King Lear

Richard Eyre's highly-praised 1997 Royal National Theatre production starring Ian Holm served as the basis for this excellent film adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy of old age and familial dissention, originally televised as part of the PBS Masterpiece Theatre series in 1998. Holm gives a towering, volatile performance in the title role, eschewing the frailty of many Lears for a cunning virility that makes his second-act descent into madness even more pathetic. The remainder of the cast isn't quite on his level, but veteran Timothy West makes a strong, affecting Gloucester, whose problems with his sons offer a powerful counterpoint to the king's trouble with his daughters. Eyre's vivid direction makes good use of the decidedly minimalist settings, bringing enormous energy to the play, although at times the close-in camerawork isn't very flattering to his staging (the duel between Edgar and Edmund, for example, looks rather bad). While the abridgement of the text will bother some viewers, overall this is a most impressive rendition of one of the Bard's greatest works. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)