A Midsummer Night's Dream

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Imagine a work by Shakespeare reduced to one of those pretty, glossy coffee-table picture books that have only a dollop of text alongside its sumptuous photographs, and you might have Michael Hoffman's adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. This all-star version of Shakespeare's comedy is gorgeously shot in Tuscany, complete with a magical forest, breathtaking landscapes, beautiful villas, picturesque villages, stunning period costumes--oh wait, there's supposed to be a story here, too! Hoffman hijacks Shakespeare's basic premise but doesn't instill it with much more than surface shine and transplants it to turn-of-the-century Italy. Ergo, it's left up to the actors to find the heart and soul of this classic play, in which the fairies of the forest play mix and match with four young lovers, courtesy of a magical love potion. Hoffman couldn't ask for better (or better looking) actors to play Shakespeare's dreamlike love games--Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart, Christian Bale, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Kline, Anna Friel, Dominic West, the list goes on and on--but he sure as heck doesn't know what to do with them, aside from putting them in various states of undress. Only Flockhart (as the lovestruck Helena), Tucci (a sprightly Puck), Pfeiffer (dazzling and funny as the queen of the fairies), and especially the sublime Kline (as weaver-turned-donkey Bottom) seem to connect with their characters in ways that make this adaptation occasionally soar; the rest are inexplicably left to flounder. Hoffman does seem to set himself right with the film's climax, when Bottom's amateur acting troupe hilariously enacts the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe (it helps that the troupe includes Roger Rees, Sam Rockwell, and Bill Irwin). Those searching for a more in-depth exploration of Shakespeare's farce might do better to look elsewhere, but if it's gorgeous actors and scenery you're in the mood for (along with an evocative opera soundtrack), and an all's-well-that-ends-well ending, this Midsummer Night will give you pleasant if weightless dreams. --Mark Englehart

Description

A stellar cast, headed by Michelle Pfeiffer and Kevin Kline, bring Shakespeare's romantic comedy to life. When two pairs of star-crossed lovers, a feuding pair of supernatural sprites and a love potion gone awry all come together in an enchanted moonlit forest, the result is a delightful mix of merriment and magic. Also starring Calista Flockhart, Stanley Tucci and Rupert Everett.

Customer Reviews:

Visually stunning, well acted........2007-07-12

I'm a big fan of Shakespear movies, simply because I like hearing the dialogue rather that reading it. Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer and Stanley Tucci are superb and pull off their parts with mastery. The set is absulutely gorgeous with whimsical woodland scenes, making you wish you could actually visit such a place. The end scene with Kevin Kline stumbling thru a horrible play is definitely the best part of this adaptation, but all scenes are very well acted and directed. The only thing stopping this from getting 5 stars id the presence of Calista Flockhart, I'm not a big fan, and her chracter is somwhat annoying. All things considered, this is my second favorite movie adaptation of Shakespeare, after "The Merchant of Venice" (Pacino Rules).

Disliked it five years ago, still don't like it today!.......2007-06-13

Saw this when it first came out and hated it; watching it again, in hopes of using it in a class, and again I find it tedious and uninspired. It has all the right parts, in terms of actors (though I must confess to disliking Stanley Tucci's Puck), but the conception is busy, pretentious, and sadly missing the spirit of the play! As another reviewer said, if you haven't read much Shakespeare or seen much on stage, you may like this film. If you have read Shakes, and seen good stagings of this and other plays, you'll find it to be two very tedious hours. I still think I"ll use part of it in class, though, in comparison with at least one other filmed stage performance (the Royal Shakespeare Company's), just to spur discussion about updating and interpreting Shakespeare!

The Director Turned A Simple Play Into Something Amazing!!!.......2007-05-31

We first began to read Midsummer Night's Dream in school a few days ago. Then we watched the beginning of the movie (this one). I found the play extremely bland to read. The actors brought it to life! The director was best though, using modern items while keeping all the original text from Shakespeare, nothing has been orally changed. This movie is PG-13 but only idiots would hold it from anyone over 10.

Amazing version, Great for Classroom.......2007-05-09

This is a great supplement for anyone teaching Shakespeare Comedies. The acting is supperb and the sets bring the story to life. It is great seeing American actors trying their hand with the Bard's craft and doing it well.

A Midsummer Night's Entertainment.......2007-05-06

This film adaptation of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is a star-studded and workable translation of the original play. It has a movie's freedom of action with respect to sets. The story moves easily from a Duke's luxurious Italian villa being prepared for a wedding, to a forest where two sets of lovers undergo a comedy of mistaken emotions thanks to feuding among groups of ethereal spirits, to the small town outside the villa where a group of workers is preparing a play to present at the wedding. The sets are sumptious, attractive to the eye, and suitable to the story.

The cast is truly star-studded, all with very solid movie credentials, although few with real chops for a Shakespeare play. Kevin Kline easily steals the show as the hapless Bottom, an over-the-top actor who is bewitched by the spirit Puck (played with mischevious good humor by Stanley Tucci) into a love affair with the Queen of the Fairies (played by Michelle Pfeiffer). Rupert Everett is solid as a spirit who while in search of revenge on the Queen unleashes much of the magical mayhem in the forest. Calista Flockheart seems least up to par as an hysterical Helena, one of the star-crossed lovers in the forest,

Perhaps the best portion of the movie is the play within a play, as Kevin Kline and his ham-handed fellow troupers struggle to put together their play. The audience cannot help but feel sympathy as they wrestle with lack of talent, uncooperative sets, and the unintended consequences of improvisation. Their determination is rewarded by an unorthodox but ultimately successful presentation that earns them the sincere compliments of the Duke.

This movie is recommended to fans of Shakespeare who are prepared to forgive the uneven efforts of a large troup of actors for an ultimately entertaining story.

