King Lear (1987)
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50% of critics liked it
(8 reviews) -
46% of users liked it
(1,640 ratings)
Two highly talented and innovative directors -- filmdom's Jean-Luc Godard and the theatre world's Peter Sellars -- join forces in this unusual (to say the least) slant on Shakespeare's King Lear. This offbeat adaptation gives the viewer a postmodern taste of Shakespeare through the eyes… More Two highly talented and innovative directors -- filmdom's Jean-Luc Godard and the theatre world's Peter Sellars -- join forces in this unusual (to say the least) slant on Shakespeare's King Lear. This offbeat adaptation gives the viewer a postmodern taste of Shakespeare through the eyes of a deliberately obscure auteur. The film is set some time after Chernobyl has wiped everything out, and the world is trying to set itself right again. William Shakespeare Jr. the Fifth (Peter Sellars) is faced with the task of restoring his famed ancestor's lost works. He visits a resort in Switzerland and becomes fascinated with a visiting gangster, Don Learo (Burgess Meredith) and his lovely daughter, Cordelia (Molly Ringwald), who converse in actual Shakespearean lines. That's as close to the bard as this King Lear gets. It also includes appearances by Woody Allen, Norman Mailer, and director Godard himself as "The Professor," a deranged individual who seems fascinated with Xeroxing his own hand. ~ John Voorhees, Rovi
- Directed By
- Jean-Luc Godard
- Genres
- Drama, Art House & International, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Special Interest
PG,
- In Theaters
- Sep 15, 1987 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Hal Hinson, Washington Post
Behind this is Godard's inability to resolve an essential contradiction in his work -- his reverence for ideas and theories and all sorts of philosophical speculation, and his utter disregard for a sustained, coherent presentation of them.
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Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Cinematographer Sophie Mantigneux creates crisp, memorable images and Godard masterfully edits them together (whether the final result is worth the effort is subject to question).
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Phil Hall, Film Threat
Shakespeare through the Godard meat-grinder.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
A challenge, as with all Godard, but not quite his most rewarding one.
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Cast
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Burgess Meredith
as Don Learo
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Peter Sellars
as Williams Shakespeare Jr. the Fifth
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Molly Ringwald
as Cordelia
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Jean-Luc Godard
as Professor
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Woody Allen
as Mr. Alien
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Norman Mailer
as Himself
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Kate Mailer
as Herself
- Julie Delpy
- Suzanne Lanza
- Ray Smith
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Leos Carax
as Edgar
