Shakespeare's "As You Like It"

This week I watched two versions of Shakespeare's "As You Like It" from the library: the BBC version and the Crown Video version. The BBC version was made in 1978, starring Helen Mirren as Rosalind, and the Crown Video version, starring Elizabeth Bergner as Rosalind and Laurence Olivier as Orlando, was made in 1936.


Hands down I preferred the BBC version. It was very complete, and, although a bit long, very enjoyable. The BBC really captured the spirit of the play.


The Crown Video version, on the other had, was kind of bad. Parts of scenes, and in some cases whole scenes, were missing. It sort of reminded me of "The March of the Wooden Soldiers" in some parts. You could really tell it was an older movie, as some parts were a tad over dramatic. But I really liked the actors in this version; everyone was a really good match to the part.