Shakespeare Collection (Hamlet 1996 / A Midsummer Night's Dream 1935 / Othello 1965 / Romeo & Juliet 1936)

Average customer rating:

what's high-brow?
Looks Interesting
Warners continues to go highbrow with this new boxed set

Shakespeare Collection (Hamlet 1996 / A Midsummer Night's Dream 1935 / Othello 1965 / Romeo & Juliet 1936)
Starring: Kenneth Branagh , and Laurence Olivier
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000QC6O98
Release Date: 2007-08-14

Description

HAMLET: "Hamlet has the kind of power, energy and excitement that movies can truly exploit," award-winning actor/director Kenneth Branagh says. In this first-ever full-text film of William Shakespeare's greatest work, the power surges through every scene. The timeless tale of murder, corruption and revenge is reset in an opulent 19th-century world, using sprawling Blenheim Palace as Elsinore and staging much of the action in shimmering mirrored and gold-filled interiors. The energy is electrifying, due to a luminous cast. The excitement of the Bard's words and an adventurous filmmaking style lift the story from its often shadowy ambience to fully-lit pageantry and rage. Now presented in an amazing 2-Disc Special Edition. ROMEO & JULIET: Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard in the title roles are "so good that one can forget they are too old for the roles" (Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide). Adding to this allure of this nominee for four Academy Awards?* including Best Picture are lavish sets and costumes (Botticelli paintings inspired Shearer's wardrobe) that fuel the film's then-astonishing $2-million budget. OTHELLO: The original cast and soul-shattering impact of the play's 1964 staging by the National Theatre of Great Britain are captured on film. As the valiant war hero swept into a maelstrom of jealousy and revenge, Olivier won his seventh Academy Award? nomination.* The movie's Desdemona (Maggie Smith), Emilia (Joyce Redman) and "honest Iago" (Frank Finlay) also captured Oscar? nominations.* And the result, Bosley Crowther wrote in The New York Times, is that "this Othello is one of the boldest you'll ever see." A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM: Love is blind, fickle and true. And under the sway of capricious fairies it becomes blinder (a queen romances a donkey), more fickle (best friends swoon over each other's beau) and truest of all (lovers repledge their devotion). "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" in Shakespeare's bewitching comedy. James Cagney, screen-d

Customer Reviews:

what's high-brow?.......2007-07-23

The Texas Refugee also makes claims of "Warner going highbrow." What pray tell that this have to do with this unreleased box set? Warner is simply plowing through their own libraries and the MGM one they bought, without any specific attention to genre, age, original studio, or whether it's high-brow, low-brow or mid-brow.
My rating in in "anticipation" of a fine release with expected transfers of a high level of excellence.

Looks Interesting.......2007-07-18

Funny how the "Texas Refugee" has bought this box set that has not been released. Hmmm.

I am looking forward to seeing the 1935 A Midsummer Night's Dream and the 1996 Hamlet again. I have not seen MND for a very long time, but I have very fond memories of it. The 1996 Hamlet is arguably the best on film.

(Why do I have "Peter Jackson" in my badge?)

Warners continues to go highbrow with this new boxed set.......2007-05-12

I was very pleased with my "Literary Classics Collection" and "Motion Picture Masterpieces Collection" that I purchased from Warner's, and it looks like the studio originally known for gritty urban dramas continues to go highbrow with this collection of four movies featuring interpretations of works by the Bard. The press release by Warner Home Video has the following extras listed for each movie:

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
Cast includes James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland (in her screen debut), Joe E. Brown, and Mickey Rooney. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It won for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing.
DVD Special Features:
Commentary by film historian Scott MacQueen
Olivia de Havilland screen test
Vintage featurette "A Dream Comes True" (8 minutes)
Presenting... Gallery of 6 teaser trailers showcasing cast members
Warner Bros. Studio Café teaser trailer
Musical short "Shake Mr. Shakespeare"
Theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English, French and Portuguese (feature film only)

Romeo and Juliet (1936)
This was actually an MGM production. George Cukor directs with Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard in the title roles. Nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture.
DVD Special Features:
Vintage short "Master Will Shakespeare"
Classic MGM cartoon "Little Cheeser"
Theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English (feature film only)

Othello (1965)
Lawrence Olivier in the title role, Maggie Smith as Desdemona, Joyce Redman as Emilia, and Frank Finlay as Iago. All four performers were nominated for Academy Awards for their performances.
DVD Special Features:
Vintage featurette "Olivier Talks About Othello"
Theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English (feature film only)

Hamlet 2-Disc Special Edition (1996)
Cast includes actor/director Kenneth Branagh, Kate Winslet, Derek Jacobi, Julie Christie, Robin Williams, Jack Lemmon, Billy Crystal and Charlton Heston. This rendition is set in the 19th century.
DVD Special Features:
Introduction by director/star Kenneth Branagh
Commentary by Kenneth Branagh and Shakespeare scholar Russell Jackson
New digital transfer from original 70mm elements
Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1
Featurette "To Be on Camera: A History with Hamlet"
1996 Cannes Film Festival promo
Shakespeare movies trailer gallery
Subtitles: English, French and Spanish subtitles. (feature film only)

Average customer rating:

Great Restoration and Extras; Silly Movie.
New DVD is somewhat disappointing
A glittering disappointment...not a critical or box-office success...
Buy the Film for the Visuals.

A Midsummer Night's Dream
Starring: James Cagney , Joe E. Brown , Dick Powell , Mickey Rooney , and Victor Jory
Director: Max Reinhardt , and William Dieterle
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000QGE8JC
Release Date: 2007-08-14

Amazon.com

James Cagney and Mickey Rooney romping in a Shakespearian fairyland? This could only be A Midsummer Night's Dream, Warner Bros.' 1935 attempt at classing up the proletarian studio. The legendary German stage director Max Reinhardt had produced the play at the Hollywood Bowl to enchanted, sold-out audiences, and Warners decided to hand Reinhardt the keys to the studio (along with fellow Germans William Dieterle, co-director, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who adapted Mendelssohn's music). Reinhardt created an eye-popping phantasmagoria, a movie laced with sparkling sequins, flying fairies, and moon-kissed forests. As for the words, Reinhardt had a collection of Warners studio players, notably James Cagney as Bottom, whose playing of "Pyramus and Thisby" with Joe E. Brown is perhaps the movie's comic high point. The other actors are decidedly varied, and they tend to be overwhelmed by the production design. Not so Mickey Rooney, whose performance as Puck is a feral, antic act of imagination (he was 14 during filming); picture a boy raised by wolves who somehow memorized Shakespeare. His Puck growls and screams and mocks the drama of the other characters, a little postmodern imp before his time. (Critic David Thomson called this Puck "truly inhuman, one of the cinema's most arresting pieces of magic"). The rest of the movie comes to earth with some regularity, but it's a one-of-a-kind production, and a reminder of the lavish, unreal possibilities within a movie studio. --Robert Horton

Description

Love is blind, fickle and true. And under the sway of capricious fairies it becomes blinder ( a queen romances as donkey), more fickle (best friends swoon over each other's beau) and truest of all (lovers repledge their devotion). "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" in Shakespeare's bewitching comedy!

