A Midsummer Night's Dream [Cliff Notes Edition] [DVD] [1999]

A Midsummers nights dream it’s a classic movie a classic story a classic play. They brought this play into a realistic imaginative movie. It’s just like the play. All the characters and stories are told. It’s a wonderful movie.

From beginning to end, Midsummer Night's Dream is a sheer delight, set on the eve of Duke Theseus' Wedding Day at the beginning of the 20th Century (not the 19th, as shown in the text on the screen at the beginning of the film! Oops!). Theseus (David Strathairn) is both rugged and debonair, and he reminds me of the Theseus of Greek legend simply by his elegance and grace. Many of us are familiar with Bernard Hill as King Theoden in Lord of the Rings. Here, Hill shines as the harsh conventional Egeus whose daughter Hermia (Anna Friel) gets everybody into the forest in the first place! Both Friel and Calista Flockart (Helena) are hilarious, and Batman fans are sure to appreciate Christian Bale as young Demetrius! Rounding out the quartet is Dominic west as a marvelous Lysander, Hermia's true love. Best of all is Bottom, played by Kevin Kline - his lion imitation is roaringly good fun! The faeries are fabulous, and the costumes and scenery are like a delightful vacation! An added treat is the music - Pavarotti's voice, as it often does, transports us magically into this other world. Midsummer Night's Dream is clearly a Midsummer Delight!

I've watched three or four film versions of A Midsummer Night's Dream this weekend, and this was certainly the best one. It stays true to the text for the most part and makes a few additions that actually help rather than take away from the story. If you are a fan of the play or Shakespearean comedies in general, check this one out.