"King Lear" (2008) with Ian McKellen, Act II Scene 4

[jasonmasanque]

WHY CANT YOU BE A FAMOUS ACTOR THE GREAT ACTOR YOU ARE!!!!

[TrueProphecy22]

I wasn't really a fan of this version of Lear. I have yet to watch a performance of Lear that strikes me so much as the text itself.

If anyone has any suggestions... 

[DarkIighter956]

KEVORIAN YOU WHORE.

[mathforphysics]

This is available on the pbs website. google "king lear pbs great performances."

[csawyer55]

Search Shakespeare in the Kitchen-14 characters in 14 weeks

[likebrightmetal]

Yes The RSC has stolen Shakespeare for its own ends. All patrons are encouraged to donate to other more diverse organisations rather than looking at the RSC as the last vestige for the promotion of Shakespearean art. The RSC is inward looking self promoting and exercises exclusion at the highest level and offers no resolution or dialogue which encourages original creativity and understanding to those who once believed that the RSC was the almighty propeller for Mr William Shakespeare,

[ixat00]

Dude, this is just like one of my dad's rants!

[TheHandsomeCrab]

lol it's gay gandalf lol

[torotnota]

gandalf?!?!?!

[webbzeit]

Why are G and R so old? How old would you like them to be? Compared to Lear?

[Spongemagic]

Ian McKellen as Lear is beautiful. However, why are Regan and Goneril so damn old?

[Serai3]

@Spongemagic Dude, what did you expect, teenagers? McKellen is what, in his 70's? Considering the average age of marriage in his time, the daughters could even have been older than this and still be realistic. In fact, the older the daughters are, the more real is their bitterness and resentment, since they've been waiting so many years for their inheritance (plus you know, Lear being an asshole and all).

[Spongemagic]

@Serai3 Lear's a total asshole. I do agree that with McKellen as Lear, you really can't have the ideal young Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. The characters all have to work with each other. Did you hear Pacino got cast as the new film version of Lear? That's going to be really strange.

[networkarab]

it's beautiful play

[networkarab]

beautiful paly



[missmary108]

ohh lol i nvr knew his nme onli knoe him as dumbledore!

[anglaisfemme2]

@missmary108

*facepalm* this is not the actor who plays dumbledore. This is the actor who plays Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. Michael Gambon plays dumbledore (or Richard Harris, who played him in the first two films before he died)

[missmary108]

@anglaisfemme2 my bad :D i mix them up they look alike

[anglaisfemme2]

@missmary108

it's all good! and yea they do look alike lol

[anglaisfemme2]

@missmary108

omg. no, he didn't play dumbledore. he played gandalf in lord of the rings. michael gambon played dumbledore (or richard harris who played him in the first two films before he died)

[ccsdavis1]

Ian McKellen is an acting god.

[KokoroNohii]

I went and saw this performed at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford! It was amazing. :)

[obiwanobiwan13]

He should've just taken one look at those backstabbers and shouted out:

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

Long Live Shakespeare and Sir Ian McKellan, he and Sir Patrick Stewart are the Greatest shakespearean Actors of our time! (And, you know, they're also Gandalf and Captain Picard.) ;)

[chocolatehaemonculus]

I am in awe with Mckellen. The other actors are brilliant for him to bounce of as well. This role is perfect for him.

[kevinastraw]

Is there a bigger role in Shakespeare? Lear has to go mad (not senile, real mad). He is constantly being provoked into a rage. He has to go through a personal hell. He has to go naked on a heath and shout against a storm. He has more lines to say than Macbeth and only a few less than Antony. In terms of emotional output and range this should be a young/mature actor’s part yet Shakespeare gives it to an eighty year old!

[Wilde202]

I saw McKellen's "Lear" live in L.A. and London. Absolutely sublime ... beyond memorable. The DVD is great, but it's not (of course) anything like the theatrical experience ... plus (or minus) it was edited for time.

