Save your money for something good and enjoyable

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" is one of Shakespeare's darker comedies and has some decent musings on life, love and duty. It concerns the Duke of Vienna (Kenneth Colley), who decides to temporarily abdicate his throne and his place he puts the sinister Angelo (Tim Pigott-Smith). When Angelo decides to put a man to death for pre-marital sex, his sister Isabella (Kate Nelligan) pleads for his life. Angelo agrees one condition: she must surrender her virginity to him...Tim Pigott-Smith is well-cast as Angelo, and his frightened yet lusty eyes easily convey his character's torn emotions. Kenneth Colley is excellent as the Duke, who disguises himself as a monk and arranges a happy ending for Isabella. Colley has a strong command of the language and propels the story along seemingly without effort. Christopher Strauli is Claudio, the condemned man and Yolande Palfrey is very pretty as his betrothed Juliet.What irritates about this admittedly well-produced adaptations is their insistence on traditional costume and setting. Combined with 80s TV lighting, it really makes Shakespeare look like acquired taste rather than the vital playwright that he was and still is. The comics in this play, dandy Lucio (John McEnery) and the rustics led by Pompey (Frank Middlemass) get dialogue that sounds unexpectedly contemporary. Lucio describes women as "punks" and Pompey gets a wonderful bit of dialogue about his "bum". Derogatory insults, I know, but how well exchanges like this have played in a contemporary setting...I enjoyed watching this version of the play, regardless of the limitations imposed on it by the period in which it was filmed and would recommend renting it for those looking for a cheaper alternative to Shakespeare at the theatre.

Back in the 1970s, someone in England had the extraordinary idea of producing a made-for-television version of all the plays attributed to The Shakespearean Poet, who hid behind the name and person of "William Shakespeare". The idea was hubristic and more than a bit silly, since the usual practice in such an undertaking would be to produce an "all-star" version"--casting the best actors available for each part as Herbert Von Karajan tried to do when he recorded versions of famous operas for posterity. In this case, the choice of actors often seemed to be based on no discernible nor announced purpose; and the result was filmed versions of 37 plays which were extraordinarily uneven in quality, with many lines being read by youthful actors lacking classical training and/or ability. The best of all these version, in many ways, for actors and writers alike I believe to have been "Measure For Measure". Those seeking the true identity of "Shakespeare" could do worse, I suggest, than by starting with the fact that the playwright set three plays in 'Bohemia', which he must have visited to gain the knowledge of its constitution he showed, that he was fundamentally a Medieval not a Renaissance mentality and that by his writing's complexity, length and contexted idea-quality he was obviously over forty-five years of age when he began writing for the public stage in 1590. Bohemia was a kingdom independent under a moralistic government as early as 1530. Here it offered the playwright a chance to demonstrate the difference between personal belief and an enforced religious puritanism which lacked all the qualities of a true religion and none of those of an authoritarian dictatorship. The play involves a seemingly virtuous fellow, Angelo, who with the city's leader gone, is in charge in his place--even though he is being tested by that worthy without knowing this is so, for the leader remains to watch his course of action. His major problem involves young Claudio, who violates a statute by impregnating one Mariana outside of wedlock. He is willing to marry here, happy to do so, except that he has been clapped into jail and is awaiting execution. Isabella, his sister, speaks for him, with great effect; too great, since the future nun is propositioned by Angelo--he will spare her brother if she will let him make love to her. The effects of this triangle, as the cowardly Claudio begs his sister to submit, becomes dramatically tense. Will the Duke step forward and intervene? Will Angelo relent? Will Isabella surrender herself? Will Claudio be murdered by the iron letter of the law/ The plot is unusually strong, of course; and most everything is resolved by the ending. But the revelation of the difference between true faith, the monastic sort, which even agnostics can admire in Isabella and the puritanical-dictatorial pseudo-religion of Angelo which is worldly, divisive and totalitarian and utterly impractical is revealed here very clearly...A word of caution to post-1994 sufferers from theocratic pretensions from the Renaissance's minds is strongly spoken by the Shakespearean Poet here. This is unarguably largely a photographed stage play; but some minor dialogue has been excised, some clever camera-work introduced; and the production's entire middle section moves along quite effectively--the internal "dream sequence" between the exposition and first statement and the resolution of a theatrical work often works well with a bit of trimming when a play is translated into cinematic space-time events. Odette Barrow's costumes are good and Stuart Walker's production design is unobtrusive and serviceable at all points. Desmond Davis directed the production and by any standard I know his work appears to have been admirable by its results. Kate Nelligan's impersonation of Isabella is award-caliber and a lasting tribute to her dramatic ability. She is tragic, sweet, intelligent, sympathetic and desirable all at once. As Angelo, Tim Piggot-Smith does quite well in a difficult part for a young act; his intelligence and his ability to read a good one-liner serve him well. As Claudio, Christopher Strauli gets a good deal out of a part that in lesser hands can be repetitive. As the comical Pompey "The Great", Frank Middlemass has his finest cinematic part ever. Kenneth Colley is likable and interesting as the watchful Duke who tests Angelo, and as Escalus Kevin Stoney has a difficult part filled with reactions, remonstrations and nuances which he handles very professionally by my standards. Others in the cast include Adrienne Corri as Mistress Overdone, Eileen Page as Francesca, Yolanda Vasquez as Juliet, Jacqueline Pearce as the long-suffering Mariana, John Mcenery as Lucio and several more, all well-cast and more than adequate to their tasks. This is an attractive production which I find to be interesting as an ethical and moral question and well-paced as a realization of the playwright's intention. of all the series of BBC Shakespearean productions, this is the one I regard as the most cinematic and the most successful. I recommend it to the viewer whenever it is shown, if only for Kate Nelligan's lovely achievement.

