Theatre can be expensive, I have great experience with that. And some of the best professional theatre takes place in London. Not everyone lives in London, or can easily get there, for some quality Shakespeare is inaccessible.

But film is a lot more accessible. The cinema is much cheaper than live theatre, and dvds even more so. That is why I have put together a list of Shakespeare films that I would recommend watching.

Now there are hundreds of film adaptions of Shakespeare. This isn’t really a Top 10 list or anything, they are not really in any rated order. These are just all films I love, or think are good for people wanting more Shakespeare films.

This is a list of films that I have seen at the time of writing this article. I will not include any film I have yet to watch, though I may come back to the list every so often to update it. It is also only films that I think are worth watching.

I’m going to begin with a film that is not an adaption of Shakespeare. It is, however, about Shakespeare.

Bill (2015)

Bill is a family film created by the main cast of the BBC’s Horrible Histories tv show. Because it is for families, it is perfect for kids, but I also found it incredibly enjoyable. The film is not fully historically accurate, but in no way does it claim to be. Quite simply, it is a lot of fun and a great way to introduce your little ones to the Bard.

Shakespeare In Love (1998)

Again, this is not an adaption of a Shakespeare play, rather it is a film about Shakespeare. This, in a way is quite similar to Bill, though not filled with such family fun. This is a romance film that does follow conventions of some of Shakespeare’s comedies, such as a woman disguising herself as a boy. This is just a really good and well made film, that for me, still holds up today. Oh, and it was co-written by Tom Stoppard, who’s just a brilliant writer. (Travesties, Arcadia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead)

Now, I’m going to start off the list of adaptions with some films that are more accessible than some of the others. These films are a great place to start if you’re just getting into the cinematic world of the Bard.

Macbeth (2015)

This is not a great adaption of the play. A lot is cut and overlooked. But it is a beautiful and stylised piece that is perfect for someone wanting a film that is quite simple and well told. The story is clear and what Shakespeare is preserved is well performed. The action sequences and visuals are what takes prominence here though. It’s a good starting point, though Macbeth is not really a play that needs much cutting down, already it is a brilliant fast paced thriller and this film sort of skips over some of the beautiful poetry like Macbeth’s “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” soliloquy. Though I would still recommend it as a starting place.

Richard III (1995)

Ian Mckellen’s Richard III is a very different adaption to the previously mentioned Macbeth. This film is set in an alternative fascist Britain, which works incredibly well. This film has cut a lot of dialogue out, cutting down the approximately 3 hour+ runtime to only 104 minutes. This gives the film an exciting quick pace, though it does of course miss quite a bit out. There are some problems with the quicker pace, but as a starting place for this lengthy play, it is perfect.

The Tempest (2010)

Julie Taymor’s Tempest is another good way into cinematic Shakespeare. It is a clear, faithful telling of the story in a beautiful and wondrously shot film. This is a film that keeps it simple and beautiful, it does not confuse the story with high concepts, or altered setting, like Ian Mckellen’s Richard does. It is a great introduction to the magic of The Tempest.

Hamlet (1996)

In my previous recommendations I have talked about relatively short films (Bill, 94 mins/S In L, 123 mins/Macbeth 113 mins/RIII 104 mins/Tempest 120mins) However, Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet is far from a short film. It’s complete run time is 242 minutes, or 4 hours 20 minutes. That is over double the length of any film mentioned here yet, and definitely longer than any other film to be mentioned. This is a film features the uncut text of Hamlet, and does it brilliantly never really getting dull. I will admit this is the first time I saw Hamlet, and I think it is the best way to first encounter the entire tale. There is also the added bonus of pausing it and coming back to it later (one benefit of cinema over theatre- though I’m not saying I prefer it) If you have to time and endurance to watch this, this is by far one of the best Shakespeare films ever made.

Branagh has also managed to gather an amazing all star cast and you are bound to recognise someone in it, even if it is only Robin Williams. Yes, he is in there.

