Video&Audio Camera&Photo DVD Movies

The Merchant of Venice / Trevor Nunn, Royal National Theatre dvd movie. Home » DVD Movies » Actors/Actresses » R » Other » Raymond Coulthard Other • Ronald Howard Other • Roy Barcroft Other • Robert Bice Other • Ross Elliott Other • Robert Glenister Other • Rick Lenz Other • Robert Warwick Other • Roshan Seth Other • Rebecca Craig Other • Raymond Oconnor Other • Raymond Pickard Other • Roger Brierley The Merchant of Venice / Trevor Nunn, Royal National Theatre buy bestselling dvd movies, videos find reviews, ratings, prices List Price: $24.99 Our Price: $22.99 You Save: $2 Features • Anamorphic • Color • Dolby • DVD-Video • Widescreen • NTSC In Theaters : 2001 DVD Release : 04 May, 2004 [ + Zoom ]   [ Buy Now ] DVD : Usually ships in 24 hours The Merchant of Venice / Trevor Nunn, Royal National Theatre description The often volatile character of Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, is powerfully realized in Trevor Nunn's stylish film of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, which uses theatrical sets but is shot as a movie. Shylock (played with fierce commitment by Henry Goodman) loans money to a man he despises, the merchant Antonio (David Bramber), only if a pound of Antonio's flesh will be due upon default. Antonio borrows the money so that his friend Bessanio (Alexander Hanson) can travel to woo the woman he loves, Portia (Derbhle Crotty), whose freedom to marry is bound up in a fairy-tale decree of her father's. The play's mixture of tragedy and comedy often baffles contemporary audiences; Nunn attempts to solve this problem by treating almost everything as seriously as possible. While his approach serves Shylock well, the play's conclusion--in which Portia tests her husband's commitment--could use a lighter touch. --Bret Fetzer The Merchant of Venice / Trevor Nunn, Royal National Theatre Customer Reviews   1     2     3   ♥♥♥♥♥ Horribly Misunderstood Play As all of the other reviews seem to agree, I find this production to be magnificently performed, shot, and produced. In fact, the only problem the other reviews seem to state is the anti-Semitism present in the play. In fact, many Shakespearean scholars disagree with this analysis, citing The Merchant of Venice as Shakespeare's tongue-in-cheek to contemporary Christopher Marlowe's anti-Semitic The Jew of Malta. Unlike Marlowe's play, Shakespeare paints all of the characters as very grey. There are no black and whites or absolutes here; Shylock has enough motive to be sympathized with (even if he takes things too far), and the other characters lack virtue enough that they cannot be seen as clear protagonists or heroes versus Shylock. In fact, Shakespeare through Shylock offers a case for equal treatment under the law, touching upon the cruelty exacted on the Jewish community by the Christian state of Vienna ("If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.") The writing in this is fantastic, and the themes were revolutionary in Shakespeare's time. I feel that many others who have reviewed this have either misunderstood the play, or have failed to examine it carefully. It is certainly a masterpiece that more decries anti-Semitism than encourages it.   1     2     3   Non User