Shakespeare on Film

A selection of Shakespeare's works adapted for the big screen. Some adaptations are true to the bard's text while other take a more playful approach.
Updated October 2, 2022
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Hamlet [1948 film]
Laurence Olivier
DVD
Shakespeare's melancholy Dane is tasked with avenging his father's death by killing his uncle, but finds himself delayed in carrying it out by quirks of circumstance and his own complex, brooding nature.
Much Ado About Nothing [1993 film]
Kenneth Branagh
DVD
Tale of love and jealousy set in Italy.
Romeo and Juliet [1968 film]
Franco Zeffirelli
DVD
A young couple shares love despite prohibitive conflict between their families in this adaptation of Shakespeare's classic play.
West Side Story [1961 film]
Jerome Robbins
DVD
Gang rivals and ethnic tension arise in the midst of love on New York's West side. Best Picture, Best Director-Robert Wise, Best Supporting Actor-George Chakiris, and Best Supporting Actress-Rita Moreno.
Inspired by Romero & Juliet
Shakespeare In Love [1998 film]
John Madden
DVD
A comedy about the greatest love story almost never told.
A creative imagining of a love affair of Shakespeare's that inspired his play Romero & Juliet.

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