Scott Palmer: Shakespeare Film Favorites

When times are tough, turn to the Bard!

As many of you know, I’m a dork. A real nerd; especially when it comes to Shakespeare! I have been torturing my entire household for weeks now, returning to some of my favorite Shakespearean classics (and some not-so-classic Shakespearean-influenced shows) to while away the hours in quarantine! To be on the couch watching Shakespeare, or not on the couch but on the floor with a glass of wine – THAT is the question! Here are my favorites, most of which you can find online, on Netflix, or on the YouTubes!

1) Much Ado About Nothing with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson!

Don’t let Keanu Reeves in the list of actors turn you off this delightful, sun-drenched version of the Bard’s greatest battle of the sexes! Kenneth and Emma have REAL chemistry in this film, as Beatrice and Benedick should, and Michael Keaton as Dogberry is among one of my favorite Shakespearean-clown performances on film! Funny, witty, wonderful, and filmed in an absolutely GLORIOUS location, this is my favorite go-to Shakespeare comedy on film.

—Available on Netflix

2) Shakespeare In Love with Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow

Yeah, so, yeah – not actually Shakespeare, but it is the very next best thing. Although I enjoy the performances of Joseph Fiennes as Willy Shakes and Gwyneth Paltrow as his muse, it is actually the HUGE list of the very best British character actors in this film that keeps me coming back for more. (Ignore Ben Affleck – booooring), but Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and DAME JUDI DENCH as Queen Elizabeth all make this movie a balm for the soul. And, add Tom Stoppard, and you have a theatrical hat trick of a movie!

—Available on Amazon Prime for $3.99

3) Titus and The Tempest directed by Julie Taymor

Have to be honest, I didn’t LOVE either of these films, but I LOVE how brave, ridiculous, and energetic Julie Taymor is in her approach to the plays. I mean, come on – Helen Mirren as Prospera? My favorite review of Taymor’s The Tempest is this one: “To be completely honest, the whole thing doesn’t quite work. It’s a bit of a mess, although Mirren is fabulous and fans of the play should still certainly see it. It’s a bold revisioning of the play…” and I completely agree. Much the same could be said for Titus, with truly amazing performances by both Anthony Hopkins as Titus and Jessica Lange as Tamora (my favorite of all the Shakespeare villains!). Neither film is going to win any awards for best film adaptations of the Bard, but they are both well worth a watch for Taymor’s shockingly bold directorial hand, and some truly jaw dropping performances of iconic Shakespearean characters (maybe have a few glasses of something before and during…)

—Titus is available for purchase on DVD or BluRay, and The Tempest is available to rent on Amazon Prime for $2.99

4) The King directed by David Michod

What could be better than having a bunch of Shakespearean history plays crammed into a single movie? Well, having Timothee Chalamet play the iconic Henry V with a bowl haircut, that’s what! I LOVE this movie, but for a somewhat odd reason: I like watching it and trying to figure out which lines and scenes come from which Shakespearean title! Essentially, The King is a mash-up of Shakespeare’s “Henriad” plays – Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2, and Henry V – with a cast of gazillions of great actors playing some of the best roles in all of Shakespeare! Joel Edgerton as Falstaff? Robert Pattison as the French Dauphin? Bring it on! O, for a muse of fire, friends! Totally worth a watch or two!

—Available on Netflix

5) Forbidden Planet directed by Fred Wilcox

Ok, ok. I know. Forbidden Planet on a list of Shakespeare films? Well, YES, actually! This hilariously campy sci-fi film from the late 1950s is, in fact, inspired by Shakespeare’s last play, The Tempest! A ridiculous spacecraft travels to the distant planet Altair IV to discover the fate of a group of scientists sent there decades earlier. When Commander John J. Adams (played by the hilarious Leslie Nielsen) and his crew arrive, they discover only two people: Dr. Morbius (Walter Pidgeon) and his daughter, Altaira (Anne Francis), who was born on the remote planet. Soon, Adams begins to uncover the mystery of what happened on Altair IV, and why Morbius and Altaira are the sole survivors…. This movie is campy, dorky, and sooo bad that it is a true CLASSIC of science fiction film-making. Did I mention Leslie Nielsen is in it??? Genius!

—Forbidden Planet is on Amazon Prime, Apple iTunes, and can even be watched in its entirety on YouTube!