An update of the classic Shakespeare story, director Kenneth Branagh shot the film like a classic 1930s musical. It tells the story of four best friends who swear off love.An update of the classic Shakespeare story, director Kenneth Branagh shot the film like a classic 1930s musical. It tells the story of four best friends who swear off love.An update of the classic Shakespeare story, director Kenneth Branagh shot the film like a classic 1930s musical. It tells the story of four best friends who swear off love.
- Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations total
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe actors did their own singing.
- GoofsWhile the movie's concentrating on what is obviously WW2, one of the paper shown announces the end of the war on November 11, which is in fact the date of the end of WW1 in 1918 (the end of WW2 being on May 8, 1945 in Europe and August 15 in Asia).
- Quotes
Berowne: From women's eyes this doctrine I derive: They are the ground, the books, the academes, from whence doth spring the true Promethean fire. O, we have made a vow to study, lords, and in that vow we have forsworn our books; For when would you, my liege, or you, or you in leaden contemplation have found out such fiery numbers as the prompting eyes of beauty's tutors have enriched you with? Other slow arts entirely keep the brain, and therefore, finding barren practisers, scarce show a harvest of their heavy toil; But love, first learned in a lady's eyes, lives not alone immured in the brain but with the motion of all elements courses as swift as thought in every power and gives to every power a double power, above their functions and their offices. It adds a precious seeing to the eye: A lover's eyes will gaze an eagle blind. A lover's ear will hear the lowest sound. Love's feeling is more soft and sensible than are the tender horns of cockled snails. Love's tongue proves dainty Bacchus gross in taste, for valour, is not Love a Hercules, still climbing trees in the Hesperides? Subtle as Sphinx, as sweet and musical as bright Apollo's lute, strung with his hair. And when Love speaks, the voice of all the gods make heaven drowsy with the harmony.
[begins to sing the song "Cheek to Cheek"]
Berowne: Heaven, /I'm in heaven. /And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak...
- Alternate versionsThe UK Region 2 DVD contains 5 deleted scenes:
- The boys are arguing about the girls and about breaking the vows the made.
- Moth, Constable Dull, Holofernia, Sir Nathaniel and Costard and discussing what to perform for the king, the princess and their company. They descide upon performing ^Óthe 9 worthies^Ô. Parts of this scene can be seen in the news reels.
- The third extra scene is an extended version of the scene were the girls are discussing and mocking the gifts they received from the men. The extra parts are extra dialogue for Katherine and Rosaline. Katherine tells the story of a girl who died from melancholly. Rosaline has an extended part of dialogue in which she mocks the men and Berowne specifically.
- There is a alternative scene for the masked dance scene more true to the story of Shakespeare. The boys dress up as Russians who specially came to visit the girls.
- The fifth scene is the performance of 'the 9 worthies' by the supporting characters.
- The UK Region 2 DVD does also contain various outtakes. Some of these were cut (ca. 4 seconds) to maintain the "U" rating.
- SoundtracksI'd Rather Charleston
by George Gershwin and Desmond Carter
Performed by Kenneth Branagh, Alessandro Nivola, Matthew Lillard and Adrian Lester
It's truly "there's no business like show business like no business I know." Here Shakespeare and his comedy of errors, a-mixing and a-matching love signals at play again. This common "love bug" (literally so) theme is ever present: in "A Midsummer Night's Dream", in "Much Ado About Nothing", it's all love wires a-blindly and mistaken assumptions a-crisscrossing. 'Tis all seeds of "Love's Labour's Lost."
The outstanding ensemble cast, the charming pairings of the lovers, the song and dance numbers (including a sizzling "Let's face the music and dance"), the costumes and sets, Branagh's script and the "Cinetone News" segments, his impeccable direction, and Patrick Doyle, a vital collaborator who provided the attractive score -- collectively made this romantic musical comedy most entertaining.
Branagh's passion in showing off Shakespeare in film media for all to enjoy is beyond evident. It all seem so facile, yet obviously there's plenty of love in nourishing this dream, lots of labour unrelenting from all involved in this production, and the lost would be Branagh's total steadfast lost in realizing this project -- love, labour, 'lost' shiningly shows. He's out done himself!
If you like musicals, romantic comedies, light-hearted Shakespeare -- go for it. The only special effect here is Branagh's magic.
- How long is Love's Labour's Lost?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Aşkın Emeği Boşuna
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $13,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $299,792
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $24,496
- Jun 11, 2000
- Gross worldwide
- $299,792
- Runtime1 hour 33 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1