12 Best Film Adaptations Of Shakespeare's Tragedies

Based On: King Lear

Adaptation:

A British adaptation of the play directed by Peter Brook, which stars the legendary Paul Scofield as King Lear. It's set in Denmark but everything else is pretty much the same.

King Lear is one of Shakespeare's greatest works, but it's a tricky one to adapt. This is an occasion where it came together exactly right and it's a truly excellent movie that you've probably never seen.

If you like bleak movies, you've met your match here. This takes an already shattering and miserable play and makes it feel even darker, thanks to the haunting black and white cinematography and sparse, seemingly post-apocalyptic landscapes. There's no lightness here (even the Fool is extremely gloomy) while the violent scenes, such as the blinding, are especially nasty. This is not for the faint of heart.

Although the relentless gloom is exhausting, the film really captures the complex themes, nihilistic angst and tragedy that fill the play and makes for a haunting, emotionally shattering nightmare.

It's also got an interesting interpretation of the character of King Lear, which sets it apart from other adaptations. Lear, superbly played by Paul Scofield, is very unsympathetic here and often seems worse than his daughters, making Lear a more ambiguous and complex figure than other adaptations do. It is a generally terrific movie and is notable for its strength both as an adaptation and as a cinematic work.