KING LEAR (OLIVIER) (1983)

MICHAEL ELLIOT

Literary Classics Drama Shakespeare Television 10th - 19th Centuries Recommended Historical

Cast

LAURENCE OLIVIER COLIN BLAKELY DIANA RIGG LEO MCKERN ROBERT LINDSAY JOHN HURT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Plot

For this excellent traditional presentation of Shakespeare's classic work, Olivier gives just the sort of performance we'd expect, he conveys Lear's spirit and the pathos of the situation in which he finds himself with clarity and insight into the character's personality. The costumes are wonderful, as are the sets, the most noteworthy of these being Stonehenge, which is the setting for both the first and final scenes. Very little of the text has been omitted and, with the possible exception of the Paul Schofield's, this is the best version.