5. ‘Hamlet’ (2000)
With the arrival of new millennium came an obsession with new and improved technology so it only made sense for a Shakespeare movie adaptation of Hamlet. This modern adaptation starring Ethan Hawke and Julia Stiles, among others, zeroes in on one of the play’s most interesting themes: surveillance. There are cameras literally everywhere in this movie, watching each character very closely. At some point, we as the audience start to feel like one of the cameras, and it’s just very eerie. If you haven’t seen this movie, definitely add it to your list. And yes, the “To be, or not to be” soliloquy is still in it.
4. ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’ (1990)
In the 1960s, Tom Stoppard wrote a genius tragicomedy based on two minor characters in Hamlet (which was later adapted for the big screen). Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Hamlet’s two ill-fated and, in the context of Stoppard’s play, bumbling friends. The movie tells Hamlet from their perspective while also focusing on their extreme existentialism. While that may sound dull or too serious, it’s actually hilarious. They actually break out into the question game multiple times throughout the movie. Plus, Gary Oldman (Sirius Black/Commissioner Gordon) plays Rosencrantz. Or Guildenstern. We can’t remember which, but it doesn’t really matter.
3. ‘She’s the Man’ (2006)
“Duke wants Olivia who likes Sebastian who is really Viola whose brother is dating Monique so she hates Olivia who’s with Duke to make Sebastian jealous who is really Viola whos crushing on Duke who thinks shes a guy…” Did you get all of that? Even though it sounds super confusing, it makes for an awesome movie. And, believe it or not, this Shakespeare movie adaptation is just as complicated and hard to explain as Twelfth Night, the play it’s based on. While we love all of the movie’s references to the play (like Duke’s “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them” speech), we mostly just love how hard it makes us laugh.
2. ‘West Side Story’ (1961)
Sharks/Jets. Capulets/Montagues. West Side Story basically takes the tension and the star-crossed lovers from Romeo and Juliet and sets them to super catchy music. And by “super catchy,” we mean Bernstein/Sondheim genius. It’s seriously impossible to find anyone who has never heard of or seen West Side Story, let alone someone who can sing part of one of the songs. Every time we hear the name Maria, we can’t help but sing “Maria / I just met a girl named Maria.” This Shakespeare movie adaptation, along with Romeo + Juliet is, and probably will always be, one of the most famous incarnations of Romeo and Juliet ever captured on film.
1. ‘The Lion King’ (1994)
A show of hands: how many of you knew that The Lion King is technically a Shakespeare movie adaptation before reading this article? Even though it’s one of the looser adaptations (Nala doesn’t drown herself, Timon and Pumbaa aren’t murdered, etc.), it’s still pretty much Hamlet with lions and great music. We bet that if “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” had been written in Shakespeare’s time, he totally would have put it into Hamlet. It’s just too good. Plus, the Nala character (Ophelia) had her own song in the original play, so why not Hamlet too? In all seriousness though, we’re totally in support of exposing children to The Bard early in life and The Lion King is the best way to do so. It’s just an all-around amazing movie.
So there you have it. Those are our top 10 Shakespeare movie adaptations. There’s going to be some major list rearranging to be done as more Shakespeare adaptations hit theaters!
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