The Tempest (1980)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Generally believed to have been William Shakespeare's final play, this is a typically excellent BBC production which is very well directed by John Gorrie, one of the corporation's best drama directors from the 1960s onwards. This is another Shakespearean play with which I was familiar only through reputation but I understand that it is a very faithful adaptation. While it is not on the same level as his absolute best work such as "Hamlet", "Macbeth" or "King Lear", it is a wonderfully told tale of sorcery, vaulting ambition, power and control.Michael Hordern may not have been as good a Shakespearean actor as Laurence Olivier or John Gielgud but he is terrific as Prospero. Exiled to an island after being usurped as Duke of Milan by his treacherous younger brother Antonio, he is nevertheless not a terribly sympathetic character. He abuses his great power and is cruel and vindictive, threatening to return Ariel to the prison in which he found him when he reminds him of his promise to free him. He enslaves Caliban and Ferdinand and is very controlling towards his daughter Miranda. However, as the play progresses, he becomes a better man as he renounces magic - which was of course considered a great evil in Shakespeare's time - and forgives Antonio for his betrayal 12 years earlier. His final speech has often been interpreted as representing the Bard's farewell to the theatre.Caliban is the most interesting character in the play after Prospero. At turns, he is both monstrous and pitiable. Warren Clarke is very good in the role. He serves as a very effective contrast to several other characters. For instance, in his first scene, it is mentioned that he attempted to rape Miranda, which is the antithesis of Ferdinand's sweet, pure love of her. He wants to gain control of the island in much the same way as Antonio seized the dukedom of Milan and Sebastian seeks to usurp his brother Alonso's throne. He is in many ways a dark reflection of Ariel, who is effectively played by David Dixon.The gentle, innocent Miranda is under her father's thumb for much of the play and, in that sense, she is well matched by the equally passive Ferdinand. Pippa Guard and Christopher Guard play their respective roles very well but I wish that I had not known that they were cousins in real life before I watched this as it made their professions of love a little...weird. Then again, they were playing royalty so it was pretty appropriate that they were blood relatives. Derek Godfrey gives an excellent performance as Antonio, being at his best in his interplay with Alan Rowe as Sebastian. As Trinculo and Stephano, Andrew Sachs and Nigel Hawthorne are often hilarious in their dealings with each other and Caliban and provide another great contrast, in this instance to the scheming lords Antonio and Sebastian.Overall, this is a first-rate production. It was made as part of the BBC Television Shakespeare series from 1978 to 1985, which will serve as my main source for many of his other plays, particularly the more infrequently adapted ones.

The Tempest is a beautiful tale set in the enchanting, vivid panorama of an island holding Prospero, his daughter Miranda and the respective consequences when usurped by a congregation of ship waders. What struck me most was the allusion in the end to Shakespeare's own seclusion from play-writing and the feeling of emptiness and dolor at being forgotten by his own patrons after his decline.This version strictly focuses on the performances and the theatricality of the play. The film has no artistic vision. The island seems empty and desolate, which seems incongruous since Prospero is a magician. The adaptation also never touches the soul, it manages to stay complacent and prosaic mainly because everyone is acting.However, the performances are commendable, especially from Pippa Guard, Michael Hordern, Andrew Sachs and Warren Clarke. Though the play itself acts supercilious in conveying the emotions and the performances lack the emotional intensity (In Sophie;s Choice, Meryl Streep gave a consummate effort by including all aspects of a performance. Everything was perfect yet imperfect since she just let out all the inner feelings of an actor at the right time i.e the Choice scene where she did the genius work of not improvising). Here everything looks improvised, meticulously done and relied on the vastly spectacular script by the veteran Shakespeare. Its still beautiful as the screenplay is original (thank God there was no sloppy editing). Nigel Hawthorne unfortunately did not seem to be drunk in any way, just a deluded, pompous butler. But Andrew Sachs cleverly played Trinculo. Pippa Guard gave her best shot and so did Michael Horden. Warren Clarke played an egregious, sycophantic and contemptible Caliban spot-on, especially that silly dance sequence where his ghastly steps seemed apt for the loathsome monster. Others were forgettable and Christopher Guard was unforgivably bad and clumsily dazed. Ariel's character was a shocker (a flesh-colored dress would have been better) and so was the dance of the spirits, that was uncomfortable. 8 out of 10.

Shakespeare's TEMPEST is magical, romantic, and full of delight. But the center of the play is the dynamic between Prospero, the wise old wizard, and his innocent but adventurous daughter Miranda.Pippa Guard is PERFECT as Miranda. She captures all of Miranda's sweetness and gentleness while adding courage and spirit and passion and even daring to the surface obedience she always displays. Watch the famous scene where Prospero talks on and on about his past and his great gifts and his magical plans to bring them home. At the end of his long-winded speech, he prevents Miranda from asking any further questions by waving his magic wand and sending her to sleep! It's a scene that often makes modern audiences groan aloud. But Pippa Guard has the most extraordinary gift for putting a world of passion and deep feeling into her face as she opens her mouth to protest. Her magnificent spirit is fully displayed, even though she has no verbal comeback to Prospero's manipulative magic. Even the surprised, confused, and then suddenly very sleepy look on her face cannot conceal her growing strength and her rebellious desire to know more.Pippa Guard is the model Shakespearean actress -- rendering the language beautifully and adding a world of meaning with just a single look or a glance.Pippa Guard Rocks!

The production values are weak, the handling of the spirits is laughable, the wedding masque is tedious, and Ferdinand's hairstyle seems, to our current sense of fashion, ludicrous. BUT this television of Shakespeare's play is to be prized for some excellent performances, most notably Michael Hordern's restrained, intelligent, compassionate and emotionally profound performance as Prospero. Listen to him handle the difficult exposition in Act I, watch how he gives his approval to his daughter's marriage, how he releases Ariel, and the wonderful transition he makes into the final epilogue. There are some fine performances here--you just have to look past some unfortunate design and directorial choices.