The exemplary cast includes richard briers as malvolio. The tale begins when a brother and sister are separated in a shipwreck, but survive to be washed up on the shore of illyria. Twelfth night 1988, kenneth branagh shakespeare in. This film gives the play a victorian christmastime setting that suits the its bittersweet tone rather well. The twelfth night 1988 film community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and. Lovestruck duke orsino ivar kants uses cesario as a go.
Unfortunately, the counts beloved falls for the disguised noblewoman and a comedy of unrequited love and mistaken identities ensues. Twelfth night 1988 film wikimili, the best wikipedia. Viola who is disguised as cesario falls in love with duke orsino, who in turn is in love with countess olivia. Twelfth night, or what you will 1988 directed by kenneth. Kenneth branagh takes on shakespeares twelfth night with the renaissance theatre company. Kenneth branaghs twelfth night 1988 i typically associate kenneth branaghs shakespeare with massive sets and budgets, starstudded casting and him doubling up as director and lead, all of which can have a variety of effects.
Twelfth night is one of shakespeares most accessible and enjoyable comedies for modern audiences. Twelfth night, or what you will tv movie 1988 imdb. Abigail mckern, james saxon, james simmons director. Twelfth night 1988 i first saw this early, bare bones offering from kenneth branagh around 20 years ago.
Aug, 2008 brother and sister viola and sebastian, who are not only very close but look a great deal alike, are in a shipwreck, and both think the other dead. In my opinion, this movie is worth watching for feste alone, but a lot of the rest of it is great as well. This 1988 english television adaptation of kenneth branaghs stage production for the renaissance theater company of shakespeares twelfth night makes use of victorian costumes and setting decor. Read a character analysis of viola, plot summary, and important quotes. Twelfth night 1988 film wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Sep 14, 2016 twelfth night or what you will 1996 official trailer ben kingsley, helena bonham carter movie hd duration. Twelfth night 1988 film symbols, allegory and motifs. The twelfth night 1988 film community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Part of the thames shakespeare collection, this production of twelfth night was adapted for television by renowned actor and director kenneth branagh in 1988. Twelfth night, or what you will tv movie 1988 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Documentary television series 2003 following the made for television 2003 movie twelfth night, or what you will see above. Its a nice balance of funny and serious, and my elevenyearold sister enjoyed watching it just as much as i did. Character fates in twelfth night and its 1988 version. I enjoy the play twelfth night, and the movie with helena bonham carter and.
Twelfth night, or what you will 1988 rotten tomatoes. Richard briers, frances barber, anton lesser, christopher ravenscroft, caroline langrishe. Twelfth night, or what you will 1988 tv movie soundtrack. Adapted from kenneth branaghs muchpraised renaissance theatre company stage production, the 1988 twelfth night was itvs first new shakespeare production in almost exactly a decade, the ian mckellenjudi dench macbeth having been shown in early 1979. Twelfth night or what you will 1996 official trailer ben kingsley, helena bonham carter movie hd duration. Brother and sister viola and sebastian, who are not only very close but look a great deal alike, are in a shipwreck, and both think the other dead. Entrusted with pleading on her masters behalf, viola is utterly disconcerted to find that olivia has fallen in love with her. The story of macbeth retold as a gritty, mob drama feels like an obvious choice. Twelfth night, or what you will 1988 directed by kenneth branagh. With frances barber, christopher hollis, julian gartside, tim barker. One of shakespeares most popular and enduring comedies twelfth night gets the full treatment in this acclaimed production by the renaissance theatre company and acclaimed director kenneth. Kenneth branaghs twelfth night 1988 his hour upon the. At the time i found it hard going and hard to like, but was impressed by richard briers malvolio and his turn from the hilariously comic to the pitifully tragic.
Jan 02, 2016 twelfth night 1988 i first saw this early, bare bones offering from kenneth branagh around 20 years ago. Written between 1601 and 1602 right around the same time shakespeare wrote hamlet and troilus and cressida, the play is most famous today for being a socalled transvestite comedy which just. Frances barber, christopher hollis, julian gartside, richard briers, anton lesser, caroline langrishe show embed code. Nunns version shows him to be a deft theatrical juggler, whose gift is to toss up a dozen major roles among plots, subplots, and plotsaborning, and keep all balls in the air. Twelfth night, or what you will tv movie 1988 twelfth. Twelfth night, or, what you will is a videotaped 1988 television adaptation of kenneth branaghs stage production for the renaissance theatre company of.
