Shakespeare Collection - 2-DVD Box Set ( The Merchant of Venice / Macbeth )

Shakespeare Collection - 2-DVD Box Set (DVD) (*)

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Original Title: The Merchant of Venice / Macbeth
Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Surround )
German ( Dolby Surround )

Product Origin/Format:
Germany ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
305 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
2-DVD Set
Box Set
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1980 - 1983 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
Jack Gold

Written By:
William Shakespeare

Actors:
John Franklyn-Robbins ..... Antonio
John Rhys-Davies ..... Salerio
Alan David ..... Solanio
John Nettles ..... Bassanio
Richard Morant ..... Lorenzo
Kenneth Cranham ..... Gratiano
Gemma Jones ..... Portia
Susan Jameson ..... Nerissa
Daniel Mitchell ..... Balthasar
Warren Mitchell ..... Shylock
Marc Zuber ..... Prince of Morocco
Enn Reitel ..... Launcelot Gobbo
Joe Gladwin ..... Old Gobbo
Roger Martin ..... Leonardo
Leslee Udwin ..... Jessica
Brenda Bruce ..... First Witch
Eileen Way ..... Second Witch
Anne Dyson ..... Third Witch
Mark Dignam ..... Duncan
James Hazeldine ..... Malcolm
Christopher Ellison ..... Captain
John Rowe ..... Lennox
Gawn Grainger ..... Ross
Nicol Williamson ..... Macbeth
Ian Hogg ..... Banquo
David Lyon ..... Angus
Jane Lapotaire ..... Lady Macbeth
Gordon Kane ..... First Messenger
Alistair Henderson ..... Fleance
James Bolam ..... Porter

Synopsis:

The Merchant of Venice (1980)
A rich merchant, Antonio is depressed for no good reason, until his good friend Bassanio comes to tell him how he's in love with Portia. Portia's father has died and left a very strange will: only the man that picks the correct casket out of three (silver, gold, and lead) can marry her. Bassanio, unfortunately, is strapped for cash with which to go wooing, and Antonio wants to help, so Antonio borrows the money from Shylock, the money-lender. But Shylock has been nursing a grudge against Antonio's insults, and makes unusual terms to the loan. And when Antonio's business fails, those terms threaten his life, and it's up to Bassanio and Portia to save him.
Macbeth (1983)
Macbeth and his wife murder Duncan in order to gain his crown, but the bloodbath doesn't stop there, and things supernatural combine to bring the Macbeths down.

The Merchant of Venice (1980)
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. Antonio's best friend, Bassanio, is in love with Portia, a wise and wealthy heiress, and needs three thousand ducats to press his suit. With Antonio's money tied up in ships at sea, he approaches Shylock, a Jewish usurer, who agrees to lend the money under the provision that Antonio shall forfeit a pound of his flesh if the debt is unpaid. When Antonio's ships are wrecked, Shylock, the maligned Jew, calls for the contract to be filled. The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most famous comedies, celebrated for its captivating villain, Shylock. In a production full of contrasts and ambiguities, Warren Mitchell plays the moneylender with a finely balanced combination of wickedness and pathos - leaving the audiences to decide whether he is a villain, a buffoon or a tragic hero.
Macbeth (1983)
An adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic which depicts the crumbling of an obsessed man's sanity and the chronicling of his moral disintegration.

This product was added to our catalog on Saturday 29 March, 2014.