Shakespeare Films

This study reexamines the recognized "canon" of films based on Shakespeare''s plays, and argues that it should be broadened by breaking with two unnecessary standards: the characterization of the director as "auteur" of a play''s screen adaptation, and the convention of excluding films with contemporary language or modern or alternative settings or which use the play as a subtext. The emphasis is shifted from the director''s contribution to the film''s social, cultural and historical contexts. The work of the auteurs is reevaluated within present-day contexts, preserving the established canon while proposing new criteria for inclusion.