Title: Sorry, it's not funny - it kills a very playful script.
Product review: As an English teacher who teaches "Much Ado" every year, I was thrilled to find an alternative version of this play on DVD (I enjoy the Kenneth Branagh version, but it is not definitive), and the enthusiastic reviews convinced me to purchase it.Unfortunately, while the 1920's concept seems like a good idea and this version includes a greater portion of Shakespeare's original script, this film loses the spirit of the play to wooden acting, heavy-handed directing, and a lack of humor. It may be that this version played well onstage, but it plays very poorly on screen.Quite frankly, this version bores me to tears.I wish I could recommend it. I show parts of it to my 9th graders each spring so that they can see how differently Shakespeare can be interpreted, but they and I both hate this version and yearn to return to Branagh's interpretation.I await a better production to use for comparison with the Branagh version.
Would you say this review depicts the product in a flattering or unflattering light?
