The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew (DVD) (*)

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Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
English ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
Australia ( PAL/Region 2.4 )

Running Time:
126 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1980 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Jonathan Miller

Written By:
William Shakespeare

Actors:
Simon Chandler ..... Lucentio
Anthony Pedley ..... Tranio
John Franklyn-Robbins ..... Baptista
Frank Thornton ..... Gremio
Sarah Badel ..... Katherine
Jonathan Cecil ..... Hortensio
Susan Penhaligon ..... Bianca
Harry Waters ..... Biondello
John Cleese ..... Petruchio
David Kincaid ..... Grumio
Bev Willis ..... Baptista's Servant
Angus Lennie ..... Curtis
Harry Webster ..... Nathaniel
Gil Morris ..... Philip
Leslie Sarony ..... Gregory

Synopsis:

In 1978, the BBC set itself the task of filming all of William Shakespeare's plays for television. The resulting productions, renowned for their loyalty to the text, utilised the best theatrical and television directors and brought acclaimed performances from leading contemporary actors. "I am as peremptory as she proud-minded. And where two raging fires meet together They do consume the thing that makes them fury". Baptista. a Paduan gentleman, has two daughters. Katherine and Bianca. Bianca is beautiful. sweet-tempered and obedient and several suitors seek her hand in marriage. Baptista, however, insists that Katherine. just as beautiful but sharp-tongued and rebellious, must be married first. The only man willing to court her is the equally feisty Petruchio, a stranger from Verona in search of a rich wife... Shakespeare's comic confrontation between the sexes is rich with sparkling wit and great characterisation. This production was admired for Jonathan Miller's fidelity to Elizabethan social mores and for an outstanding cast including John Cleese, whose portrayal of Petruchio won unanimous critical acclaim.

The swaggering Petruchio, eager to wive it wealthily in Padua, agrees to marry the spitting hellcat, Katherine.

Baptista will not allow his saccharine younger daughter Bianca to marry until someone can rid him of his obstreperous older daughter Katherine. The swaggering Petruchio (John Cleese) , eager to wive it wealthily in Padua, agrees to do just this. He proceeds to break her. First, he cools her scalding wit by putting his tongue in her tale; nearly jilts her on her wedding night and then shows up at the church in antic garb; forbids her food, sleep and the beautiful clothes he himself had tailored for her, all on the pretense of providing for her; lastly, commands that she call the sun the moon, the moon the sun, an elderly gentlemen a fresh virgin and then refute her own assertions, all according to his whim.Meanwhile, Bianca has three suitors: the gray-bearded Gremio, the youngish Hortensio and the young and handsome Lucentio. Lucentio disguises himself as a tutor named Cambio. Hortensio disguises himself as a tutor named Litio. Tranio, Lucentio's servant, disguises himself as Lucentio, at Lucentio's request. A traveling pedant disguises himself as Vincentio, Lucentio's father, also at Luciento's request. Later, the real Vincentio shows up.

This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 08 April, 2009.

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