King Lear (1987)

King Lear Poster

A descendant of Shakespeare tries to restore his plays in a world rebuilding itself after the Chernobyl catastrophe obliterates most of human civilization.

Film Overview
The 1987 movie "King Lear", directed by Jean-Luc Godard, is a distinct experimental adaptation of William Shakespeare's awful play. The movie includes an excellent cast, including Woody Allen, Burgess Meredith, and Molly Ringwald, and is embeded in a post-apocalyptic society where much, if not all, of civilization is erased. It blends the Bard's tale of a British king and his 3 children with modern existential and political questions, positioning a philosophical reflection of human nature, art, and civilization.

Plot Synopsis
The story in Godard's "King Lear" focuses on William Shakespeare Junior the Fifth, admirably played by Peter Sellars, charged with reconstructing and restoring the works of Shakespeare in a world where these are nearly forgotten. Sellars' character intersects with Lear, embodied by Burgess Meredith, in a seedy hotel supplying the film with most of its base intrigue.

Godard has fun with the title of the movie by integrating King Lear's styles of insanity, power, betrayal and household conflict, linking a child's love for her daddy. Nevertheless, the primary Shakespearean plot is not consistently followed. Rather, elements of the story are moulded into a modern narrative that attends to concerns well beyond the initial scope of the Shakespearean drama.

Stylistic and Thematic Exploration
The movie leaves behind standard storytelling strategies, producing space for Godard's experimental aesthetic appeals. Delusions of the original play stay, being deconstructed and reassembled in a fragmented fashion. Godard tweaks his lens on the vacuum and absurdity of a world without art and literature, informing the story through a progressive technique filled with non-linear stories and using a soundscape filled with disjointed discussions and abrupt sounds.

The style of broken communication pervades the movie, which is underlined by the use of deliberately disjointed dialogue. Significant attention is given to themes of art and creative ownership, described through the tried restoration of Shakespeare's works. These end up being symbolic mirrors to King Lear's own fights with identity, power, and his unavoidable decline.

Crucial Reception
Godard's "King Lear" brought in polarized viewpoints upon release. Many who expected a standard Shakespearean drama felt baffled and dissatisfied with Godard's rendition. Nevertheless, lovers of avant-garde cinema valued this subversive adaptation for its adventurous divergence from the source material and the conventional mode of storytelling.

In conclusion, the 1987 adjustment of "King Lear" is a bold interpretation of Shakespeare's timeless that flawlessly includes aspects of postmodern cinematic methods. The movie beautifully checks out the themes of identity, power, and artistic analysis, provided through a fragmented story that simultaneously baffles and captivates the viewer, asserting itself as thought-provoking creative interest.

Top Cast

  • Woody Allen (small)
    Woody Allen
    Mr. Alien (uncredited)
  • Freddy Buache
    Professor Quentin (uncredited)
  • Leos Carax (small)
    Leos Carax
    Edgar (uncredited)
  • Julie Delpy (small)
    Julie Delpy
    Virginia (uncredited)
  • Jean-Luc Godard (small)
    Jean-Luc Godard
    Professor Pluggy (uncredited)
  • Kate Mailer
    Herself (uncredited)
  • Suzanne Lanza (small)
    Suzanne Lanza
    (uncredited)
  • Norman Mailer (small)
    Norman Mailer
    The Great Writer (uncredited)
  • Burgess Meredith (small)
    Burgess Meredith
    Don Learo (uncredited)
  • Michèle Pétin
    Journalist (uncredited)
  • Molly Ringwald (small)
    Molly Ringwald
    Cordelia (uncredited)