Most expensive Shakespeare film?

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@Mk_VII

Branagh’s* Henry V* was done for about fourpence, and the battle site was a piece of shrubland round the back of Shepperton studios.

Yes, the battle scenes were definitely its weak point. The cost-cutting showed.

[ftg]

@Dropo

*Ran *(1985) is not a direct adaptation of King Lear, but it’s more than “inspired by.” It was the most expensive Japanese film up to that time with a budget of $11 or $12 million. Using the latter figure, one inflation calculator gave me a figure of $28.6 million in 2019 dollars.

I was going to mention Ran here. I just posted about it in the other Shakespeare thread. Not often one gets a chance to mention a Kurosawa film twice in the same day.

[Chronos]

I just saw a live performance of Henry V a couple of days ago, and ironically, there’s a Chorus that basically apologizes for the lack of expensive scenes and special effects, and asks the audience to use their imaginations.