Customer Reviews:

Great Restoration and Extras; Silly Movie........2007-09-03

Max Reinhardt's sound-film career started and ended with A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (AMND). Reinhardt (originally Goldmann) was a noted European stage director/producer who tried to make the jump to sound film. Not everything that was successful in live theater (especially on European stages during the 20's and 30's) ended up a cinematic hit (especially with American film audiences) during the same period. AMND is an expensive exhibit A. Reinhardt was in the midst of preparing his next film for Warner Bros. (working title appears to have been "DANTON") when the disastrous box office results came in from AMND. This, among other things, lead Warners to promptly terminate their film-directing arrangements with Reinhardt.
AMND was puffed up with some of Warners' major stars of the time, but it is difficult--make that painful and plain embarrassing--to watch them in such a silly film. Apparently, Warners was apprehensive from the start. At least two featurettes or shorts were produced by the studio to plug its own film (both are included as extras on this DVD).
Film restoration and transfer are suburb, complete with digital sound. Obviously a fair amount of money and effort went into this release. The question is, why? Warner Home Video has not done the same for many/most of its recent releases of classic films on DVD including the shabby treatment afforded THE ERROL FLYNN SIGNATURE COLLECTION.
The extras make this DVD worth buying. They include the promotional short A DREAM COMES TRUE which includes the only known appearance of classic film-score composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold in a sound film (a tad brief at only 49 seconds). Plus an early Olivia de Havilland screen test (there are two scenes). While it is obvious that the tests have nothing to do with AMND, apparently they were directed by Reinhardt perhaps in preparation for his second sound film (which was never produced). Each scene is a bit long, but both are delightful to watch as a plucky and pudgy de Havilland delivers over-the-top performances. Separately, the DVD extras rate at least three stars, the film barely one.

William Flanigan, Ph.D.

New DVD is somewhat disappointing.......2007-08-26

The much awaited DVD release of the classic 1935 Warner Brothers production of `A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM' is something of a disappointment, in spite of the blurb on the keep case about its "sparkling restoration from original film elements".

This film, one of the most remarkable projects of 1930s Hollywood, was released in October 1935 in a 143 minute roadshow presentation. This was trimmed back to 132 minutes for general release (with the overture & exit music removed) and trimmed again to 117 minutes for its October 1936 re-release.

Apparently, only the original nitrate camera negative of the 117 minute version survives, which means that Warners discarded the trims. However, there is also a nitrate positive of the long version, and a nitrate dupe negative of same. I believe that they also have a nitrate fine grain of the short version, which was used as the basis for the very first Laser Disc and subsequent VIDEO release in the late 80s.

So, the team assembling this DVD had a number of excellent source materials from which to work and to produce a definitive version at last. Regrettably, they didn't and unless I am mistaken, no frame-by-frame digital restoration has even been attempted. Given all these choices, I would have thought they could have made a better job. Clearly WB just wouldn't spend the money.

Indeed, the team that was responsible for assembling the materials made some pretty poor decisions. This film is one of the most beautiful, visually, of the entire era and deserves better. Hal Mohr's spectacular photography (he deserved his Oscar) and wonderful lighting produces some breathtaking effects. While for the most part, we can enjoy a cleaner, crisper and finer image than ever before, sometimes, the image deteriorates greatly with excessive grain and serious frame damage with marks, lines and other blemishes that really should have been sorted out. A particularly crucial example is perhaps one of the most famous sequences in the entire film - the Awakening of the Elves (at Chapter 7 on the DVD) where the fairies slowly emerge from the mist and run UPWARDS along the moonbeam.

In the old VHS Video version, this entire sequence was in perfect condition and looked terrific, not a mark or a scratch anywhere. On the new DVD it is very poor with continuous lines marring the image. Given that this scene appears in all the various prints, and especially the nitrate camera negative, any damage could easily have been repaired and/or digitally removed. For the Video & Laser Disc versions, they obviously used the best material available for this sequence.

There are several other places where similar damage occurs.

As the film has been bundled with other Shakespeare movies, Warners presumably didn't think it would sell on its own and nobody wanted to commit the resources to restore it properly - a great opportunity missed.

On the plus side, the soundtrack (and especially Korngold's marvellous music score which he ingeniously based on numerous works by Felix Mendelssohn) is in much improved audio and there are also some nice extras. Chief among these is an excellent, highly informative and very entertaining commentary by historian Scott McQueen, who has made a special study of this movie over many years and provides copious facts and figures, anecdotes and excerpts from the extensive production memos that fortunately still survive at the Warner Archive at the University of Southern California.

There are the several teaser trailers, and a reissue trailer (previously released on the Laser Disc version) and most importantly, the first ever release of the special short subject A DREAM COMES TRUE which, as well as providing unique footage of the Hollywood Premiere on Oct 16 1935, also includes behind the scenes shots of the production and the only known footage of Erich Wolfgang Korngold playing the piano. This little film was not available when the Laser Disc was made and I think probably came from a private collection. It's great to finally see it available for all of us to see.

In addition, there is Olivia De Havilland's 1936 screen test for a film that was never made - DANTON - which was to have been Max Reinhardt's follow-up picture after DREAM, to star Paul Muni with a score by Korngold. Ms De Havilland donated the reel of film (which she had owned since 1936!) to the Motion Picture Academy Archives last year, when she came to Los Angeles to attend a special tribute evening organised by the Academy. She deserves our profound thanks!

