Recommended film adaptations
—This list contains affiliate links.
—Some of these films are only available to buy as physical products, but the majority are available for immediate download or streaming.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999) dir. Michael Hoffman w/ Michelle Pfeiffer, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Kline, Calista Flockhart
Antony and Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra (1974) dir. Trevor Nunn, w/ Janet Suzman, Richard Johnson, Patrick Stewart, Colin Redgrave
Coriolanus
Coriolanus (2011) dir. Ralph Fiennes, starring Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain, Vanessa Redgrave
Hamlet
Hamlet (2009) dir. Gregory Doran, w/ David Tennant, Patrick Stewart
Hamlet (1990) dir. Franco Zeffirelli, w/ Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Alan Bates, Paul Scofield
Hamlet (1996) dir. and starring Kenneth Branagh, w/ Julie Christie, Derek Jacobi, Kate Winslet, Billy Crystal
Henry V
Henry V (1989) dir. and starring Kenneth Branagh, Paul Scofield, Judi Dench, Emma Thompson, Derek Jacobi
King Lear
King Lear (2008) dir. Trevor Nunn, starring Ian McKellen
Macbeth
Macbeth (2010) dir. Rupert Goold, w/ Patrick Stewart, Kate Fleetwood
Othello
Othello (1995) dir. Oliver Parker, w/ Laurence Fishburne, Kenneth Branagh, Irène Jacob
Richard III
Richard III (1995) dir. Richard Loncraine, w/ Ian McKellen, Annette Benning, Robert Downey Jr., Maggie Smith
Richard III (1955) dir. and starring Laurence Olivier, w/ Ralph Richardson, Claire Bloom
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet (1968) dir. Franco Zeffirelli, w/ Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice (2004) dir. Michael Radford, w/ Jeremy Irons, Al Pacino
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew (1967) dir. Franco Zeffirelli, w/ Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton
the globe theatre
—Shakespeare's Globe in London puts on fabulous plays and frequently films its performances. You can find their filmed performances here.
Recommended Globe productions:
Antony and Cleopatra (2012) dir. Kemal Aydogan in Turkish with English subtitles
Henry IV Part I (2010) dir. Dominic Dromgoole w/ Jamie Parker, Roger Allam DVD
Henry IV Part I (2010) dir. Dominic Dromgoole w/ Jamie Parker, Roger Allam Online Rental, DVD
Edited by Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen. The modern library editions are available as individual paperbacks as well, which is how I buy them. Also available on Kindle.
A Canadian TV series about a Shakespeare theatre company. It is superb. It used to be available on Netflix, but no longer. It's available to buy on Amazon for an exorbitant price, which I would pay twice over for this collection.
DVD series of RSC actors Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, and Judi Dench exploring features of Shakespeare’s language and dramaturgy. You can buy the text of the series here. Some episodes are available on Youtube and Amazon Prime.