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'Richard III' (1995) -

As many of the greatest Shakespeare adaptations do, Richard Loncraine’s rendition of ‘Richard III’ takes the play’s original events and puts them in a different setting and time period. This 1995 film takes the titular antagonist and places him in a fictional 1930's England, where civil war is tearing the country apart and many princes and dukes are vying for power.

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'Richard III' (1995) -

Loncraine gathered a spectacular cast for his take on one of Shakespeare’s lesser-known plays. Ian McKellen steps in as Richard III, and is supported by other heavyweights such as Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Robert Downey Jr. 

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'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' (1935) -

In a break from Hollywood’s usual business in the 1930s of cranking out musicals, Westerns, and gangster flicks a mile-a-minute, Warner Bros. decided to take a shot at the work of Shakespeare. The film was directed by Max Reinhardt, who had put on a wildly successful stage performance of the play the previous year.

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'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' (1935) -

While maybe a bit lackluster by today’s standards, Reinhardt’s film was quite the feat in 1935. It was highly praised for its cinematography, choreography, and score, and won two out of the four Oscars it was nominated for.

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'Julius Caesar' (1953) -

Another effort commissioned by a big Hollywood studio was Joseph L. Mankiewicz’ 1953 rendition of 'Julius Caesar.' The film opened to widespread acclaim, and would go on to be nominated for four Oscars, one of which, for Best Art Direction, it secured.

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'Julius Caesar' (1953) -

Starring Marlon Brando as Mark Antony, James Mason as Brutus, and John Gielgud as Cassius, it was considered an instant classic and also marked a high point in Brando’s career, at a time when some critics claimed he was nothing more than a pretty face.

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'Romeo and Juliet' (1968) -

The Shakespeare film that has likely been seen and adored by the most people is undoubtedly Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 ‘Rome and Juliet.’ It set the standard for representation of Shakespeare on film, and is practically required reviewing in any English classroom.

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'Romeo and Juliet' (1968) -

Leonard Whiting stars as Romeo Montague alongside Olivia Hussey as Juliet Capulet in this faithful remake of the most famous love story in history. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, and walked away with the trophies for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design.

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'Hamlet' (1996) -

Director Kenneth Branagh, hailing from Belfast, is no stranger to Shakespearean cinema. He is personally responsible for directing and starring in no less than six adaptations of Shakespeare’s classic plays. One of the best was 1996’s ‘Hamlet,’ with Branagh himself starring as the titular prince.

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'Hamlet' (1996) -

Kate Winslet also appeared in the film as Ophelia, with Robin Williams and Billy Crystal acting in minor roles as well. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay.

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'Romeo + Juliet' (1996) -

The year of 1996 was dominated by Shakespeare adaptations, with three star-studded films based on the Bard’s works coming out that year. The most famous was certainly Baz Luhrmann’s daring, dizzying, and critically polarizing adaptation of  ‘Romeo and Juliet.’

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'Romeo + Juliet' (1996) -

Set in a modern-day, fictionalized version of Venice Beach called Verona Beach, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes recite the original Shakespearean dialogue almost word for word in the midst of a colorful and fiery Mafia turf war.

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'The Tragedy of Macbeth' (2021) -

One of the most recent Shakespeare adaptations was carried out by one half of one of the most celebrated filmmaking teams in America, Joel Coen of the Coen brothers. He directed the sparse, dark, and fittingly theatrical ‘Tragedy of Macbeth’ during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles, and it was finally released to the world in 2021.

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'The Tragedy of Macbeth' (2021) -

Starring Denzel Washington as the titular character and the mesmerizing Francis McDormand as Lady Macbeth, Coen’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s story of loyalty and madness was shot in digital black and white and depicts its events in an unnerving, surreal light. It was released to widespread critical acclaim.

