As You Like It

Shakespeare's As You Like It (1978 TV Movie) was directed by Basil Coleman. Helen Mirren stars as Rosalind, the biggest female role in any Shakespeare play.

This movie is part of the Ambrose Shakespeare series, which filmed every one of Shakespeare's plays. Typically, movies in this series had minimal production values. (This is the way Shakespeare's plays were seen when they were originally produced. However, now the lack of scenery looks skimpy.)

However, this movie was filmed in Glamis Castle (as in Macbeth). The location allows us to see a real castle, with ramparts, as well as a great wooded area, which becomes Arden Forest.

We all know that Mirren can act, but I think she got better as she grew older. One problem is that she's very feminine--as Viola is--but she spends most of the play dressed as a man.

This As You Like it is probably as good as you're going to get on the small screen. I don't think it matters whether you see it as DVD or in a movie theater. My advice is to try to see it live onstage.

This 1978 production is a sparkling version of a great play. Indeed, apart from some unnecessary abridgments of Touchstone's coruscating orations, this production is nearly flawless. The natural settings endow the play with a genuinely rustic atmosphere. (The fact that Helen Mirren occasionally has to wave insects away from her is something which contributes to that atmosphere.)

Arthur Hewlett, who appears to be on the verge of death in his performance as Adam, in fact lived for nearly two decades beyond the making of this production. Richard Pasco, who steals nearly every scene in which he appears as Jacques, died in 2014 at the age of 88. Helen Mirren is at her usual level of excellence in her starring role. Angharad Rees, who died of cancer in 2012, is likewise excellent as Celia/Aliena. Brian Stirner is not at quite the same level (with two or three slightly misjudged renderings of lines), but he performs commendably as Orlando. Kudos are due to everyone else in the cast as well, in a production that does not include any bad performances.

I am shocked at how much scorn this adaptation of As You Like It has garnered on this website. In my opinion, it's a good if not great adaptation of one of the Bard's lesser comedies.

Helen Mirren and the beautiful locations are the prime reasons to check this one out. Mirren is engaging as the heroine Rosalind. And the forest and castle used for shooting are just beautiful.

Of course, the play itself has issues. The plot is thin and the resolution comes out of nowhere. Still, it's all an excuse to hear that glorious verse and witty banter.

A fine film, though not essential.

I can't possibly disagree with the first review more. The cast is splendid, the performances are spot on, and unlike most of the BBC productions it engages you immediately and doesn't bog down.

Richard Pascoe's Jaques is amazing, Hellen Mirren gives her usual strong performance, and so many of the smaller parts stand out. Touchstone for instance steals every scene he's in.

Indeed the only thing you really need wink at is the absurdity of Shakespeare's plot and its fantastical 11th hour resolution, but none of that matters...the play's the thing. Even the music is quite lovely.

This production benefits from great use of natural settings and a cast that knows how to make "the bard" sing for those of us not steeped in medieval English. The music is an added bonus. The director included the wrestling match instead of just hearing about it, no doubt to provide a little bit of action to what is otherwise mostly talk. The pacing is a little slow at times, but since we're not really worried about the plot it doesn't matter. Helen Mirren sets the tone for all the actors in terms of really getting into the role. The emphasis is not so much the cynicism but the "looking at oneself from the outside." We are encouraged to look at ourselves thusly.