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.

Some of these BBC Television Shakespeare adaptations are a bit dry and dusty. But this one was really dynamic and engaging. Helen Mirren is the perfect and most beautiful Rosalind, the best I have seen. I love the songs they composed for the Shakespearean lyrics. There aren't many AYLI versions available to watch on screen so this is a must watch. Along with the 2010 Globe version which is available online.

Helen Mirren heads a splendid cast of actors in this production. Not only is the cinematography lovely, but the forest scenes accurately depict both the sense of freedom and the sense of dislocation and strangeness that a retreat to the Forest of Arden represents for the court characters. Rosalind serves as a splendid counterpoint to Orlando in the forest, training him to understand the needs of women and constantly catching him off-guard with her banter. Jacques is suitably pompous and condescending, admirably outwitted by Rosalind when he has the audacity to attempt to match wits with her. Even the minor parts, such as those of Phebe and Audrey, are acted with skill.

To put it lightly, 'As You Like It' is not one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. Consider it one of his weakest actually. It's not the language and text that's the problem, Shakespeare's unrivalled mastery of language and text can be seen in even his lesser work. The problem is the too thin and absurd story with a silly and randomly introduced ending, just about kept afloat by Shakespeare's prose and nice characters.

Do find the late 70s-early 80s BBC Shakespeare adaptations very interesting for mainly their distinguished casts and general fidelity and respect to the plays. Regardless of reservations with the production values and more than once there has been uneven casting. Don't consider any of them unwatchable but some are better than others, liked to loved a fair number but some disappointed. This production of 'As You Like It' has garnered some scorn here, while sharing some of the criticisms to me despite its unevenness it's better than has been said by some. It is not one of the best of the series, nowhere near, but not one of the worst. Personally would put it somewhere in the middle.

Can understand a few of the criticisms. The camera work is static in places and tends to be rather unimaginative.

'As You Like It's' pace has its draggy spots when the action is especially thin and on the static side in direction (the story of the play though is to blame partly for this though). And the humour is variable, most moments delight and are very funny, especially the witty banter, but others came over as strained as a result of trying too hard dramatically.

However, really did love the rustic sets (one of not many in the series to be done on location, thus there is more of an opened-up feel), which looked very attractive. Especially the forest setting. The costumes were evocative and didn't look ugly. Also appreciated that as a performance and adaptation it was faithful to the text and action, generally did make it engaging and make it easy to understand and didn't try to incorporate any senseless or distasteful touches. The most inspired touch being the wrestling scene. Even if it could have taken more risks and had more freshness as there was at times an air of too faithful and safe.

Shakespeare's wit and poetry always shines, as does the beautiful music, but it's the cast that make this production of 'As You Like It' worth seeing. Helen Mirren has a demanding role as Rosalind and carries it off pretty splendidly. Brian Stirner has his dull moments early on but mostly his Orlando is very convincing. Richard Pasco revels in Jaques' pompous condescension in a maddeningly thrilling way and James Bolam is a scene-stealing Touchstone. Angharad Rees is very good.

All in all, decent production and while flawed better than given credit for. 7/10 Bethany Cox