Release Date: 5/10/2005 Original Release: 2004 Format: DVD Length: 131 minutes Rating:R (MPAA) Rating Reason: some nudity UPC: 043396109100 Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Dramas, Romance, Period Piece, Theatrical Release, Shakespeare, Jewish, Money
Description
One of the immortal bard's most frequently performed works gets a first-rate cinematic treatment here, via director Michael Radford (IL POSTINO). Al Pacino is virtually unrecognizable as Shylock, bringing an old-world gravitas to the role and clearly inspiring the rest of the cast to match his intensity. They succeed, and the result is riveting, rousing entertainment. Even if one is familiar with the play in advance, this is white-knuckle suspense and swooning romance all the way through. A 16th-century Venetian sea merchant (Jeremy Irons), devoted to a young lord (Joseph Fiennes), owes a debt for "a pound of flesh" to the anguished Jewish moneylender Shylock. Lovingly filmed in Venice, the film looks great, with settings and costumes all sporting a dusky, lived-in look that matches the subdued, naturalistic interpretation of the dialogue. Lynn Collins is excellent and ethereal as Portia, and her love scenes with Fiennes have an alchemical power that lifts them to dizzyingly mythic romantic heights. Vague homoerotic content and the grim realities of Jewish oppression are not shied away from here, which lends the film further richness and complexity. With the play's rich array of dramatic and comedic elements all perfectly in tune, MERCHANT OF VENICE earns its place as the first truly great Shakespeare film of the 21st century.
DVD Features
Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35 Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 - English Subtitles - English - Closed Captioning Subtitles - French - Optional Additional Release Material: Featurette: Making of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE Audio Commentary: Michael Radford - Director, Lynn Collins - Star Trailers: Sony Pictures Previews DVD-ROM Features: Weblinks: Teachers' Guide
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Talk about no plot! I had never read this Shakespeare play, and I wish I had because nothing really made sense. It was difficult to understand the motivations of some of the characters. Al Pacino was... Read the whole review at MatchFlick
Posted on January 29, 2005
Reviewed by: Nelson
"The Merchant of Venice" has always been one of Shakespeare's most difficult plays for modern audiences because of the cruelty exhibited by one of its main characters, Shylock, the Jewish moneylender... Read the whole review at MatchFlick
Posted on February 21, 2005
Posted on January 29, 2005
