[cert 12A, 127 mins]
A film adaptation of Shakespeare’s play by Kenneth Branagh set in the Meiji era in Japan. Rosalind is the daughter of a banished Duke, and lives among a community of Westerners living in 19th century Japan. When her father, the Duke, is suddenly banished, the frightened girl is forced to flee for the Forest of Arden lest she risk being executed by her malevolent uncle. Joining Rosalind on her flight to the forest is her sympathetic cousin Celia, who helps to pass her incognito kin off as a man in order to avoid detection. Later, Rosalind’s clever ruse begins to serve a dual purpose when she determines to use the disguise to gauge the devotion of Orlando, yet another exile, while making her way to the Forest of Arden.
Director:Kenneth Branagh
Starring:Brian Blessed, Kevin Kline, Alfred Molina, Richard Briers
Level:AS, A2, KS4
Subjects:Creative & Media, Drama, English, Film Studies, Media Studies