But come on Warners! Couldn't somebody have written up a brief title card to explain what this TEST actually is? Or listed it correctly on the menu and slipcase? Or even thanked Ms De Havilland and explained its provenance? Instead, it is just thrown onto the disc with no explanation or correct title. Such cheap and sloppy behavior, as if nobody gives a damn!

I would have liked to see a stills gallery (there are hundreds of these, plus behind-the scenes- shots, all preserved at George Eastman House in New York) and in addition, surely some of the extensive radio material that surrounded the various premieres of this film could have been traced for an `audio vault` extra? Because the original nitrate optical tracks for this movie were discarded in the late 1970s (when Warners shamefully destroyed its entire sound archive), no audio out-takes survive - a pity, as there would be plenty to hear. The extant score materials contain numerous songs and other pieces arranged by Korngold that were recorded (with Dick Powell and others) and subsequently cut.

It was very nice to see the long-unseen animated Intermission card (only included for the initial road-show presentations) which was apparently on a separate negative roll. However, WHY the DVD producer could not put a brief pause after this - instead of slamming into the opening of the second half, I just do not know. Again, no thought, no care.

While I am pleased that the film has made it onto DVD, I guess we are still some way off from the definitive restored version. At least as long as these precious archival materials survive intact, there is a chance - but nitrate will not last forever, and time is running out.

Perhaps the Library of Congress might consider A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM as a major priority for its film preservation programme. It is a classic one-of-kind film, unlike any other produced in Hollywood and a unique record of the genius of Max Reinhardt and Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

BRENDAN CARROLL

A glittering disappointment...not a critical or box-office success..........2007-08-23

Warner Bros. was looking to improve their image during the '30s when most of the studio product consisted of crime melodramas starring either Cagney, Robinson or Bogart.

Jack Warner was impressed enough with the Hollywood Bowl version of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (which he attended to catch the performance of Olivia de Havilland as Hermia), to give Max Reinhardt the green light to produce it as a major film.

Unfortunately, much of it looks like a museum piece and not just because it's in glorious B&W. Some of the performances are pitched towards stage acting while others (notably Dick Powell and Ross Alexander) fail to give their lines any depth or meaning. Victor Jory (as Oberon) and Anita Louise (as Titiana) do the most acceptable acting jobs with Ian Hunter coming in a close third.

James Cagney struts around as Bottom but it seems a hopelessly foolish role for him to be playing. Mickey Rooney as Puck looks the role but becomes irritating after his first few shrieks of laughter, as if to remind one and all that this is supposed to be a comedy of errors.

Olivia de Havilland, while lovely in her film debut, has flashes of temperament that at least give us the impression that she knows what the part is all about.

Not one of my favorite Warner films, to put it mildly. The special effects give everything a totally artificial look which others find "dreamlike" and the forest scenes with the use of glitter give this viewer a claustrophobic feeling. Overlong and stagey, this is a product of filmmaking only barely acceptable to 1930's audiences, appearing to be a film that was dated when first released.

Sorry, thumbs down on this version of the Bard.

Trivia note: The DVD features "the Olivia de Havilland screen test" which is actually footage shot for "Danton", a film that Max Reinhardt was going to direct but was cancelled after the box-office failure of this one.

Buy the Film for the Visuals........2007-08-10

A great production of Shakespeare overwhelms us with its oral perfection and sensational visuals. In this case it is the latter, the remarkable stage visuals, that astonish us, as opposed to the elocution of the actors and actresses.

Max Reinhardt was a superstar theatre producter of the Berlin twenties.
(Being Jewish, he had to flee the Nazis, once they assumed power). He has created a German High Romantic version of the play. For example, the film has a spiritual glow, a soft-focus radiance when the fairies are in display. Even the palace in Athens has dreamlike, amorphous spires. At moments, I thought I was experiencing a religious vision of the Virgin and Child when Titiana and Bottom were in the forest. Other times, the spiral of fairies ascending in the air reminded me of a William Blake painting of Jacob's Stairway to Heaven.

Regarding the actors, the undisputed star of the film is Mickey Rooney. In this movie, he communicates a manic energy, a malevolent laugh, a force of nature in his peformance. I thought the other actors were substantially weaker...so if you are primarily interested in the language, go for the Peter Hall version of Midsummer Night's Dream.

Nevertheless, the film is so overwhelmingly stunning that it must belong in anyone's list of the top 1000 films anywhere. It's so ironic that with the development of movie special effects in the last 70 years, today's filmmakers cannot replicate the truly magical effects that Max Reinhardt delivers. Go for the experience, forget the weaknesses, and appreciate this photographic masterpiece for what it is.

The Shakespeare Collection (Romeo + Juliet / Titus / A Midsummer Night's Dream)

Average customer rating:

terrific collection
Interesting and modern interpretations of Shakespeare for general audiences

The Shakespeare Collection (Romeo + Juliet / Titus / A Midsummer Night's Dream)
Starring: Osheen Jones , Dario D'Ambrosi , Anthony Hopkins , Jessica Lange , and Raz Degan
Director: Julie Taymor , Michael Hoffman , and Baz Luhrmann
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000E6ESK8
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Description

Includes the following titles:

*A Midsummer Night's Dream *Romeo & Juliet Special Edition *Titus 2-Disc Special Edition

Customer Reviews:

terrific collection.......2007-08-11

three of possibly the most interesting films you'll see, all are dramatic, comical and beautiful in their own way.

Interesting and modern interpretations of Shakespeare for general audiences.......2006-12-29

These movies are a real value and a good introduction for modern people to Shakespeare. They are not done in a very classical way, but rather take a lot of poetic license in their approach. They are a refreshing interpretation of Shakespeare that are very accessible to a general audience. Serious Shakespeare fans may want something more traditional, but overall these tapes bring a refreshing approach to these classical plays. Titus was especially powerful and provides a lot of creative visual interest, great acting and high emotional impact. While it was a bit disturbing, it was also quite interesting in a way that is unique to Anthony Hopkins. Purists may want to look elsewhere, but I enjoyed seeing these interpretations and recommend them given the caveats above.

