As You Like It

Rating:
Summary: Wished to like it more...
Review: "As You like It" is one of Shakespeare's most produced plays, and its also one of the slightest... And with its light tone, it makes for fun viewing. This film, however, has to many detractions to make it anything beyond good. As with many of Will's stories, a female character dresses in 'drag; for a large chunk of the story. The german Elisabeth Bergner has to do so and is extremely unconvincing as "Rosalind". Even if you forget about her soprano quality voice, she doesn't even remotely resemble a man and her actions are nothing short of female. One of Shakespeare's ironic twists is to have Rosalind (known as 'Gamymede') pretend to be 'Rosalind" so she can still be courted by Laurence Olivier. But, this device falls flat with the weak performance. there are a couple weird moments, like the suggestive appearance by a snake and a lion for a couple seconds of film. The film itself moves along at a brisk pace thanks to simple direction and a great adaption by PETER PAN creator, J M Barrie.

Rating:
Summary: Wished to like it more...
Review: "As You like It" is one of Shakespeare's most produced plays, and its also one of the slightest... And with its light tone, it makes for fun viewing. This film, however, has to many detractions to make it anything beyond good. As with many of Will's stories, a female character dresses in 'drag; for a large chunk of the story. The german Elisabeth Bergner has to do so and is extremely unconvincing as "Rosalind". Even if you forget about her soprano quality voice, she doesn't even remotely resemble a man and her actions are nothing short of female. One of Shakespeare's ironic twists is to have Rosalind (known as 'Gamymede') pretend to be 'Rosalind" so she can still be courted by Laurence Olivier. But, this device falls flat with the weak performance. there are a couple weird moments, like the suggestive appearance by a snake and a lion for a couple seconds of film. The film itself moves along at a brisk pace thanks to simple direction and a great adaption by PETER PAN creator, J M Barrie.

Rating:
Summary: Wished to like it more...
Review: "As You like It" is one of Shakespeare's most produced plays, and its also one of the slightest... And with its light tone, it makes for fun viewing. This film, however, has to many detractions to make it anything beyond good. As with many of Will's stories, a female character dresses in 'drag; for a large chunk of the story. The german Elisabeth Bergner has to do so and is extremely unconvincing as "Rosalind". Even if you forget about her soprano quality voice, she doesn't even remotely resemble a man and her actions are nothing short of female. One of Shakespeare's ironic twists is to have Rosalind (known as 'Gamymede') pretend to be 'Rosalind" so she can still be courted by Laurence Olivier. But, this device falls flat with the weak performance. there are a couple weird moments, like the suggestive appearance by a snake and a lion for a couple seconds of film. The film itself moves along at a brisk pace thanks to simple direction and a great adaption by PETER PAN creator, J M Barrie.

Rating:
Summary: A Knowing Orlando Courts a Deranged Rosalind
Review: A charming, if prudish, version of "As You Like It". In this adaptation, Celia is taller than Rosalind (abiding by Le Beau's lines in I, ii of the First Folio and disregarding Rosalind's line in I, iii about being "more than common tall" - which is cut here). Felix Ayimer is excellent as Duke Frederick but many other characters are marginalized as the script, reduced to about half its full length, focuses on Orlando and Rosalind. I miss some of the racy passages and rants of Jacques and Touchstone that have been excised. Elisabeth Bergner's performance is affected and histrionic but an interesting dynamic develops (whether intentionally or unintentionally) between her Ganymede and Olivier's Orlando. I suspect that Olivier's Orlando knows from the moment he meets Ganymede that he is, indeed, Rosalind. He plays it with such subtlety, though, as if the director wasn't in on the choice. Bergner's Rosalind seems to be mentally unstable, just a bit off. Olivier's Orlando is attracted to her capriciousness and exuberance. Overall, I enjoyed the film more than I enjoyed Sir Peter Hall's puzzling production (2005 at BAM) with his daughter Rebecca as Rosalind (she was the weak link in a superb cast). I viewed the film on VHS and the sound quality was awful. Maybe they improved it for the DVD.

Rating:
Summary: A great bargain video!
Review: Excellent picture & sound quality on this EP speed tape mastered from a Blackhawk Films 16mm filmprint. Oliver is great in this film. You will love it!

Rating:
Summary: Try the 1978 version with Helen Mirren
Review: I have always enjoyed this movie even though the VHS version has very poor sound and picture quality. The DVD is much improved in both areas and is worth the additional investment (don't expect digital quality though). I love Olivier (young and handsome here) and considered him the star of this film, but the DVD keep box has about three "pages" of film history that set me straight. It explains that at the time this film was produced Elizabeth Bergener was the big star and Laurence Olivier a struggling young hopeful. Bergener insisted on him as Orlando. Her husband was the director of this and many other of her films. Also, I found her voice shrill, but hear it a bit differently now that I know that English is not her first language (she came to England as a fleeing Germany where she was already an international star). Fascinating stuff, a great film and good DVD quality.

Rating:
Summary: DVD is a big improvement
Review: I have always enjoyed this movie even though the VHS version has very poor sound and picture quality. The DVD is much improved in both areas and is worth the additional investment (don't expect digital quality though). I love Olivier (young and handsome here) and considered him the star of this film, but the DVD keep box has about three "pages" of film history that set me straight. It explains that at the time this film was produced Elizabeth Bergener was the big star and Laurence Olivier a struggling young hopeful. Bergener insisted on him as Orlando. Her husband was the director of this and many other of her films. Also, I found her voice shrill, but hear it a bit differently now that I know that English is not her first language (she came to England as a fleeing Germany where she was already an international star). Fascinating stuff, a great film and good DVD quality.

Rating:
Summary: At Long Last Like
Review: This is my favorite Shakespeare play, and I've often wondered why no one has ever made another movie version in all this time. This adaption is dated but generally well done, with an actively moving camera and some scattered attempts at making it more than merely a "filmed play." If you've seen it on TV then you probably remember the sound as awful and the picture pretty blurry (like many public domain movies, awful prints are everywhere). So know that this dvd is from an excellent print, with the sound much clearer, (though still not great) and the picture 10 times better than I have seen. So if you are wondering if this dvd is worth getting even if only to replace your inaudible old VHS copy, then let me assure you Arden has never looked better, nor Elisabeth Bergner's shrill voice more effortlessly deciphered. I would not change it.

Rating:
Summary: At Long Last Like
Review: This is my favorite Shakespeare play, and I've often wondered why no one has ever made another movie version in all this time. This adaption is dated but generally well done, with an actively moving camera and some scattered attempts at making it more than merely a "filmed play." If you've seen it on TV then you probably remember the sound as awful and the picture pretty blurry (like many public domain movies, awful prints are everywhere). So know that this dvd is from an excellent print, with the sound much clearer, (though still not great) and the picture 10 times better than I have seen. So if you are wondering if this dvd is worth getting even if only to replace your inaudible old VHS copy, then let me assure you Arden has never looked better, nor Elisabeth Bergner's shrill voice more effortlessly deciphered. I would not change it.

Rating:
Summary: Try the 1978 version with Helen Mirren
Review: This is not a bad play, but it feels tight. I wanted to see it to compare with the 1978 version with Helen Mirren (just about impossible to find - try Ambrose Video and sit down for the price). The setting is forcefully lush, but feels plastic. My general view is that Shakespeare needs to be "slowed down", performance-wise and most old movies (40-50 years) seem rushed.