King Lear (1971)

Directed by

Peter Brook

Genre

drama film

Country

United Kingdom

Runtime

2h 17m

Rated

PG-13

Rating

6.5 of 10 from 20 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

An aging king divides his kingdom among his daughters based on their flattery leading to betrayal and madness. The story follows his descent into poverty and rage on a barren wintry landscape.

bleakstarkcoldaustereslow-burnunsettlingvisceralgrim

What happens

King Lear is a 1971 film adaptation of the Shakespearean play, written for the screen and directed by Peter Brook. It stars Paul Scofield in the title role and Irene Worth as Goneril, and features Cyril Cusack, Susan Engel, Jack MacGowran, Patrick Magee and Alan Webb. The film was co-produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, and was shot primarily in the Jutland Peninsula of Denmark. Filmed in stark black-and-white, the film was inspired by the absurdist theatre of playwrights such as Samuel Beckett and upon release was noted for its bleak tone and wintry atmosphere. King Lear premiered on 4 February 1971 and received a polarised critical reception. Scofield won a Bodil Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance, and the film was ranked on the National Board of Review's end-of-year Top Ten Films list. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• Macbeth (1971)
• King Lear (1970)
• King Lear (1983)
• Private Road (1971)
• Straw Dogs (1971)
• Universal Soldier (1971)
• Бог Курт (1971)
• Not Tonight, Darling (1971)