asian cinema and shakespeare

topic posted Tue, October 17, 2006 - 9:08 PM by  Erin Sara
i am looking for asian films based on shakespeares plays, if you know of any good ones or where i may buy/rent them please let me know
posted by:
Erin Sara
Washington
  • Re: asian cinema and shakespeare

    Tue, October 17, 2006 - 10:39 PM
    Well-known adaptations were Akira Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood" ("Macbeth") and "Ran" ("King Lear"), which is also one of my favorite films.

    You can rent them anywhere.
  • Re: asian cinema and shakespeare

    Wed, October 18, 2006 - 8:57 AM
    kurosawa's the bad sleep well(1963) is an update of shakespeare's hamlet set in modern day corporate life in japan.

    ff
    • Re: asian cinema and shakespeare

      Wed, October 18, 2006 - 1:46 PM
      I can't think offhand of any Asian directors who have done adaptations other than Kurosawa. Though I would be more surprised if there weren't others out there.

      An IMDB search of plot summaries on "Shakespeare" and various Asian countries only produced one that sounded like a contender:

      Qing ren jie (2005)
      us.imdb.com/title/tt0450099/

      Here's the very badly-written IMDB plot summary:

      "A love story that should not have happened. But the Great Cultural Revolution fathered it. As memorable as Romeo and Juliet, their love tied with the same intrusion from their families ¨C the hatred. Until one day, they watched Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. It inspires them. It gives their juiceless love story the hope for fruit. It brings them the determination to bridge through time setting aside the hatred. The same gives them a wait of 12 years. 12 years of changing time, changing era. Friends come and go. Songs sang become old. How much longer for their love can they hold? How much longer for their love with beautiful memory and unforgettable days can they hold?"
  • Re: asian cinema and shakespeare

    Thu, October 19, 2006 - 1:32 PM
    This is sort of off topic to your search, but I came across the name Monzaemon Chikamatsu being refered to as 'Japanese Shakesphere' when I was looking up the '69 film Double Suicide, which is excellent by way. IMDB aids with the hunt as usual.
    • Re: asian cinema and shakespeare

      Thu, October 19, 2006 - 2:27 PM
      anyone seen the Feng Xiaogang movie the banquet? its suposed to be hamlet
      • Re: asian cinema and shakespeare

        Wed, November 15, 2006 - 7:09 AM
        Kurosawa, I feel, does a very good job adapting shakespeare. Even though he took already existing material had gave his own take on it and made it his own. My only problem is that he never did a version of Romeo & Juliet. I think that it would have made an interesting movie.

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