Do you have any idea of how few film adaptations there are of A Merchant of Venice? As a practical matter, just the Al Pacino version. That’s it.
And that version did not keep to the script! In fact no film keeps true to the play. How the hard could it possibly be to read the lines Big Bill wrote? They are pretty words; important words.
We need a good film adaptation. Something in modern dress, if you please.
Call me when it is ready.
Why? Why do “we” need it?
Because it is an excellent story. It is an important play. Because it is unique in a world that is so out of stories that we are rebooting the Child’s Play series.
Back in 1973, Laurence Olivier did a version of Merchant for TVset during the late 19th century. It might be worth a look.
The beginnings of my aversion to the stranglehold sports have on our television networks started that day. I had looked forward to that broadcast all week and, locally, it was pre-empted by the Iowa class D Girls Basketball quarter finals.
isn’t that play considered to be rather anti-Semitic these days? so I don’t think you could do a straight version these days
Depends on how Shylock is played. Is he an evil Jew motivated by evil? Or is he just another guy motivated by revenge? Is his forced conversion a “happy ending” or is it another horrible insult to him and his community?
It is not clear from the text alone who is the bad guy. Nowadays, it is always played with Shylock and the victim.
The Royal Shakespeare Company did and excellent production in 2015!
It is available on DVD
Thank you so much! Wonderful.
Merchant of Venice has been consider problematic for a long, long time. The depictions of Jewish money lenders are terrible stereotypes.
Many would say racist. I wouldn’t go quite that far, but I’m not surprised this play isn’t performed as regularly as Shakespeare’s other plays.
Without numbers in front of me, I would hesitate to give a definitive statement. Nonetheless, we can agree that Big Bill had a lot of obscure plays that are obscure for a reason.
Some companies try to cycle through all the works every few years. I wonder if you get a t shirt if you do them all.
I studied Merchant in high school. I remember then (mid 1970’s) that our teacher discussed the stereotypical descriptions and actions of the Jewish characters.
I think the Cliffs Notes study guide also brought it up. It’s been so long ago that I don’t remember.
It is a good play and one of the easier ones to read & understand. Some Shakespeare plays are harder to understand without a study guide.
Do we have a city state we want to annex?
Everything else aside, that IS an excellent reason.
The Maori Merchant of Venice is apparently excellent.
Taming of the Shrew is another Shakespearean play you don’t see performed much anymore.
Pretty obvious why. The entire story is about making a woman humbly submit to her husband.
So because the world is “so out of stories” the answer is to remake another story that already exists? Not really seeing how that is any different.