Last night we watched this 1996 film version, directed by Trevor Nunn, of one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, and my wife and I both thought it was wonderful (we don’t always agree). It’s very lavishly produced, almost to a fault—one could argue that it’s overdone, but for me the richness of it succeeds very well in creating an atmosphere which is not really of this world but isn’t too far off, either. I can’t imagine what thought process led Nunn to use a 19th century English setting, but it works beautifully.
The word “Mozartean” comes to mind: it’s lyrical and poignant, but with a certain quickness and an underlying joyousness, even in the scenes of sadness and conflict—all of which fits this play perfectly, in my opinion.The acting is all very fine, with Ben Kingsley’s oddly grave Feste likely to become permanently fixed in my mind as the real one.
Pre-TypePad
Light On Dark Water 
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