Best Shakespeare Films

This is a list of what we consider to be the best Shakespeare films. There are a number of other great adaptations which use Shakespeare’s storylines and characters as inspiration and modernise the text; however, this list only features films that have remained true to Shakespeare’s text. Some, of course, have been more liberal with the text than others, but for the most part these films have attempted to honour Shakespeare’s text.

All of these films include actors who speak Shakespeare’s words expertly, which make them a goldmine for actors. Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Elizabeth Taylor and Laurence Olivier are some of of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time and their performances in the films within this list are outstanding. You will see also that a number of iconic directors feature again and again. These include Franco Zeffirelli, Julie Taymor, Kenneth Branagh, Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier. These directors all have a unique way of bringing Shakespeare’s work to the screen.

Watching these films is a fantastic way to familiarise yourself with Shakespeare’s great plays. Film is an excellent medium to finally see all that Shakespeare had us imagine for hundreds of years. However, remember that in Shakespeare’s time the emphasis was always on listening to his text, not the visual component. Relying too heavily on the visual component can be the downfall of many Shakespeare films. At their best, a great Shakespeare film is a visual marvel, but also a wonderful aural experience.

We would love to hear what you think are the best Shakespeare films, so let us know your thoughts below…

NOTE: Hollow Crown is technically defined as a TV series. However, each episode is a full length film, and well it’s brilliant, so it’s on the list!

• Chimes at Midnight
  1
  

  Orson Welles (1965)

• Hollow Crown
  2
  

  Richard Eyre, Rupert Goold, Dominic Cooke, Thea Sharrock (2012)

• Macbeth
  3
  

  Roman Polanski (1971)

• Hamlet
  4
  

  Kenneth Branagh (1996)

• Romeo and Juliet
  5
  

  Baz Luhrmann (1996)

• Titus
  6
  

  Julie Taymor (1999)

• Hamlet
  7
  

  Gregory Doran (2009)

• King Lear
  8
  

  Peter Brook (1971)

• Coriolanus
  9
  

  Ralph Fiennes (2011)

• Henry V
  10
  

  Kenneth Branagh (1989)

• Much Ado About Nothing
  11
  

  Kenneth Branagh (1994) 

• Richard the Third
  12
  

  Richard Loncraine (1996)

• Twelfth Night
  13
  

  Trevor Nunn (1996)

• Taming of the Shrew
  14
  

  Franco Zeffirelli (1967)

• Hamlet
  15
  

  Laurence Olivier (1948)

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  16
  

  Michael Hoffman (1999)

• Julius Caesar
  17
  

  Joseph L. Mankiewicz (1953)

• As You Like It
  18
  

  Kenneth Branagh (2006)

• Much Ado About Nothing
  19
  

  Joss Whedon (2012) 

• Othello
  20
  

  Orson Welles (1951)

• Henry V
  21
  

  Laurence Olivier (1944)

• Richard III
  22
  

  Laurence Olivier (1955)

• Othello
  23
  

  Oliver Parker (1995)

• The Tempest
  24
  

  Julie Taymor (2010)

• King Lear
  25
  

  Richard Eyre (2018)

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  26
  

  Max Reinhardt, William Dieterle (1935)

• Macbeth
  27
  

  Justin Kurzel (2015)

• Prospero’s Book
  28
  

  Peter Greenaway (1991)

• Hamlet
  29
  

  Franco Zeffirelli (1990)

• The Tempest
  30
  

  Derek Jarman (1979)

• Love Labour’s Lost
  31
  

  Kenneth Branagh (2000)

• Hamlet
  32
  

  Michael Almereyda (2000)

I hope this list was helpful and has got you excited to go and watch some Shakespeare!

I’m sure this list will lead to plenty of debate, but I hope that is the case. At the end of the day I want to encourage as many actors as possible to be reading, watching and listening to the works of Shakespeare. I hope this list helps guide you towards some of the great film adaptations of his work. The vast majority of these actors from Anthony Hopkins to Ian McKellen, have all come from the theatre and within these films are some of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time.

Copyright: these images have been included here for educational purposes and listed to support the original copyright owners.