Shakespeare Day: 5 best movies based on Shakespeare's popular plays that you must watch

Romeo+Juliet (1996)

Romeo+Juliet is based on one of the Bard’s most acclaimed plays. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the title role. They hail from two warring business families but fall in love nonetheless. Baz Luhrmann, the director, flawlessly harnesses the power of music to enhance the scenes, mood, and cinematography, giving spectators a positive viewing experience. This film is regarded as one of the most influential Shakespeare film adaptations.

Available: Apple TV

Hamlet (1996)

Kenneth Branagh has taken the director’s chair for many Shakespeare adaptations and this is of his more celebrated works. The movie is the first theatrical adaptation of Hamlet without any abridgements, and it features an impressive ensemble cast comprising the director himself in the eponymous role, Kate Winslet, Billy Crystal, Charlton Heston, and Judi Dench. It gained four nominations for Academy Awards, particularly for the outstanding set and costume designs.

Available: Amazon Prime Video

Macbeth (2015)

This historical drama features Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and Paddy Considine. The movie follows Macbeth (Fassbender), a Scottish leader who becomes greedy for power after he learns that he would one day become the king according to a prophecy. The movie dramatises the physical and psychological consequences of political ambition on individuals who desire power for its own sake. Cotillard and Fassbender’s powerful performances stand out and dazzle, making this a visual treat as well.

Available: Amazon Prime Video

10 Things I Hate About You

This classic teen romcom stars actors Julia Stiles, the late Heath Ledger, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew has been modernised and set at a high school in the 1990s. The plot revolves around Kat Stratford, who is intelligent and rude to most of her peers, which means she doesn’t attract many boys. Unfortunately for her younger sister, Bianca, house rules state that she cannot date until Kat has a lover, so threads are pulled to set up the dour damsel for a romance. This movie is distinctive and popular interpretation of the Shakespeare play.

Available: Disney+Hotstar

She’s The Man (2006)

This is a modern-day and light-hearted adaptation of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Twelfth Night. It stars Amanda Bynes as Viola Hastings, an adolescent who pretends to be a boy in order to participate on the boys’ soccer team at a boarding school. The story revolves around the life of Viola Johnson. This film introduced the Shakespeare play to a new generation in a fun and entertaining way.

Available: Amazon Prime Video

Published on: Saturday, April 22, 2023, 06:00 PM IST