As with some of the other film and tv productions of this play, the order of the first two scenes is reversed. Mccartney donated the melody for kenneth branaghs original stage production of twelfth night, performed by the renaissance theatre company, and allowed the melody to be used in the film version. Even so, i was pleasantly surprised to find myself intellectually and emotionally invested in kenneth branaghs televised production of twelfth night, first broadcast in the united kingdom on december 30, 1988. Shakespeares comedy about twins, viola and sebastian, shipwrecked on the island of illyria. The play centres on the twins viola and sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck. Essays for twelfth night 1988 film twelfth night 1988 film essays are academic essays for citation. An adaptation to television of kenneth branaghs renaissance theatre company production. Adapted from kenneth branaghs muchpraised renaissance theatre company stage production, the 1988 twelfth night was itvs first new shakespeare. The most popular film production of the play is the 1996 trevor nunn version, which is awash is summery color and broad humor. Rent twelfth night 1988 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Rent twelfth night 1988 starring frances barber and christopher hollis on dvd and bluray.
Shakespeares twelfth night bears something of the same relationship to his serious romances like romeo and juliet that, if you will forgive the comparison, airplane. The production starts with images of a violent storm preceding the scene between viola and the captain, a smart touch. Film production of twelfth night, starring geoffrey rush 1986. Overall i think i prefer the interpretation that kenneth branaghs renaissance theatre company gave twelfth night in the 1988 tv play, though i had some problems with that which thankfully, nunns adaptation corrects. Adjust for period, genre and style, and acknowledge the fact that shakespeare occupies a different creative universe than, say, david zucker, and the intention is the same. Twelfth night, or what you will introduction shmoop. Twelfth night, or, what you will is a videotaped 1988 television adaptation of kenneth branaghs stage production for the renaissance theatre. Performed by the renaissance theatre company, this classic comic tale of romance and confused identities features performances by acclaimed actors caroline langrishe and richard briers.
Twelfth night, or what you will 1988 video detective. Hollywood shakespeare presents twelfth night by william shakespeare, a modern retelling of this epic tale. A noblewoman disguises herself as a young man and falls for her employer, a lovesick count. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Rent twelfth night 1988 starring frances barber and christopher hollis on. Twelfth night, or what you will is a romantic comedy by william shakespeare, believed to have been written around 16011602 as a twelfth nights entertainment for the close of the christmas season. Separated from her twin brother by a shipwreck off the coast of illyria, viola gillian jones disguises herself as a male page, cesario. Staring julian gartside, christopher hollis, shaun prendergast and james simmons. Its a low budget 1980s tv production largely shot on a single.
As branagh states in an interview comprising one of the two pitifully scarce extras on the disc, he sought to bring. Twelfth night is no chamber comedy, but a sweeping, genderbent symphony of gags, deceptions, and love lost and regained. An excellent cast features ben kingsley, helena bonham carter, and nigel hawthorne. Director trevor nunn makes some questionable choices, but his stellar cast which includes helena bonhamcarter, ben kingsley, and nigel hawthorne more than. A noblewoman disguises herself as a young man and falls for her. Set in the 18th century, this is a very british version of shakespeares romantic comedy. First staged in 1602, twelfth night is one of shakespeares most performed plays. Coming attractions for you 2020s most anticipated movies. Richard briers, frances barber, anton lesser, christopher ravenscroft, caroline langrishe other stars. What minor liberties it took to adapt the play effectively were balanced by its respect for and tasteful treatment of the source. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of twelfth night 1988 film, directed by kenneth branagh. Twelfth night is commonly read by academics as shakespeares most mature comedy. The sister, viola, disguises herself as a man and takes service with duke orsino, who has fallen in love with lady olivia. Twelfth night, or, what you will is a videotaped 1988 television adaptation of kenneth branaghs stage production for the renaissance theatre company of william shakespeares twelfth night first broadcast in the uk by itv on 30 december 1988.
William shakespeares farce about a woman who poses as a man after a shipwreck separates her and her twin brother. So if youre looking for a twelfth night that looks like a movie, this is not it. This theatre company turned out to be the theatrical. The tale of a young woman who disguises herself as a man and becomes entangled in the courtship of two local aristocrats upends conventions of romance and gender roles. Twelfth night, or what you will staged at the lincoln center theatre in new york and televised on pbs in 1998, starring paul rudd duke orsino, helen hunt viola, and kyra sedgewick olivia. It was also the last for some thirteen years, and the last blankverse itv broadcast to date, as the 2001 othello featured modern dialogue. Twelfth night 1987 paul kafno, kenneth branagh synopsis. William shakespeares twelfth night, or what you will is a comedy about a crossdressing, shipwreck surviving, poetryloving girl who finds herself at the center of a notsoaverage love triangle. This modest 1988 film could not be more different from the nunn film. Twelfth night, or what you will 1988 the movie database. One of shakespeares most popular and enduring comediestwelfth nightgets the full treatment in this acclaimed production by the renaissance theatre company and acclaimed director kenneth. With gillian jones, ivar kants, jacquy phillips, peter cummins.
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