Average customer rating:

Shakespeare's MidSummer Nights Dream
Sentimental value and a look back
A naked Judi Dench
Four Stars for the Stars
As I remembered it.

A Midsummer Night's Dream
Starring: Judi Dench , Donald Eccles , Derek Godfrey , Ian Holm , and Michael Jayston
Director: Peter Hall
Manufacturer: Water Bearer Films,
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ASIN: B0007CNXV4
Release Date: 2005-03-10

Customer Reviews:

Shakespeare's MidSummer Nights Dream.......2007-07-19

I love Shakespeare's work in most of its incarnations. This version of A Midsummer Night's Dream was purchased to show at a retirement community to celebrate the summer solstice - there were several to pick from and this one with a very young Judi Dench and Helen Mirren seemed the most worthy. I was disappointed on first glimpse at the poor color quality and the dated costuming which was based on the late-60s / early 70s style. Men had Beatles type bowl haircuts, women wore thigh-high black boots and mini skirts. That was my era - it's a dated look now.

The second disappiontment was the too-rapid delivery of the lines combined with very little expressive body gesture. It seemed the performers proffered the canto without wanting to impose their personas on the sacred words. Actually, it is the inhabiting of the character by the actor that brings Shakespeare to life. He did write for common folk, not exclusively for elitists, so overt physical gestures make sense. I wanted to see the actors really become those folks in the play.

Compare with a recent version starring David Straitharn, Stanley Tucci, Calista Flockhart, Michelle Pfeiffer and others. They really flesh out the physicality of their parts, and are believable despite the far-fetched nature of the story. That was the well-received version I showed to my seniors.

I did not finish watching this one - it was just too wooden.
Still, you do get to see a naked Judi Dench - which did not save it; on the contrary, that little touch was completely unnecessary and only distracted. I give it a C.

Sentimental value and a look back.......2007-03-18

I first saw this film in 16mm format when I was taking Shakespeare in college in 1980. I liked it so much that every year after I would find out when the class was showing it just to go see it. The film's image onscreen was always rich, lush, and filled with color. At the time aside from Diana Rigg and a couple of others, I didn't know who many of the actors were. Now, looking back 27 years later after many of them like Judy Dench and Helen Mirren have had such distinguished careers, it is really amazing to look back on it now and see them when they were so young etc.

The reason I bought the dvd was because it's the only way I can go back and see it now. Having seen a real film print in excellent condition, I can verify that unfortunately as one other reviewer said, the print is washed out and the colors faded, and while the overall image is clean, the film's imperfections are apparent. The whole thing could benefit from a better print and digital remastering. If you're just looking for a film version of this play, then you may be better off with more recent releases. However if you can get past the imperfections and have a keen interest, then it's a great way to look back in time at many of these fine British actors.

A naked Judi Dench.......2007-02-28

An independent film Directed by Peter Hall and The Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon. This is one of those gems that allow many famous personalities of the time to display a little culture.

There are many fun facets of this film; right off we notice all the actors in a much earlier version. Who would have thought that Judi Dench was once so cute? And Helen Mirren before she was queen. Each version of midsummer Night's Dream displays a different star cast; and also to our advantage displays a different emphasis and dialog of William Shakespeare.

Then there is the negative side. Look closely and it looks like an Italian film with English dubbing; the words and voices are not quite in sync. The cameraman is the one that filmed "The Blare Witch."

Believe it or not it is better the second time through.
This film is a must for the collector.

Four Stars for the Stars.......2006-08-17

I had this film on video and the transfer was horrible.

Yes, the dialogue is read faster than the cast of the original horror flick THE THING could've done it, the green makeup of the fairies comes and goes like sunscreen...but this film is worth seeing for the cast alone.

Diana Rigg is as sexy as she ever was as Mrs. Emma Peel from "The Avengers" or Mrs. James Bond in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE.

Judi Dench, who would become 007's boss "M" in the Pierce Brosnan Bond films, runs around in green paint and pasties. If the crew of the Enterprise had beamed down into this production, Captain Kirk would've added another hot green chick to his list of conquests (alongside Yvonne Craig).

David Warner, an actor whose career goes from THE OMEN to TIME BANDITS to TRON to TITANIC, plays one of the "human" leads.

Helen Mirren looks like she just got out of high school--so young and fresh and pretty! She would go on to many sexy roles. One of the weirdest ones was THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE & HER LOVER.

And Ian Holm, perhaps best remembered as the milk-sweating android from the original ALIEN, plays a hyper, twitching fairy. He was also great in THE SWEET HEREAFTER and in the Mel Gibson version of HAMLET.

Any one of these actors would've been worth watching in a Shakespearean production...but to have them all?
Definitely worth watching.

As I remembered it........2006-08-06

I first saw this film in the '60s and was glad to have it again. Excellent DVD.

Average customer rating:

Ying and Yang of modern productions.
Stellar -- but truncated -- Dream
Not happy with this version
Wonderful
A Midsummer Night's Dream

Midsummer Night's Dream (1996)
Starring: Lindsay Duncan , Alex Jennings , Desmond Barrit , Finbar Lynch , and Osheen Jones
Director: Adrian Noble
Manufacturer: Miramax
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ASIN: B000068QPX
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Amazon.com

This adaptation of a Royal Shakespeare Company production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is drenched in color: The costumes, the set, the lighting--all of them are flush with bright yellows, reds, blues, every color in the rainbow. In this classic comedy, the confused lives of four young lovers (two men who love the same woman and another woman who loves one of the men) get caught up in a fight between Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies. Oberon has his servant Puck brush Titania's eyes with a flower that will make her fall in love with the next creature she sees--who turns out to be an oafish aspiring actor named Bottom and whom Puck has magically given a donkey's head. But Puck also brushes the eyes of the young lovers, twisting their love rectangle in all directions. The RSC actors have the great virtue of British theatrical training; they understand Shakespeare's language and, for the most part, can make that understanding clear to the audience. The production carries a number of theatrical devices into the movie--some actors play more than one character; the forest of the fairies is represented by a bare and brightly painted wooden floor; doors and umbrellas appear out of nowhere, resulting in some wonderfully surreal imagery. This may be confusing at first, but over the course of the story these techniques give the play's shifting worlds a greater clarity. This unusual adaptation is a feast for the eyes and an excellent introduction to one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Miramax Home Entertainment invites you to enjoy this playful interpretation of William Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy! A rich man's daughter has a difficult choice to make: do her duty and accept an arranged marriage ... or follow her heart to her one true love! But then the fun takes flight. When the humorous Kingdom of Fairies begins to toy with this funny romantic entanglement, magic and mischief are spun into the lives of everyone involved. An outstanding presentation of this timeless favorite, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM is a delightful must-see for Shakespeare fans new and old.

