The Tempest
1980: John Gorrie

This is the BBC entry into the range of filmed versions of The Tempest, and by rights it should be great. It includes such luminaries of the British stage and film as Michael Hordern and Nigel Hawthorne; Pippa Guard plays Miranda.

For all that, to my eye, somehow the magic is lost, and it has to be one of the most tedious productions in the whole lineup of filmed Tempests or, for that matter, the whole BBC collection (The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare), some of which are brilliant, and some of which are apparently just included to complete the set. The sets are unnecessarily monochromatic, and their eye-wearying effect is enhanced by the tepid color-balance of the transfer from aging videotape.

The version is available from Documentary Video directly as a single item, or as part of the boxed set of five Shakespeare Comedies, which can be purchased new or used through Amazon. It is probably available for rent or from libraries here and there, either on videotape or DVD.

Buy the complete BBC Shakespeare Plays at Amazon. Note that this will require a Region 2 player or a region-free player: it will not play on most normal American DVD players. Nevertheless, the price is so reasonable that even with a region-free player thrown into the deal, you’ll come out ahead.

Buy the BBC Shakespeare Plays Comedy Giftbox at Amazon. Unlike the complete series, this is in a North American video format, and it includes five plays: As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Merchant of Venice.

Buy the complete set of the BBC Shakespeare Plays or individual plays (including this one) in Region 1 format direct from Ambrose Video.