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'Titus' (1999) -

Julie Taymor’s 1999 film ‘Titus’ was a breath of fresh air in many respects. After so many adaptations of the same handful of Shakespeare plays over the years, Taymor took one of his earliest plays, and certainly one of his least talked about, and adapted it for the big screen.

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'Titus' (1999) -

Starring Anthony Hopkins as the titular Titus Andronicus and Jessica Lange as the Queen of Rome, the film was released to mixed reception. Although it was lauded for its scope and ambition, many thought the content couldn’t justify the nearly three-hour runtime.

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'Henry V' (1989) -

A famed actor at this point, Kenneth Branagh started his career as a prolific film director with his 1989 adaptation of 'Henry V'. Although he would go on to make many more films, Shakespearean and otherwise, 'Henry V' is considered by many to be his best work.

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'Henry V' (1989) -

The film performed splendidly upon its release, and received abundant praise concerning nearly every aspect of the film. Branagh was nominated for both Best Actor and Best Director Oscars, and designer Phyllis Dalton won the prize for Best Costume Design.

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'Macbeth' (1948) -

The first film adaptation of Shakespeare’s 'Macbeth' was brought to life by one of the largest and most respected names in the history of American filmmaking: Orson Welles. Seven years after his wildly successful ‘Citizen Kane’ (1941), Welles finally secured funding for his dark and violent version of the classic tale, which he predicted would be “a perfect cross between ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Bride of Frankenstein.'"

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'Macbeth' (1948) -

As usual, the auteur filmmaker also starred as Macbeth, alongside Jeanette Nolan as Lady Macbeth. Plagued by budget and time restrictions, the final product didn’t produce much buzz at the time, but reevaluation by today’s film experts has deemed Welles’ ‘Macbeth’ one of the best Shakespeare films ever released.

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'The Merchant of Venice' (2004) -

Released in 2004, Michael Radford’s rendition of Shakespeare’s play of the same name is a very faithful adaptation. Radford chose to not take too much artistic license, but do away with the Shakespearean verse of the original play to make it more accessible to a wider audience.

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'The Merchant of Venice' (2004) -

Radford’s film stars Jeremy Irons as the titular Venetian merchant, and Al Pacino as the antagonist, Shylock. While Radford’s ‘The Merchant of Venice’ wasn’t necessarily groundbreaking at the time of its release, it proves to be a solid and faithful adaptation of Shakespeare’s wonderful dramatic work.

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'Henry V' (1944) -

Prolific English actor and filmmaker Laurence Olivier’s directorial debut was his rendition of ‘Henry V,’ released in 1944, as World War II was raging on. Olivier was commissioned by Winston Churchill to make a propaganda film showcasing the valiance of the English heart to boost morale for the fighting English troops, and the story of brave prince Henry V seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

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'Henry V' (1944) -

Olivier, naturally, starred in the film as the titular prince. It was released to positive critical and popular reception, and would go on to receive an Academy Honorary Award some years after its initial release.

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'Much Ado About Nothing' (1993) -

Arguably Shakespeare’s most famous and successful comedy, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ has also proven to make for one of the most successful Shakespearean adaptations. Another of Kenneth Branagh’s numerous works, this one made US$43 million at the box office, second only to Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 ‘Rome and Juliet.’

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'Much Ado About Nothing' (1993) -

As usual, Branagh once again stars, alongside other stars such as Emma Thompson Michael Keaton, Kate Beckinsale, Denzel Washington, and Keanu Reeves.

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'Twelfth Night' (1996) -

‘Twelfth Night,’ adapted from Shakespeare’s comedy of the same name, boasted a star-studded cast, including Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Kingsley, and Imogen Stubbs.

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'Twelfth Night' (1996) -

While it was not nominated for any Oscars that year, as were the other two Shakespeare films from that year, it was met with positive reviews. Helena Bonham Carter’s work in the film as Olivia was particularly lauded.

Sources: (Screen Rant) (The Guardian) (Collider)

See also: Shakespeare's contributions to the English language

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