Twelfth Night DVD Credits:

Region: 1

Twelfth Night DVD Release Date: 12th May 2008

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Twelfth Night DVD Review:

It is extremely difficult to take a Shakespearean play and make it fresh and new. There have been thousands of stage productions and dozens of film adaptations for almost every one of William Shakespeare’s works. His comedy, Twelfth Night, is no exception to over presentation. The 1969 ITV (British version of PBS) Saturday Night Theatre rendition of the extreme case of misidentification, doesn’t add anything new in its production.

After a shipwreck, causing her to separate from her twin brother, Viola (Joan Plowright) finds herself on the shores of Illyria. There, she disguises herself as a page and begins to work for Duke Orsino (Gary Raymond). He gives her the task of wooing the Countess Olivia (Adrienne Corri) who then falls for Viola in disguise as the page Cesario. Not only is Viola a woman, but also she is in love with the Duke. The confusion grows when Sebastian, her twin brother also finds his way to Illyria.

Though the film is filled with stage actors, the play is not performed on a stage. But it also isn’t performed on a set, or at least not the set one would expect in a film. The set is sparse, with the painted backgrounds expected of a theatre production. However, there is depth and distance within the space. The minimal design of the stage/set makes the audience focus on the actors.

It’s not that the actors are bad. In fact, they are all renowned thespians that perform the play very well. With the exception of Alec Guinness (yes, Obi Wan Kenobi) and Adrienne Corri, the actors are unable to convert their stage acting for the camera. Also, the film is cast for thespian ability, not for looks. Joan Plowright, who puts in a strong performance as Viola, is too old for the role and therefore loses believability.

The film, at least, isn’t shot like a staged play. The use of fades (though rather long at times) smoothes scene transitions. Also, when characters monologue, the monologue turns into voiceovers. The filmmakers took advantage of the medium and invented visuals and cuts that weren’t built into the original play.

The disc lacks any special features, including subtitles. For Shakespearean films presented by the British who lack modern sound design capabilities, subtitles are not only desired but also essential. If it wasn’t for reading this play prior to viewing the film, I would have been lost without subtitles.

The purpose of ITV’s Saturday Night Theatre was to bring the theatre to the masses. This production of Twelfth Night, with its wonderful cast fulfills this. It isn’t, however, the best representation of the piece. Read the play first and then enjoy a group of fine thespians attempt to bring it to life.

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Twelfth Night DVD review written by: Lyz Reblin