Shakespeare’s ‘foolish, fond old man’ of ‘fourscore and upwards’ is a cultural archetype, illustrating, among other things, one of our greatest fears about growing older. First Lear loses his wits and then he loses everything else. What makes this production so special is not just Ian Holm’s fierce and painful portrayal of Lear but those of Victoria Hamilton as Cordelia, David Burke as Kent, and Paul Rhys as Edgar. The devotion of the young to the old in the face of madness suggests memories of times when the old were not quite so foolish and were still fond. – Kenneth R. Morefield
- Directed by: Richard Eyre
- Produced by:
- Written by: William Shakespeare Richard Eyre
- Music by: Dominic Muldowney
- Cinematography by: Roger Pratt
- Editing by:
- Release Date: 1998
- Running Time: 150
- Language: English
Arts & Faith Lists:
2019 Top 25 Films on Growing Older — #25