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Paul Scofield: King Lear
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Paul Scofield is Lear in this Brook production. With: Cyril Cusack as Albany, Susan Engel as Regan, Tom Fleming as Kent, Anne-Lise Gabold as Cordelia, Ian Hogg as Edmund Soren Elung Jensen as Duke of Burgundy, Robert Lloyd as Edgar, Jack MacGowran as Fool, Patrick Magee as Cornwall, Barry Stanton as Oswald, Alan Webb as Gloucester, and Irene Worth as Goneril. Notes: Adaptation of Shakespeare's play by Peter Brook. Cinematography by Henning Kristiansen. Edited by Kasper Schyberg.
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Synopsis: In director Peter Brook's King Lear, Paul Scofield portrays the title character, a senile old ruler, whose susceptibility to flattery proves his undoing. The premise involves Lear's ill-fated attempts to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters -- a goal that ultimately leads to tragedy. TheRead More
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Paul Scofield has always excelled in Shakespeare. To see him as Lear is to see nobility turn to pauperdom; pride to a frenzy of madness; manhood to senility, in the course of a unique dramatic experience. Directed by Peter Brook and backed by a skillful cast, his mastery and maturity are seen at their most stunning level. This performance, and this direction, must surely count as one of the classics in the history of great Shakespearean drama on film.
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Adapted by Robert Bolt and Constance Willis from Bolt's hit stage play, A Man for All Seasons stars Paul Scofield, triumphantly repeating his stage role as Sir Thomas More. The crux of the film is the staunchly Catholic More's refusal to acknowledge King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw)'s break from the church to divorce his first wife and marry Anne Boleyn (an unbilled Vanessa Redgrave). Sir Thomas willingly goes to the chopping block rather than sacrifice his ideals. Director Fred Zinnemann retains the play's verbosity without sacrificing the film's strong sense of visuals. The impeccably chosen cast includes Wendy Hiller as Sir Thomas' likably contentious wife Alice, John Hurt as the deceitful Richard Rich (More's put-downs of this despicable character provide some of the film's biggest laughs), Orson Welles as a dour Cardinal Woolsey, Leo McKern as the ambitious Thomas Cromwell, and Susannah York as More's daughter Margaret. The "Common Man," an important bridging-the-scenes character in the original play, is removed from the film version, which does just fine without him.
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The tragedy of King Lear receives an outstanding performance in an all-star cast led by Britain’s senior classical actor, Paul Scofield. He is joined by Alec McCowen as Gloucester, Ken Branagh as The Fool, Harriet Walter as Gonerill, Sara Kestelman as Regan and Emilia Fox as Cordelia.
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King Lear