King Lear (1987)

57% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
47% of users liked it
(1,614 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 of a… 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

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 50 min.
Directed By: Jean-Luc Godard
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Special Interest

In Theaters: Sep 15, 1987 Wide

Critic Reviews

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.
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).
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
A challenge, as with all Godard, but not quite his most rewarding one.

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Walter M

[font=Century Gothic][color=darkslategray]My love-hate relationship with Jean-Luc Godard continues here with his 1987 film "King Lear." It starts off with Norman Mailer and ends with Woody Allen. What it's about is much less clear: one of William Shakespeare's… More
[font=Century Gothic][color=darkslategray]My love-hate relationship with Jean-Luc Godard continues here with his 1987 film "King Lear." It starts off with Norman Mailer and ends with Woody Allen. What it's about is much less clear: one of William Shakespeare's descendants is hunting around for the old master's material while meanwhile running into various people including Burgess Meredith and Molly Ringwald, playing respectively, a writer obsessed with Jewish gangsters and his daughter, Cordelia. When he's done with Shakespeare's corpse, Godard goes to work on Virginia Woolf's corpse...[/color][/font] [font=Century Gothic][color=#2f4f4f][/color][/font] [font=Century Gothic][color=#2f4f4f]What does any of this have to do with King Lear? Very little, I think. But then I think that's the idea.[/color][/font]