While not completely faithful to Shakespeare in the setting, the film is perfectly faithful in the tone and in the dialogue. Kevin Kline and Stanley Tucci deliver fine performances. Calysta Flockhart is hilarious as the star-crossed Helena. I use this every semester when I teach the play and it never fails to make the students laugh. The actors' performances help my students see past the archaic, if beautiful, language of Shakespeare. This is the third copy I've bought. The other two were stolen by students--I presume the reason was that they loved it so much.
If there was a category below poor, I would have chosen it. This movie is TERRIBLE! The acting throughout is awful--flat, uninspired, boring. This, of all Shakespeare's plays, deserves to be light, but Hoffman has made it heavy as lead, with no mystery, no beauty, no understanding, even, of the play and its poetry. I will never inflict this on myself again. If you want "A Midsummer Night's Dream," stick to the 1935 version. Even in black and white it has more magic than this version, and the actors are superb.
Really enjoyed this movie and played with no glitches. Would reccommend.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Well worth the price. Very good picture quality. It's one of my husband's favorite Shakespeare movies.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This delightful film makes Shakespeare immediately accessible to everyone, even those who've never been exposed to Shakespeare before. Stanley Tucci's interpretation of Puck is utterly captivating. I bought this DVD because I am a Shakespeare fan, and I also performed a role in this particular play a number of years ago.
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