Customer Reviews:

Ying and Yang of modern productions........2007-09-06

Greetings,

Right off I'll say this much: I like (Note the use of personal opinion here not global statement) this version much more than the nightmarishly Hollywoodized 2003 one with Kevin Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer.

This version is a bit of extremes. On the one hand it's an excellent portrayal of the Bards work is some ways and in others directly contradicts what many masters of his works consider paramount at times.

The Good:

Well, personally I like the colors and allusions in the motifs of light bulbs and umbrellas. The contradiction of a normal stage, set and settings in the human world and this, oh...quasi-minimalistic, surreal approach when in the woods worked, at least as far as this member of the audience is concerned. Of course there are the basic prerequisites that were matched (This IS the Royal Shakespeare company after all) of wonderful acting, yadda, yadda, yadda and so on, good casting, blah, blah, blah. For me though what makes or breaks these kinds of immortal works are the little things. The physical gestures, facial expressions etc. Oberon is perfect for example, the bare feet, the flowing coat hanging literally all over the young lovers who play their part perfectly by not acknowledging this rather large fellow actor breathing in their ear. Puck too works well. 'Proud Titania' certainly was amazonian enough; protrayed as a bit of a stick in the mud which went a far way to showing her greater, oh, let's say moral authority over her king; though the fae have no concept of morality, but I digress. The 'Human' characters were also quite fun getting yanked this way and that and playing the roles well. Though, as should be evidenced by this review, Oberon and Puck were my personal highlights.

The Bad:

As in The Good, it's the little things. In this case the sex scene with Bottom and Titiana. Um... As I've also said this IS The Royal Shakespeare Company so I have to wonder what industrial accident happened near their HQ to induce a dementia to the point where someone thought a sex scene was a good idea? One of the major charming points regarding Bottom is the idea that he is an innocent. A prime point of this comedy is how Titiana, who is a Fae Lord for God's sake, one of the most beautiful and enticingly sensual creatures in the history of time, is throwing herself at this mortal and he doesn't even notice being much more charmed, in his childlike manner, by Mustardseed and its kin. The actor who portrays Bottom is a good physical actor, he's just not a good physical actor for Bottom.

So, as I said, this is a creature of extremes in productions of Midsummer Night Dreams. Get it for Oberon and Puck, pay no attention to the kiss, it's a gesture of servile devotion- only a fool associates mortal definitions to fae actions. Avoid it for The Bottom of Bottom and Titian portrayals. Personally, I find Oberon and the young lovers actions and presentation to be of greater value than the detriments caused by the flawed writing and directing that birthed the Titania and Bottom fiasco- but that's not my call to make globally.

The Neutral:

These things did little to harm or add to the play. They came across as 'Charming' or 'Odd' but did not much add pro or con to any sum total of mental assessment as far as I'm concerned. These would be things like- The Umbrellas, the light bulbs, the feathered hair, the running through doors, the portrayal of the dream as a dream, maybe, and the boy who pops up now and again who I like to think of as 'The Witness'. Really the only thing that's worth commenting on regarding The Witness is how this young actor is apparently also in the Anthony Hopkins version of Titus, directed by Julie Taymore where he has has much the same role until the last third or so. As I said, a bit odd.

I remain, as always,
Mad-Hamlet

Stellar -- but truncated -- Dream.......2007-08-06

I saw this Royal Shakespeare Company production live and the movie captures a lot of its magic. However, excising out parts of this play diminishes it somewhat. And as others have noted, staging the play as a young boy's dream is unnecessary. It's not likely a young child could visualize the plot's intracies even in his most imaginative dreams.

Still, you aren't apt to hear Shakespeare's poetry spoken more splendidly than in this production. This is a veteran cast of top notch British actors rather than a group of movie stars doing their Shakespeare thing.

Desmond Barrit's wonderfully enunciated and acted Bottom is a real treat, and the two leads, Ken Jennings and Lindsay Duncan recreate their splendid live performances.

Not happy with this version.......2006-08-22

I had a couple of major problems with this version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

The little boy -- Titania's changeling? -- who kept cropping up was just one of those conceits that directors and screenplay writers feel that they have to slip in there to keep the story interesting. As if the story needs to be made more interesting. *sigh*

I don't mind the representational forest and the umbrellas and all that, but PLEASE don't write parts for characters that aren't even part of the original play.

The other thing that sent me over the edge was the extremely graphic sex scene between Bottom and Titania. They weren't naked, but the sex was VERY VISUAL accompanied by moans and sighs. It was completely gratuitous and it offended the hell out of me since I was sitting there watching it with my two young daughters. What is the deal with this? It was far, far more than the bawdy talk and suggested action in the play that would go straight over their heads anyway. No, the director and screenwriter felt that we needed to see Bottom thrusting energetically between Titania's splayed legs.

That ruined it for me. Adding the role of the boy in was bad enough, but adding in the frank sex scene was just obnoxious.

DO NOT buy this movie if you intend to watch it with your children.

Wonderful.......2005-12-08

The Royal Shakespeare Players know how to do a production. This film of A Midsummer Night's Dream did more than take my breath away, it made me think and gasp and laugh till I had tears in my eyes. The sensitivity of the cast to each line they speak is profound and beautiful. So often when Shakespeare is performed on film the actors are not very familiar with speaking in verse, but this version the actors speak beyond the text and break down the barrier of language that is often associated with Shakespeare.

