Word: lear
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...deodorized versions of the original. They read Shakespeare precisely because they realize that he belongs to a different world and time, and they want to taste and sense that time." Since last week marked the 420th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth, perhaps the final word (excerpted from King Lear) should go to the Bard himself: "Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.'' -By Gerald Clarke. Reported by Melissa August/Washington
...jargon of the '70s, more process than product, but none the more palatable for that. Nor did the market like them much; collectors who saw the late work as much more than the repetitive spoutings of an old man raging against death were few and far between. Lear à l'espagnol, no doubt, but one need not queue for tickets...
EVERY INTERPRETATION of King Lear must finally decide on the overall pessimism or optimism of the tragedy's ambivalent ending. Does Lear die for joy at the end, imagining that Cordelia returns to life, or rather does he die with a broken heart unable to bear the loss of his beloved daughter...
Kozintsev's version finds a credible and effective medium between the two choices. Against the hellish background of a black and smoldering castle, the camera shows Lear's death and then curiously turns towards the open gateway of the castle, giving a view of the white-capped water over which a few seagulls lazily fly. It is as if the camera were following the heavenly acensions of Lear's and Cordelia's souls, the only characters to whom redemption is finally offered...
...lyrical black and white photography of stormy skies, barking dog and the imposing grandeur of the Russian landscape play no small role in the overall success of the film in which visual images rise above the language barrier. King Lear is not suitable viewing material for a restless Saturday night; but for an audience willing to participate actively in the drama, it is nothing short of breath-taking...