[feste312]

Chilling performance

[EdNortonisMineLol]

If Mr McKellen were straight and a lot younger I would be on him in a flash... not that that's creepy, or anything... :L

[TrueProphecy22]

Brilliant. especially Lear's passionate outburst at the end. Absolutely brilliant.

[turtle60]

oh man I finally figured this scene out. So Lear's servant Kent goads the bad guys so he's put in stocks. Lear sees it and confronting his daughters will realize how awful they are. Right. I saw several versions of this play and Sir Ian's is the best.

[Who1313]

DUMBLEDORE!!! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL BEST ACTOR EVER!!!!

[warrinerC]

@Who1313 Gandalf! ahahaha

[anglaisfemme2]

@Who1313

OH MY GOD HE IS NOT DUMBLEDORE HE IS GANDALF. MICHAEL GAMBON IS DUMBLEDORE (OR RICHARD HARRIS FROM THE FIRST TWO MOVIES). UNLESS YOU ARE JUST BEING A TROLL TO GET ATTENTION, WHICH, IF YOU ARE YOU SUCK AND ARE AN ASS

[Who1313]

@anglaisfemme2 Im just saying its cool seing him in here... jeez apparently YOUR the one who wants attention

[anglaisfemme2]

@Who1313

nah, i just thought you were being a troll on purpose. sorry. by the way...does your username have anything to do with doctor who? just wondering lol

[Who1313]

@anglaisfemme2 OMG!!! YESS DOCTOR WHO IS AMAZING!!!!!! dude your brilliant!

[anglaisfemme2]

@Who1313 haha thanks :] and yes doctor who is freaking awesome!!

[Jitpring]

Hail Shakespeare! Hail Shakespeare!! Hail Shakespeare!!!

[mmm325able]

goneril and reagen are old B******

[zasd26]

Is who performance Dumbledore?

[joelarama]

Thank you so much for posting this...comments are rather interesting too. Personally I feel that the quality of Acting I have just viewed, the Actors should be payed as much as Soap Actors. It truely annoys me. I feel proud to turn off my TV. Apart from Mr G of course!

[xhappyxlifex]

Such a great actor McKellen I can't wait for The Hobbit to come out, he will be back as Gandalf. Filming starts in July!

[hoodoo961]

McKellen does a great job as Lear. Every time I watch this I think Lear should just order his 100 knights to overwhelm his daughters and resume the kingdom.

[tiaqa]

@hoodoo961 Yeah I tink so to.

[juliadiggory92]

He is the perfect King Lear!

[scarlettjohanssonboy]

Ian McKellen is my favourite actor and this performance only makes me think better of him. He's a fantastic Shakespearian actor - he always has been - and a fantastic actor in general. I can't wait for him in "The Prisoner" and I hope he makes many films before he gets too old :)

[theskilled99]

I saw this production 3 times.

1 in stratford and 2 in London. I had money that summer so thought i should take the opportunity to see this man in what might well be his last great Shakespearean role.

His performance was superb. I have seen him say in interview that during the course of a performance he will try to look every audience member he can see in the eye. He caught my eye for maybe 2 seconds whilst talking about his fear of madness. It was an incredabley profound moment for me.

[fkhang9223]

pray tell, was this on stage, or a film??

[theskilled99]

well it was a long running RSC production that ran at Stratford and then in London. I saw it once in stratford then twice in london.

Then at the end of the run they filmed it so it could be released on dvd. so really it is a play that has been filmed. Like the famous Mckellen Dench production from the 70s.

[panicsws]

Ian McKellen moved me to tears by the end of the play, and this scene really stood out to me - someone who had never seen King Lear before.

In fact, I've decided to use this speech for when I apply for drama school in the coming months.

A truly superb performance from an astonishingly good actor.

[chocolatehaemonculus]

@panicsws Hey mate, What drama school are you going to? I have one coming up next month.

[ISoundzLikeThis]

was this the one with daniel davis?

