King Lear (1971)
- Synopsis
- The relentlessly cold and unemotional interpretation was heavily influenced by the essay, ‘King Lear or Endgame’, in which the Polish poet/critic/academic Jan Kott argued that Lear should be interpreted in terms of Samuel Beckett’s New Theatre as a play devoid of any consolation, morality or universal justice. Filmed in the winter in Denmark and Jutland, the harsh and bitter landscape informs the violent, unredemptive and existentialist reading.
When Book’s production of Lear opened at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962, it was acclaimed for its Beckettian sense of dispair; the version on screen in even bleaker (The Guardian, 2019). - Language
- English
- Country
- Denmark; Great Britain
- Medium
- Film
- Technical information
- Black-and-white / Sound
- Year of release
- 1971
- Year of production
- 1970
- Notes
- Budget $1.1m
- Subjects
- Drama
- Keywords
- Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Credits
- Director
- Peter Brook
- Producer
- Michael Birkett
- Cinematographer
- Henning Kristiansen
- Writer
- William Shakespeare
- Production Design
- Georges Wakhevitch
- Costume
- Adele Angard
- Cast
Alan Webb Anne-Lise Gabold Barry Stanton Cyril Cusack Ian Hogg Irene Worth Jack MacGowran Patrick Magee Paul Scofield Robert Lloyd Susan Engel Søren Elung Jensen Tom Fleming
Distribution Formats
- Type
- DVD
- Format
- Region 2 PAL
- Price
- £29.99
- Availability
- Sale
- Duration/Size
- 137 minutes
- Year
- 2019
- Type
- Film
- Format
- 16mm
- Availability
- Hire
- Duration/Size
- 137 minutes
Production Company
- Name
Filmways
Distributor (Hire)
- Name
Filmbankmedia
- info@filmbankmedia.com
- Web
- https://www.filmbankmedia.com/ External site opens in new window
- Phone
- +44 (0) 20 3866 6525
- Address
- 1st Floor, 67-74 Saffron Hill
London
EC1N 8QX
UK - Notes
- The main source in the UK for hire of feature films for non-theatrical presentations. The extensive catalogue includes vintage classics, independent films and big blockbusters. Available on 16mm as well as VHS and DVD. Also provides advice on contractual matters.
Distributor (Sale)
Available from retail outlets
Record Stats
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