Product Description: When two pairs of star-crossed lovers, a troop of inept amateur actors, a feuding pair of supernatural sprites and a love potion gone awry all come together in an enchanted moonlit forest, the result is an unequalled mixture of merriment and magic. Genre: Feature Film-Comedy Rating: PG13 Release Date: 15-APR-2003 Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com: Imagine a work by Shakespeare reduced to one of those pretty, glossy coffee-table picture books that have only a dollop of text alongside its sumptuous photographs, and you might have Michael Hoffman's adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. This all-star version of Shakespeare's comedy is gorgeously shot in Tuscany, complete with a magical forest, breathtaking landscapes, beautiful villas, picturesque villages, stunning period costumes--oh wait, there's supposed to be a story here, too! Hoffman hijacks Shakespeare's basic premise but doesn't instill it with much more than surface shine and transplants it to turn-of-the-century Italy. Ergo, it's left up to the actors to find the heart and soul of this classic play, in which the fairies of the forest play mix and match with four young lovers, courtesy of a magical love potion. Hoffman couldn't ask for better (or better looking) actors to play Shakespeare's dreamlike love games--Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart, Christian Bale, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Kline, Anna Friel, Dominic West, the list goes on and on--but he sure as heck doesn't know what to do with them, aside from putting them in various states of undress. Only Flockhart (as the lovestruck Helena), Tucci (a sprightly Puck), Pfeiffer (dazzling and funny as the queen of the fairies), and especially the sublime Kline (as weaver-turned-donkey Bottom) seem to connect with their characters in ways that make this adaptation occasionally soar; the rest are inexplicably left to flounder. Hoffman does seem to set himself right with the film's climax, when Bottom's amateur acting troupe hilariously enacts the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe (it helps that the troupe includes Roger Rees, Sam Rockwell, and Bill Irwin). Those searching for a more in-depth exploration of Shakespeare's farce might do better to look elsewhere, but if it's gorgeous actors and scenery you're in the mood for (along with an evocative opera soundtrack), and an all's-well-that-ends-well ending, this Midsummer Night will give you pleasant if weightless dreams. --Mark Englehart
GREAT PRODUCTION ^ This is a wonderful production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" This is great for anyone who is not very familiar with Shakespere. Easy to understand and a great cast. Highly recommended!!
Not what I expected. ^ When I ordered this, I expected a DVD not a book. Although it was not what my Granddaughter needed, she did manage to use it in her studies. So all went well anyway. She did get a good grade too.
Made a lot of changes, but it works ^ I personally feel that you should keep all of the dialogue from a Shakespeare play when you do a version of it. However, that would create a huge problem. It would last for a while. I usually compare this version with the version done in the late sixties by the Royal Shakespeare Company, with Ian Holm as Puck. While that version mainly tries to have as much of the dialogue as possible, this version puts in more visuals. This also includes more incidental music, and moments where they set the scene up.
This movie has mainly taken dialogue out, but of what little dialogue they've added, they've only added one-word lines, and lines in italian with subtitles. Like usual, they brought it to a more modern time, which gives them different things that they can do. I feel that the acting and costuming is wonderful, and some of the scenes are done very well. I have never seen such a great version of the play at the end. I feel that having scenes without dialogue, just showing the settings of the scenes are done very beautifully.
I'm unsure what Shakespeare would think of this. However, he would probably appreciate how his work is still being done today. If you are willing to see Shakespeare being reinterpreted, get this, if you think that everything must be done exactly like the original, you won't like this.
A tale well told ^ There are many good versions of "William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream." Among which is this well played Michael Hoffman (1999) version. The innovative use of the bicycle and being filmed in Tuscany adds to the magic. As with earlier versions contemporary actors are used. Only at first you say, "Now where have I seen Puck? (Stanley Tucci)", to realize it was in "Undercover Blues." Or anticipating who will play Titania? Later you will be so engrossed in the play that you will only see the characters for themselves.
Now the situation. We have overlapping tales, which in the confusion become even more overlapping and confusing. We have Theseus (David Strathairn), Duke of Athens, about to marry Hippolyta (Sophie Marceau), Queen of the Amazons. Practicing in the solitude of the Woods is a troop of actors that will appear at the wedding. One of the troops is a married man with a roving eye, Bottom (Kevin Kline); he is soon encountering with a group of fairies. Now this is an interesting situation on its own. However there is more. Hermia is being forced by her father Egeus to marry Demetrius. However Hermia (Anna Friel) is in love with Lysander (Dominic West.) Wait there is more Hermia's friend Helena (Calista Flockhart) is in love with Demetrius, who ignores her. Yep into the wood escape Hermia and Lysander. Hot on their trail is Demetrius (Christian Bale) doggedly followed by Helena. Mean time back at the ranch the Fairy queen and king has a slight falling-out. So the fairy king intends to correct everyone's situation and teach a few lessons along the way. You get the idea. Now setback and watch the fun. And stay tuned for the play in the end.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
It's like watching magic ^ This is my favorite Shakespeare story. It is like watching magic. There is comedy, a love story and a story about a group of performers trying to put on the best show for a wedding celebration. It makes love so much fun to watch!
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