Also in this version there is a brilliant use of light and color to set a mood. The rooms and costumes are wildly colorful and it makes things seem very child-like. This brings in the topic of the little boy in this film. He seems to be the one dreaming this whole play, but in the play he seems to be the changeling boy that Oberon wants to take from Titania. The fairy world is very sexual and I for one find it a bit too racy for my taste, and it makes me recoil to see the perverse gestures as the thoughts of a little child.

Other than this, I was delighted by the themes brought out in the film. One such theme is the relationship between the dream world in the woods and the world of reason in Athens. This is shown by actors playing Hippolyta and Theseus are double cast as Titania and Oberon, (as they would be in Shakespeare's day) and so is every other character except the four lovers, who visit both worlds throughout the play.

It is beautiful and intriguing production and I enjoyed it immensely.

A Midsummer Night's Dream.......2005-12-07

The 1996 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream puts a modern spin on a traditional Shakespearean play.

Having the same actors play the parts of both Titania and Hippolyta, and Theseus and Oberon was a very good move. It accentuated the difference between reality and imagination, which is one of the main themes of the original Shakespeare. We see Theseus and Hippolyta as serious characters in a serious, recognizable set. Then, we see the same actors dressed differently in an "other-worldly" type of set - it really stressed the difference between that which is a dream, and that which is real. Costumes were easily differentiated as well, for the fairies had wild, Dr. Seuss-like hair-do's, and the Athenians wore specific costumes according to their sex, in a variety of colors.

The production was very true to Shakespeare in terms of using the majority of his text within the play, which, though staged far differently than he ever foresaw it, offered an accurate presentation of Shakespearean themes and vision nonetheless.

While the little boy seemed to be distracting at first, he also had a role to play in the movie: it was HIS dream. He was the Indian boy whom Titania and Oberon fought over. And, it was the play stage in his room which was used by Puck and Oberon during their plotting. However, some of the shots of his reactions to different occurrences did seem slightly superfluous. But, through the eyes of this child, it was much easier to believe some of the seemingly crazy things that were going on in the woods.

The play-within-the-play remained unchanged in this version from the original text, and the players also performed multiple roles, dressing for the part of Bottom's fairy attendants when the fairy queen falls in love with him. Again, this adds to the distinction between reality and dream. It reminded me of the Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy falls asleep and dreams of a lion, a scarecrow, and a tin man, who are really the people from her own farm in different costumes. An excellent choice by the director.

While the staging and overall presentation of Shakespeare is radically different from any other movie version I've seen, I believe it holds significant value nonetheless. In fact, I believe that, although the set and costumes are very different from the Athenian garb which was worn in the 1935 version, the characterization and presentation given by this version is far more accurate to the original text.

Finally, while this version contains some sexually explicit material, that probably makes it more true to what the original production would have portrayed. Since Shakespeare wrote to please intellectuals and commoners, it was not uncommon for his plays to contain raunchy lines or scenes. This version has captured that, as the sexual themes do not overpower the themes of love, dreams and reality, they do play a part.

Average customer rating:

A Great Ballet
Disappointing.
Extraordinarily Enchanting Ballet
Defective inventory?
wow!

A Midsummer Night's Dream
Starring: Patricia Barker (III) , Paul Gibson (VI) , Seth Belliston , Julie Tobiason , and Ross Yearsley
Director: Ross MacGibbon
Manufacturer: BBC / Opus Arte
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005Q313
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Description

Choreographed by an artistic genius, Shakespeare's comedy of magic and love's delusions set to the music of Felix Mendelssohn is a guaranteed audience pleaser. Pacific Northwest Ballet displays all the vitality, brilliance and versatility of its wonderful dancers in this award-winning production of Balanchine's first original full-length ballet.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Ballet.......2007-03-17

I had ordered this dvd a year ago from amazon and it is my one of my favorite ballet dvds. (The other beig PNB's Nutcracker the Show. also featuring Patricia Barker.) The Ballet is entertaining and the performance was wonderful. It is well worth seeing.

Disappointing. .......2006-08-24

I was very disappointed in the quality of the disc. The first 10 minutes were unwatchable. It was like trying to watch a scrambled programme on T.V. However, after that the first and second acts were fine until the finale when the disc just stopped. I was able to start the finale again from the disc menu after which it played through to the end. From what I was able to watch I think it would have been very enjoyable but was, of course spoiled. I have not been able to watch the PAL side so cannot comment on it.

Extraordinarily Enchanting Ballet.......2006-08-07

Patricia Barker is one of the best dancers of our time and she is extraordinary in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Balachine's choreography is wonderful and the story itself is enchanting. The costumes and scenery are so incredibly beautiful. Any small ballet company wishes they could have a budget like that. Everything about this ballet is absolutely beautiful.

Defective inventory?.......2006-04-02

As others have commented, the NTSC side of this DVD is non-playable. I tried it in two DVD players and they refused to play it. I then tried it in my PC, and only the PAL side of the DVD works. The NTSC side contains nothing but the color test bars you see when a TV station is off the air. I think Amazon has got a batch of bad DVDs here.

I'd really like to have this DVD for my daughter who loves ballet - and from viewing the PAL side of the DVD, the picture quality and sound appear superb. Giving it 1 star solely because the DVD was defective.

wow!.......2006-03-22

The choreography is wonderful (of course it's Balanchine!), the dancing is superb (the third act pas de deux is about the most beautiful ballet one is likely to see), the costumes are beautiful, the cast is excellent (Patricia Barker's legs and feet are astounding) well worth having in your library. One strange note to this happy tale... The first dvd I received (one side is European PalSecam, the other regular since it was recorded in England) did not play at all so I sent it back and got another one which was mislabeled (the European side was in reality the American version) so I thought I had another dud, but the opposite side plays just fine.