[sej3991]

wow this looks really good

[kirket1]

Ian McKellan is absolutely amazing. and he's gay which makes it all that much better. His acting ability is within the stars!!!!

[Timthethespian89]

Why does him being gay have anything to do with anything?

[kirket1]

because that's another point for the gay community!! are you hating right now??

[Timthethespian89]

no, i'm not hating. I just don't understand why he can't just be a great actor who happens to be gay. A person's sexuality shouldn't have to come up. You wouldn't say oooh, Patrick Stewart did a great job! Point for the straight community! It's different, but it's the same thing also. Just my opinion.

[retrograderenegades]

I agree it shouldn't, I didn't find out he was gay until a few days ago to which I thought wow it doesn't come out in his performances and he doesn't go out of his way to make it known like other gays who are famous. I just thought it was a cool fact and I have to admit I'm guilty of looking to see if it comes out in other gays performances but I think that Mckellen is just such a great actor that his sexuality doesn't overshadow his performances. So it shouldn't matter he's better than most

[theskilled99]

if someone is a remotely talented actor then the only sexuality one should see is that of the character the actor is playing. One doesnt notice that sean penn is straight when you see him playing harvey milk! Im not really sure how anyones sexuality could overshadow an actors performance. Except maybe in the mind of an audience member

as for not going out of his way to make it know... Mckellon is a prominent gay rights campaigner in the UK and is often seen talking about gay rights on tv etc.

[retrograderenegades]

I didn't know he was known for gay rights in England All I was saying is he's such a remarkable actor when I watch him I don't see Ian Mckellen I see the character he's playing and don't even care that he's gay. Nick Meyer has said there are actors and there are movie stars, actors become the role while movie stars make the role become them.  I think Mckellen's performances are just so great that you don't pay attention to that extra stuff like you do with say someone like Tom Cruise

[theskilled99]

ahhh ok

i see what you mean now. Yeah despite his (brilliant) performances in X men and LOTR i would certainly call him an actor rather than a movie star. i am sure he would agree!

[retrograderenegades]

Yeah when I saw him in King Lear on PBS I thought he was absolutely amazing. By far my favorite performance of his. I am finding that I prefer shakespearian actors like Christopher Plummer and Ian Mckellen guys like that who can really act compared to the Keeanu Reeves or Tom Cruises and Nicolas Cages who play the same role every movie.

[MetalliMad]

@retrograderenegades hey man, clearly you haven't seen many of tom cruise's movies. Reeves and cage i agree, born on the 4th of july is one of the best acting performances iv seen

[retrograderenegades]

@MetalliMad I've seen his movies and I see nothing different in any of his films, I think he's just another hollywood phony that gets movies based on name recognition to sell tickets.

[anglaisfemme2]

@retrograderenegades

wow, you've obviously not seen his Acting Shakespeare dvd

[MetalliMad]

@Timthethespian89 I wouldnt say Patrick Stewart did a great job because he's shite

[schrire39]

@Timthethespian89 in light of social realities and history one can no more "just happen" to be gay than one can "happen to be" black or "happen "to be in a wheelchair".... and the mere fact that one has to ask the question "why can't just be an actor who happens to be gay" shows that we have a long, long, long way to go until sexuality becomes just another fact like eye colour or accent...

[TheAniman5000]

@Timthethespian89 I actually thought Patrick Stewart was gay :D

[mindingosafado]

@Timthethespian89 Cos haters hate on anything they can to make themselves feel better ^__^

[Timthethespian89]

@mindingosafado Ain't that the troof.

[IDIOTdella]

In my opinion, Ian McKellen is justy fantastic as King Lear and he is very ably supported by a good solid supporting cast.

I watched the DVD today and because there were so many exhilerating performances I was, at times, left slightly tearful.

I would recommend the DVD to anyone, even if they're not sure about Shakespeare. My only regret is that I didn't get to see this when it was making the rounds.

Thanks for posting this. it was one of the influences that made me go out and buy the DVD.