The Merchant of Venice

In my opinion the positives outweigh the negatives in this production of The Merchant of Venice. Watching Olivier in the role of Shylock is a thrill, and even more so with Joan Plowright as Portia. The rest of the cast are very good as well, especially Jeremy Brett. The setting has been updated to the nineteenth century in costume choices, but that is not a serious issue. There were some minor cuts, most noticeably in the part of the servant which again is not a major issue. I would agree with those who feel that Joan Plowright was a bit mature to play Portia but she gives a fine performance. Viewers who might need to take a break while watching will appreciate the pauses between scenes or "parts". Personally, I liked Maggie Smith's interpretation better. The costuming was more to the original period, any cuts were not noticeable, and the courtroom scene had more tension than modern legal drama.

Adaptions of Shakespeare's plays are tricky propositions. They either work or don't work, and many times the reasons that are not obvious. One tweaking here, one twist there, any false move that does not add or explain the play will ruin the entire experience. Fortunately, that is not the case with this adaptation of Merchant of Venice.This production really works for reasons apart from Olivier's inspired interpretation of Shylock. In this production the setting appears to be in Nineteenth Century England, perhaps the late Victorian era. I say "appear" because there are some scenes which give the clues of the canals of Venice, while everything else in the play points to Victorian England.No matter. There are enough strong performances which make this a viewing experience. Anthony Nicholls gives a commanding performance as Antonio, and likewise Jeremy Brett as Bassario. Michael Jayston, who is good in any role, provides a different interpretation of Gratiano, but, in conjunction with the other characters in this adaption, works well. It is a fine ensemble performance which bears repeated viewings.Olivier is similarly outstanding in his portrayal of Shylock. He is the master of imitation and dons a convincing and empathetic Shylock. His is still the unparalleled interpreter of Shakespeare, although Branaugh does try.Viewers curious to view this version should look to the VHS version of this play; the DVD version is far costlier. You won't regret it.

I have seen all the DVDs available (for research), and this is the best by far, based on acting, costumes, and set design. Two or so scenes are missing from the original Shakespeare, mainly the elopement of Jessica and the interaction between Lancelot and his father, but neither of these ever interested me anyway. Olivier especially lives up to his reputation, making Shylock a very sympathetic character. It is very plain that it is revenge for previous outrageous anti-Semitic actions that is the cause of Shylock's insistence on a pound of flesh; a demand which is exceedingly non-Jewish, but I suppose Shakespeare had to please his audience; there were almost no Jews in Britain at the time. The scene of the trial in this movie is very affecting, and it is evident that the Christians, far from celebrating their victory, regret the suffering they have imposed on Shylock and are ashamed, although the words spoken are strictly Shakespeare. Jessica also obviously regrets her marriage, and this implies that a very interesting sequel to the story could be written, if someone had the ambition.

I'm not sure why the Victorian age was chosen to set this revival of The Merchant of Venice (perhaps the costumes were more economical to come by!) but I feel the adaptation works. Shakespeare plays tend to adapt well to be set in more contemporary time frames. The cast was excellent, especially Sir Laurence Olivier (of course! I didn't recognize him at first -- that's how good of an actor he was) with the standout being Jeremy Brett. Nothing better than seeing Jeremy Brett in riding breeches. There was also some focus on Shylock's daughter, who is usually a minor character in revivals of the play.

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Yes, an excellent production. Actors were able to go at good pace, because of their voice and speech skills. One could understand everything. Actors not skaking over words: meaning, feeling, intentions all there. Lovely, exciting, and deeply moving production.

A great play, played by great actors. I regret that they wear modern costumes, but that was in fashion ... Jeremy Brett good looks are here dashing (to get him awarded a posthumous Bafta, go to facebook:"posthumous BAFTA for Jeremy Brett"), and plays perfectly his part. This VHS is a must for his fans!

Good movie but DVD case was badly broken. DVD is intact without scratches but I had to replace the case. Buyer Beware!

BEWARE IF YOU ARE BUYING THE DUTCH TRANSFER/IMPORT!!The DVD is of truly appalling quality. This is nothing to do with the fact that the original TV programme was transmitted years ago as I have the W.H. Smith VHS version from 1980 (they had their own label for tapes, then) AND IT IS MUCH, MUCH BETTER QUALITY THAN THIS DVD. It looks as though someone has made a poor, grainy copy of their VHS and hoped to get away with it!This is a shame because many of the Dutch transfers/imports are very good.The actual performance gets 4 stars from me...but I have no choice to condemn the transfer!!

One of the best plays but this costume era did not go well with it. I think much was left out maybe it wasn't politically correct. Laurence Olivier was very good as was Jeremy Brett, Joan Plowright was good but is no Portia. If your collecting Olivier/Shakespeare then its a must, but if its a one/off then this is not the first one you should get. I have 5 different versions of this play but I'm not telling you where it fits in, as every version is unique in its own way.

I liked this version enormously. For the first time (except for the recent Henry Goodman version) in a long time a completely sympathetic view of Shylock. Olivier, who can be a bit OTT sometimes, was perfect in this part, and at the end his breakdown is completely convincing. Another thing I always have difficulty is the Portia as a man sequence, but Joan Plowright does this very well, again almost convincing. The anti-semantics (is that right?) are still there of course, but counteracted by the sympathy of other characters. All in all a good version.

Anyone who says, "Oh Olivier wasn't that good an actor," has never seen his Shylock. I am thrilled that this historic performance is now available on DVD. It's been unavailable for far too long. If you never see any performance of Olivier's but this one, you will realize the extent to which he gave himself over to a character. It's excellent, as is his Othello. And the rest of the cast is terrific as well. The pathos which one finds in Olivier's Shylock is important: It illuminates Portia's famous speech about "The quality of mercy," in that it makes the viewer realize that in Shakespeare's time Jews were terribly persecuted. But one will also realize what empathy one feels for the Old Jew. It is a masterpiece.

Excellent portrayal of a classic