Britten - A Midsummer Night's Dream / Daniels, Sala, Gietz, Dazeley, Meek, Hahn, Waddington, Rigby, Vas, Bicket, Barcelona Opera

Average customer rating:

Mesmerizing Recreation of Shakespeare's Ironic Comedy Performed to the Hilt by a Stellar Cast

Britten - A Midsummer Night's Dream / Daniels, Sala, Gietz, Dazeley, Meek, Hahn, Waddington, Rigby, Vas, Bicket, Barcelona Opera
Starring: David Daniels , William Dazeley , Ofelia Sala , Gordon Gietz , and Jean Rigby
Manufacturer: Virgin Classics
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AY2K4A
Release Date: 2006-01-24

Description

This is a live performance of BENJAMIN BRITTEN's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" shot at Teatro del Liceu in April of 2005 featuring singers DAVID DANIELS, OFELIA SALA, GORDON GIETZ & WILLIAM DAZELEY. HARRY BICKET conducts Orquestra Simfonica del Gran Teatro del Liceu. The production received such great reviews & audience reaction that performances continued in various opera houses throughout Europe that same year. The stage direction by ROBERT CARSEN also received rave reviews and is what is seen here in this program. The DVD includes subtitles in French, English, German, Spanish & Italian.

Customer Reviews:

Mesmerizing Recreation of Shakespeare's Ironic Comedy Performed to the Hilt by a Stellar Cast.......2006-02-02

Truly one of the most beguiling of Benjamin Britten's operas, his 1960 adaptation (with longtime partner and co-librettist Peter Pears) of Shakespeare's fanciful comedy, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", was given a highly original makeover in Canadian music director Robert Carsen's production at the 1995 Festival of Aix-en-Provence. With some surprising cinematic touches added by film director Francois Roussillon, the production has been faithfully reworked in this wonderful April 2005 staging at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. Virgin Classics has done a superb job in capturing the magic of this performance, which hopefully signals a trend toward even more such DVD packages.

Highlighting the sexual tensions of the original play on a minimalist, blue-green-dominated set, Carsen foregoes period costumes to focus on the essence of the various themes by retaining the humor while still evoking a constant aura of mystery in his translation. Anyone familiar with the play knows that Shakespeare saturated his text with twisting ironies among a diverse set of characters, and Britten creatively responds with a unique musical style for each group - the folk-like pastiche of brass for the rustic characters (i.e. the "mechanicals"); the more noble sounds of strings and woodwinds which reflect Britten's more recognized style for the lovers; and the ethereal blend of percussion, harpsichord and harps full of glissandi for the immortals. These distinctions lend musical shadings that create the ideal panorama of emotions and comic elements to pull off Shakespeare's tale.

The international cast is superb and given the multiple nationalities represented, surprisingly compatible. The ensemble starts with the extraordinary American countertenor David Daniels as the fairy king, Oberon. In a relatively understated performance despite his resplendent green attire and matching green hair, he commands the stage with the right mix of unbridled romanticism and searing malevolence. Indicative of the part as originated by Alfred Dellar, the lower register of his voice is used splendidly, especially on his key Act I number, "I know a bank where the wild thyme blows". Even though he is known far more as a Handelian, Daniels's obvious affinity for Purcell (as evidenced on his recital discs, "Serenade" and "A Quiet Thing") serves him well here. Spanish soprano Ofelia Sala offers a full-bodied Tytania with a lovely voice that encompasses the coloratura of the role and a comic deftness to move fluidly from impervious to smitten as Bottom's unintended paramour. A high point is her delightful version of Act II's "Be kind and courteous to this gentleman".

As the first pair of lovers, Lysander and Hermia, Canadian tenor Gordon Gietz and American mezzo-soprano Deanne Meek exude passion effortlessly, sing beautifully together and provide the grounding necessary for their later comic scenes. German soprano Brigitte Hahn and with an especially dark timbre, English baritone William Dazeley, appear as the more comical second pair, Helena and Demetrius. The dynamic interaction of these four, whether quarreling or fleeing from each other due to Puck's intrusive magic, produces an engaging romp, all the while making Britten's music vibrant with emotional fervor and clear diction. English veterans from the 2004 Glyndebourne production fill the remaining principal roles. Bass-baritone Peter Rose makes a fine, subtle Bottom with a strong voice. Managing to remain expressive even in a full-head donkey mask, he lends an endearing quality and makes the most of his recital of his dream of love with Tytania. Proving a boisterous band, the mechanicals work well as an ensemble with tenor Christopher Gillett an appropriately naive Flute and bass Henry Waddington a lively albeit controlling Quince.

In the speaking role of Puck, the physically antic Emil Wolk is not the young figure one generally envisions in the role but a mischievous, middle-aged sprite who plays with the rhythms of Shakespeare's prose a little too freely (the cadences feel somewhat off). Costumed as green-hued gentleman's gentlemen with mustaches, the chorus of fairies is played liltingly by the Escolania de Montserrat under choirmaster Joaquim Pique. Michael Levine's strikingly bare but highly dramatic-looking set consists of a deep blue backdrop with just a crescent moon and most of the stage taken by a large platform laid out as a huge bed covered with a green bedspread. Two huge pillows are revealed underneath the bedcovers, and they become multi-purposed as river banks for the lovers to set themselves and as Tytania's bed at the end of Act I.

The bed theme remains constant throughout the opera with, for example, three beds suspended dramatically in mid-air, two containing the pairs of lovers and one containing Tytania and Bottom. They ascend and descend depending on the plot turns. Lighting is also used dramatically, especially in the Act II entrance of Oberon and Puck. This is a visual as well as aural treat, and under Harry Bicket's expert baton, the Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Theatre del Liceu performs the music with dazzling dexterity and disciplined pacing. The 160-minute opera is presented on two discs with Acts I and II on the first and Act III on the second, and the package also includes a small pamphlet with credits, color photos and scene titles. Subtitles are available, though the credits in the recording itself are strictly in French.

Britten - A Midsummer Night's Dream / Bowman, Cotrubas, Lott, Buchanan, Davies, Duesing, Haitink, Glyndebourne Opera

Average customer rating:

Magical Entertainment
Lovely music and production
Wonderful Music
A Dream come true

Britten - A Midsummer Night's Dream / Bowman, Cotrubas, Lott, Buchanan, Davies, Duesing, Haitink, Glyndebourne Opera
Starring: Benjamin Britten , Felicity Lott , Ileana Cotrubas , James Bowman , and Dale Duesing
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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