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William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream [VHS] [1999]
 
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William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream [VHS] [1999]

VHS ~ Kevin Kline
3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)

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8 new from £7.32 10 used from £0.90 2 collectible from £6.95

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Product details

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
By far the best thing about director Michael Hoffman's A Midsummer Night's Dream is the extraordinary all-star cast, which follows the precedent created by Kenneth Branagh's Italian-set romantic Shakespeare comedy, Much Ado About Nothing (1993), of mixing major Hollywood stars, here Kevin Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer, with top British talent, in this instance Christian Bale, Rupert Everett, Roger Rees, David Strathairn and Dominic West. Kline makes a fine Nick Bottom, with Pfeiffer equally good as the fairy queen Titania and Everett brooding effectively as Oberon. Unfortunately, while both look ravishing, it is hard to tell which actress between Anna Friel (Brookside) and Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal) gives the most wretched performance. Both are completely out of their depth the moment they begin to speak, and utterly outclassed by the excellent Sophie Marceau. Shot in Tuscany and set in the 19th century, parts of the film are extraordinarily beautiful, while other sections could have benefited from some judicious special effects magic. This is not a bad movie, but it is rather uninspired, lacking any real imaginative grasp of the play. In contrast, the much less well known and lower budget Royal Shakespeare Company version of 1996 positively revels in the fantastically surreal possibilities this timeless text. --Gary S. Dalkin

Synopsis
An adaptation of William Shakespeare's most loved romantic comedy.

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream [VHS] [1999]
84% buy the item featured on this page:
William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream [VHS] [1999] 3.9 out of 5 stars (23)
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The Shakespeare Collection - Romeo And Juliet/William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream/The Merchant Of Venice/Love's Labour's Lost [DVD] 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
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Much Ado About Nothing [DVD] [1993] 4.3 out of 5 stars (52)
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Twelfth Night [DVD] [1996]
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Customer Reviews

23 Reviews
5 star:
 (11)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Bottom is top!, 7 Jan 2004
By Mandy Bennett (St. Peter Port, Guernsey United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream [DVD] [1999] (DVD)
I was deeply unimpressed with the casting of this glossy version of one of my favourite plays, until Kevin Kline appeared on screen. Not only is his performance sublime, but he actually gave an interpretation of Bottom that I have never seen before, one that I found very human and moving. He is worth the admission price alone. Just as well since most of the other performances left me indifferent. Kline's performance lifts this to a four star rating, along with the fantastic incidental music - I've rarely heard the Mascagni used so effectively.
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Enchantingly Beautiful, 18 Mar 2004
By Stephen (WASHINGTON, Tyne Wear United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream [DVD] [1999] (DVD)
This film especially for those perhaps visiting Shakespeare for the first time will find the setting of this play curious, yet very beautiful - clearly Shakespere is for all ages and for all times. The acting is superb and I do admit that Calista Flockhart takes this journey into the world of Shakespere wonderfully well (talented and very Beautiful!) Not too diminish the charms of both Michelle Pfeiffer and Anna Friel who seems to have been overlooked on the credits (? why) but Calista as Shakespearian Actress demonstrates she is far more than Ally Mc Beal! The cast, costume and settings of this play can be summed up as magical, in sixty years I have to rate this film as the absolute best ever for me.

Film has become violent and quite blatant in its exploitation of sex. This film is undoubtedly sensual - like the classical music that backs the film is sensual, but it it also fun and the special effects add to this sense of sheer delight.

Give this film a chance - let yourself go - watch Shakespere for once - this is how Shakespeare should be - not dried out in the school classroom - but full of wonderful life - and not a little spice!

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Magical - loved it, 9 Sep 2005
By K. A. Engel "skeadugenga" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream [DVD] [1999] (DVD)
I've never greatly cared for this play, like 12th Night it seemed more cruel than funny. Therefore I approached an "All Star" version with caution. However this film was a delightful surprise, not only is it a very good ensemble, but the director has managed to make sense of the humour of the "rude mechanicals" for me for the first time. I think this interpretation, even if its not slavishly faithful to the play, gets closer to the intended humour. Its the first version I've seen that actually made me laugh and believe Puck's assertion at the end that no harm has really been done.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh so pretty
As a huge Shakespeare fan and a GCSE English teacher I can only say that this is the best adaptation i have ever seen (as it is my favourite of his 43 plays I have seen about 25... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mrs. E. Green

5.0 out of 5 stars What a joy
This was an absolute joy to watch the acting was wonderful, the filming was perfect - a good way to get the ironing done - as time passes on well.
Published 4 months ago by M. H. Stagg

5.0 out of 5 stars Midsummer Nights dream
Simply magical - if you don't know the play, or you think Shakespeare is not for you - see this fabulous, funny, sexy dreamscape as an anti-dote to winter blues. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. Ec Huxtable

1.0 out of 5 stars Oh Dear Lord, Make It STOP!
How can I communicate the aberration that this represents?
I hope that a number of you will be repelled simply to hear that the roles of Hermia and Helena are taken (and... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Lovborg

2.0 out of 5 stars An inadequate version
Although visually attractive, there is little to praise in this version.
The text is so full of delights that it musty have taken real effort to come up with such a tedious... Read more
Published 22 months ago by D. Cottam

4.0 out of 5 stars Best version I've seen so far of this entertaining play
I've only one minus really on this production, that this Oberon isn't quite as good as the Oberon in the Beeb's Shakespeare Retold set - that Oberon was quite wonderful although... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Helen

5.0 out of 5 stars Best version I've seen yet of this great Shakespeare play
Splendid acting, splendid scenery, splendid conception altogether and especially from Kevin Kline who avoids making Bottom a bit of a twerp but instead presents him as a man with... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Helen

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good acting with ironically fine sense of period
Strangely enough for a play written in the Tudor era and possibly set in Ancient Greece, this presents a very rich Victorian England to us. Read more
Published on 5 Jun 2007 by Fraser MacDougall

4.0 out of 5 stars Words, words, words! I want to hear every one!
This should have merited all five stars: it is my favourite play and,having other versions,I bought this mainly for the lovely Calista. Read more
Published on 6 Jul 2006 by RogerDWMccutcheon

5.0 out of 5 stars A tale well told
There are many good versions of "William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.” Among which is this well played Michael Hoffman (1999) version. Read more
Published on 16 Mar 2006 by bernie

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