Late in my life I have been working through reading all of Shakespeare's plays. Having recorded King Lear with Anthony Hopkins, I waited until I had read the play before watching it. Probably just as well as Lear is one of the plays that is difficult to digest in one reading. It certainly helped in following this filmed version, particularly as I felt Hopkin's Welsh accent was so difficult to understand when his temper is up. It is the only weak point however in this striking production. Other reviewers are complaining that much of the text has been cut but as this is basically a movie, that's par for the course. You cannot hold an audience's attention in film if it's too long in talkative scenes. As I understood the basic story from having read the play I was particularly enthralled with the second half which I found gripping.
The supporting cast are all good with outstanding performances I thought from Jim Broadbent as Gloucester, Emily Watson as Regan and Jim Carter as Kent. Florence Pugh, Tobias Menzies, Andrew Scott & Emma Thompson are all excellent too.
Some scenes are quite shocking in their brutality so not for the faint hearted viewer.
Set in modern times, I thought it worked quite well although being at war with France seemed odd in today's age. I suggest you familiarise yourself with the basic story first before watching this, as Hopkins' accent is difficult to hear when he takes off.
The supporting cast are all good with outstanding performances I thought from Jim Broadbent as Gloucester, Emily Watson as Regan and Jim Carter as Kent. Florence Pugh, Tobias Menzies, Andrew Scott & Emma Thompson are all excellent too.
Some scenes are quite shocking in their brutality so not for the faint hearted viewer.
Set in modern times, I thought it worked quite well although being at war with France seemed odd in today's age. I suggest you familiarise yourself with the basic story first before watching this, as Hopkins' accent is difficult to hear when he takes off.