Shakespeare the illusionist : magic, dreams, and the supernatural on film / Neil Forsyth.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Forsyth, Neil, 1944- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Dreams in motion pictures.

Illusion in motion pictures.

Supernatural in motion pictures.

Film adaptations--History and criticism.

Film adaptations.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--Film adaptations.

Shakespeare, William.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (viii, 223 pages)

Place of Publication:

Athens, Ohio : Ohio University Press, [2019]

Summary:

In Shakespeare the Illusionist, Neil Forsyth reviews the history of Shakespeare's plays on film, using the basic distinction in film tradition between what is owed to Méliès and what to the Lumière brothers. He then tightens his focus on those plays that include some explicit magical or supernatural elements-Puck and the fairies, ghosts and witches, or Prospero's island, for example-and sets out methodically, but with an easy touch, to review all the films that have adapted those comedies and dramas, into the present day. Forsyth's aim is not to offer yet another answer as to whether Shakespeare would have written for the screen if he were alive today, but rather to assess what various filmmakers and TV directors have in fact made of the spells, haunts, and apparitions in his plays. From analyzing early camera tricks to assessing contemporary handling of the supernatural, Forsyth reads Shakespeare films for how they use the techniques of moviemaking to address questions of illusion and dramatic influence. In doing so, he presents a bold step forward in Shakespeare and film studies, and his fresh take is presented in lively, accessible language that makes the book ideal for classroom use.

Contents:

Introduction : from stage to screen

Part one. Film language. Silent ghosts, speaking ghosts : movies about movies

Melies and the pioneers

Part two. Shakespeare films. "Stay, illusion"

Supernatural comedies : A midsummer night's dream and The tempest

"The most unfortunate major film ever produced" : Shakespeare and the talkies

Ghosts and courts : the openings of Hamlet

Macbeth and the supernatural

Conclusion. A new hybrid : Taymor's dream.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 203-215) and index.

ISBN:

9780821446478

0821446479

OCLC:

1138875783