King Lear

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Starring: Barbara Flynn; Ian Holm; Amanda Redman; Paul Rhys; David Lyon; Victoria Hamilton; Adrian Irvine; Michael Simkins; Finbar Lynch
Rated: Unrated
Type: DVD
Directed By: Richard Eyre
Studio: WGBH Boston
Release Date: 2004-09-28
Running Time: 150 minutes
This spectacular film version of the award-winning Royal National Theatre production of King Lear stars the immensely celebrated actor Ian Holm. Critics used every superlative imaginable to acclaim Holm's performance in King Lear when it was first staged. The Sunday Times called his performance, "Timelessly classical, harrowingly modern and unforgettable," and The Evening Standard wrote: "Holm's triumph is indisputable total." The Royal National Theatre production of the Shakespeare classic has now won the award for Best Actor (Ian Holm) and Best Director (Richard Eyre) in the Evening Standard Awards, the London Theatre Critics Award and The Laurence Olivier Awards. Lear, King of Britain, has three daughters: Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. Intending to divide his kingdom among his daughters according to their affection for him, he asks them to say which loves him most. Goneril and Regan profess their extreme affection, and each receives one-third of the kingdom. Cordelia, disgusted with their hollow flattery, says she loves him according to her duty, no more or less. Infuriated with this reply, Lear divides her portion between Goneril and Regan. Eventually the two daughters reveal their true heartlessness and a tragic chain of events are set into motion.

Missing Close Captioning
Since my hearing is pretty bad - even with hearing aids - I depend on sub-titles and/or close captioning. This DVD was described as having CC but it didn't so I could not understand the dialog.

Ian Holm did it First
Long before Ian McKellan bared his bod on the stage as King Lear, Ian Holm did it in this production. Although the Olivier Lear is probably the best known, this one is very, very good. We recommend it to all Shakespeare buffs and English majors.

Terrific
When I read that Lear would be played by Ian Holm, I was shocked.

Ian Holm??????????? That tiny man who always plays mousy nebbishes?

Bilbo Baggins????

Well, I am happy to report I was wrong.

Somehow, Holm manages to appear 7 feet tall and has ferocity and bluster to burn.

He is wonderful: he has fury, terrifying rage, delicacy, mordancy, sadness, waiflike pitifulness. All the things Lear should have.

The other actors are good-to-great, too.

The only bad thing about this production is the sets. It is essentially a filmed play, so the sets are usually a red-draped room with a table.

After all the lavish sets for Shakespeare by Branagh et al., I guess I got spoiled.

However, the acting and direction are thrilling.

Ion Holm's Great
King Lear is a difficult part because of the old age of Lear. The energy that Ion Holm put into this part is outstanding. Great preformances in all of the cast.

No Nuance
This is a production totally without nuance and its owes that to the bellowing of Ian Holm. Holm as Lear bellows at the beginning. he bellows in the middle. And he belows at the end. Lear bellows when he is dividing teh kingdom. he bellows then he rejects Cordelia. he bellows when he realises that he has been betrayed by Goneriel and Regan. The character presented as Lear is entirely one dimensional. Any change of circumstance or emotion is presented as more bellowing. There is no tragedy in this production because there is no change in Lear from beginning to end.

This DVD is not worth buying.