dreadful, bloodless, cobwebbed version of shakespeare's comedy. one couldn't imagine a worse version. it misses everything that is essential to shakespeare. it is utterly tame and well behaved, the actors standing and intoning their lines in almost comically formal british accents. most high school productions would put the sets and costumes to shame. they look like some leftovers from a fairy tale project. this is most notable for featuring a young olivier. it is perhaps time to reconsider his reputation as "greatest actor of his generation". i'm sure he was brilliant on stage, but here (& in w. heights, p. & prejudice, henry v, etc.) he is listless & unconvincing. he does every line in the exact same voice, with the exact same emphasis. he might as well be reading the evening news. shakespeare's language is trampled on, then drained of all pith and marrow by the so-called actors. a terrible film (all point & shoot camera work) & a terrible interpretation of shakespeare.
Review of As You Like It
