Shakespeare Films: A Re-evaluation of 100 Years of Adaptations

By Peter E S Babiak

This study reexamines the recognized "canon" of films based on Shakespeare's plays, and argues that it should be broadened by breaking with two unnecessary standards: the characterization of the director as "auteur" of a play's screen adaptation, and the convention of excluding films with contemporary language or modern or alternative settings or which use the play as a subtext. The emphasis is shifted from the director's contribution to the film's social, cultural and historical contexts. The work of the auteurs is reevaluated within present-day contexts, preserving the established canon while proposing new criteria for inclusion.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1476662541
• ISBN13: 9781476662541
• Release Date: May 2016
• Publisher: McFarland & Company
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.9" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher