:52 - 02:29:02) Rushes - BAP20318- INTW. POLANSKI ROMAN BAP20319- cont. BAP20881- 2- PIGOTT-SMITH TIM LEADING READ THROUGHS & DISCUSSION BAP20883- 4- cont. BAP20885- 6- cont. BAP20887- 8- cont. BAP20889- 90- cont. BAP20907- READING PTC BAP20948- 21283- REGAN STEPHEN IN CONVERSATION WITH WISEMAN SUE & RYAN KIERNAN BAP20949- 21284- cont. BAP20950- 21285- cont. BAP20997- VIEWS OF OLIVIER FILM THROUGH PROJECTIONIST'S VIEWPOINT |
| Production number: | FOUA568P |
| Videofinder number: | 5724 |
| Available to public: | yes |