Special Mention: Branagh

I don’t want to fill this list too much with just the work of one filmmaker, but if one person does deserve this, it is Sir Kenneth Branagh. So far he has made 5 Shakespeare film adaptions, his first being Henry V (1989) and his most recent being As You Like It (2006).

I would recommend watching all of Branagh’s films, though of course some are better than others. Few of them are traditional interpretations, in terms of it’s setting. Henry V is, As You Like It is set in 19th century Japan. Love’s Labour’s Lost is a modern Hollywood musical. Though they are all well made, and I would highly recommend all of them. Here’s a list for ease.

Henry V (1989), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Hamlet (1996), Love’s Labour’s Lost (2000), As You Like It (2006).

He did also star in Othello (1995) as Iago, though this was directed by Oliver Parker. I have not yet seen this film, but I will still mention it. It’s definitely on my to watch list.

Now back to the main list. I’m now just going to focus on various adaptions that I feel are worth looking at.

Macbeth (1948)

Another Macbeth. I know, it’s a great play and there’s many adaptions. There’s traditional, there’s modern and there’s retellings. This is one of the more traditional adaptions. This film is directed by and starring Orson Welles. Orson Welles is the man behind what are considered some of the best films ever made. This is a relatively simple film, shot mostly on a slightly abstract set that perfectly represent the violent and rugged landscape of Scotland being represented in the film.

Chimes at Midnight (Falstaff) (1965)

Don’t like watching long films? Don’t have the time to watch five separate films? Well, this is a film for you. This adaption takes pieces from five of Shakespeare’s plays: Henry IV Parts 1&2, Richard II, Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor. It focuses on the character of Falstaff, and so misses out most of these plays, but it is still great to see one of Shakespeare’s great characters. This is another Orson Welles film, possibly the American master of Shakespeare. It also has a nice runtime of only 119 minutes.

Titus (1999)

Another Julie Taymor film, this time her directorial debut. Titus is an adaption of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus. This is not one set in a traditional setting, rather it’s a little more abstract. This is one of the more ‘arty’ films, though it’s still very much recommended.

Special Mention: Olivier

Laurence Olivier, often mentioned as one of the greatest actors. He is also the man behind what some consider as some of the definitive Shakespeare films. Olivier directed and starred in three Shakespeare films, and just starred in three others.

The three he directed began, like Branagh, with Henry V (1944). This though, is quite a different adaption than Branagh’s, being brighter and less gritty. Olivier than followed with Hamlet (1948) and then Richard III (1955). He also starred in As You Like t (1936), Othello (1965) and King Lear (1983). All of these films I would recommend watching.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

This is a Shakespeare adaption, in fact it’s an adaption of The Taming of The Shrew. Yet it is set in modern American, using a modern American dialect. This is the least Shakespearean Shakespeare film. But it’s a good one.

The Tempest (1979)

Another Tempest film, but this one is very different. This is a film that follows what can be called a more ‘arty’ style. It is almost entirely set inside, in a pretty empty manor house. It also features a much younger Prospero than is normally seen. There is so much that could be said about this film and its interpretation of the text, that its probably just best to watch it and see what you think for yourself.

Anonymous (2011)

There are many interesting theories surrounding the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays, none of which I subscribe to. This film explores the idea that Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford was the man behind the works of Shakespeare. It also has a strange sub-plot in which he has a relationship with Elizabeth I, who (SPOILERS!!) turns out to be his mother.

It’s a very strange film that is an intresting look into the theories of authorship, though I don’t personally think it should be taken too seriously, even though it is meant to be. It was directed by Roland Emmerich, the man behind the Independence Day films, and that 1998 American Godzilla film, among many other films.

This is by far not the best film on the list.

Well, that’s my recommend list of Shakespeare films as it stands right now. I do hope to update it every so often, with new films I have seen and other films I think of. This is not all the films of Shakespeare I have seen, there are some others, that I just don’t feel are worthy of this list, for me.

It would be great to hear what you think of the list, and which Shakespeare films are your favourite.