The Tempest [DVD]

What a splendid rendition of the tempest with such a wild and wondeful cast. As with so many Shakespeare plays that have no place or time this one goes all the way for modern visual effects and there are plenty. I wasnt at all bothered by the transition from Prospero to Prospera which Mirren played. She did her best to make it cold but sadly missed a lot of the calculating although I quite looked the outside looking in approach.She had the material magic but didnt quite frighten her prey as much as I would have liked but the diction and enunciation were impecable. All of the rest of the cast did an excellent job also but the main star was the location. It really was a mythical dessert island like you had never seen or known. The atmosphere was very much Lord of the Rings style adding to the pace. All the comic and clown parts were top grade too. A particular hats off to Russell Brand. He really gave it all he'd got. I believe it was Shakespeare's last play and I think he, like many great artists, was trying to break new, other worldly ground. I always like to think of Prospero/as' setting free of Ariel rather like the Bard saying goodbye to his life long muse.This is a must for any avid Shakespeare collector.

Let me say right off: I am a total Bardolator. I teach Shakespeare, I am obsessed with Shakespeare, I have read and seen all the plays, and my love affair with the Bard began with seeing a live performance of The Tempest in 1975. It was pure magic. I also love movies, and I believe that in the 21st century, filmed versions of Shakespeare's plays are probably the best way to reach the widest audience. The sneers and sniffs of snobs aside, I am convinved that if Will were alive today, he'd be writing movie screenplays (or even television), NOT stage plays, which today tend to be aimed at a narrow, elite, theatre-going audience.

As a literature professor who has been teaching The Tempest for a decade now, I have always been singularly bemused by the lack of a filmed version that really captures the magical spirit of the play. The old TV Richard Burton show is well-acted but silly, the BBC version has great actors but terrible, flat production values, Prospero's Books is brilliant but incomprehensible to all but those who know the play intimately, Derek Jarman's version is terribly dated and, despite being a good "film," just doesn't work as The Tempest, in my opinion. The other, "scholastic" releases are plagued by poor production and/or undistinguished acting. And I won't even bother with "adaptations" of the plot, such as Forbidden Planet or Cassavettes's Tempest.

Until this version, the only truly excellent version of The Tempest was the HBO animated one, but at 25 minutes, not much of Shakespeare's story remained intact.

This past spring I had the great pleasure of seeing Julie Taymor's The Tempest in London. It was absolutely amazing. The magic was there! The acting, for the most part, was brilliant. The script contained enough of the actual play's language that the minor tweakings to make it easier for contemporary audiences did not bother me a bit. The visuals were absolutely stunning. The movie was a joy from start to finish. I can't wait to see it again--repeatedly--to savor all the special moments over and again. My only regret is that my students will be unable to see it this year due to the late release date.

If you love Shakespeare, and if you enjoy movie adaptations of the plays, DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!

Oooops ...... looks like we are going to get very diverse views here, take your pick I guess. Do understand the previous review to a degree, I'm not usually taken with Shakespeare being mucked around with too much and The Tempest is my favourite Shakespeare, but found this production both refreshing and entertaining - even with Russell Brand in it - well done Julie Taymor. Found Helen Mirren cast as Prospera (Prospero) a very clever move, nice take, got my attention anyway - honestly was a bit sceptical about this but it really worked well, she was magnificent. Loved the CGI effects for Ariel, liked Caliban lots, great setting.Well worth a watch if you can just accept something a bit different, a nice entertaining interpretation on Shakespeare's lovely fantasy! I keep coming back here waiting for the dvd as I really want to see it again.