*SPOILER*This production is terrible. It blatantly sets aside or resolves ambiguities essential to the play's central metaphor; can there be charity in sin?Mr. Davis, who obviously had no academic understanding of Measure for Measure, has managed to destroy this amazing play.How can Lucio, a notorious womanizer be constantly and consistently colored with such paints of homosexuality as a heavy cake of rouge and a pearl stud in his left ear?How can Claudio lovingly embrace his sister who, at their last meeting promised to pray for his death a thousand times, accused him of incest and told him that if she could save him but by bending down would let his execution proceed?How can Isabella, a moral absolutist of the highest regard, who would not find charity in fornication to save her brother's life and who has found station as an initiate in a nunnery, so willingly accept the Duke's marriage proposal?How Can Angelo set aside all cunning and tricks of his office to approach Isabella with such aggression that it at times borders on violence?If I want Shakespeare, and I want the BBC involved, I'll stick to Trevor Nunn, thank you.

Don't let the Shakespeare part frighten you away. Granted this is not an 'easy' film the way that "Shakespeare in Love" was, or even any versions of "Romeo and Juliet" that you may have seen in the theatre within the past whatever. This is a tale of the price of lust, the quality of mercy and what is true justice.The BBC filmed the complete Shakespeare folio, and this is part of that. More importantly, this is one of my favorite plays and by far THE best adaptation of it I have ever seen. This is one of Shakespeare's later "problem plays" and as such, actors and experts have been debating it's meaning since it premiered. But I think that makes it challenging, not unintresting. Given that, this production is especially fortunate in it's actors and it's directing choices. First and foremost Kate Nelligan's Isabelle is marvelous. Unlike most modern actors, she seems to understand the true beauty and dedication of this character. Also unlike most modern actors, she understands the religious dedication of this character, not as cold fanatism, but as a passionate persons love of religions greater purpose. That as an atheist I respect her portayal of such, is a testament to her skill. Kenneth Colley and Tim Piggot-Smith are also excellent as the seemingly cold and inscrutable characters of the Duke and Angelo, respectively.In fact, this play's staging 'improves' the play, in that several problems with the time, that Shakespeare just ignored, are nicely resolved. There is some dialogue left out, but most of it is stage direction that is unnecessary in a television production. Yes, the language is authentic, but trust me, you won't notice after awhile, just give yourself time to immerse.All in all, a good time, despite it's being a few hundred years old, but that's why Will is the man!In closing let me just say, that I highly recommend this to anyone, but especially if you love Shakespeare.