FILMCLUB Guide to Shakespeare
for GCSE English Enrichment
Key Stage Target
✓KS4
Curriculum Links
✓English ✓ Drama
This resource is designed to enhance the teaching of William Shakespeare’s plays at GCSE
level by encouraging students to think critically about film adaptations and the director’s
interpretation of the play as a performance piece. It will appeal to all students aged 14-16,
regardless of ability, due to the universal appeal of film to engage, enthrall and inspire.
The films for this resource are adaptations of a variety of the most popular plays at GCSE
level, compiled in response to English teachers’ preferences. The adaptations vary greatly
in terms of their country of origin and approach to the original Shakespeare play. Film can
generate a multitude of discussions ranging from the interpretation of a play by a director,
the suitability of actors to portray the play’s characters, to how effectively the ideas,
themes, settings, social, cultural and historical contexts are shown in the film through
elements such as soundtrack, lighting, script, structure and camera shots.
Running a film club in your school can enrich the curriculum, allow young people to
experience cultures beyond their own, explore a wide variety of issues and stimulate their
imaginations. After watching a film, students can comment during a post-screening
discussion with their peers, before writing reviews on the FILMCLUB website (which has a real
audience of other young people) where they can analyse the film and develop their
independent critique while relating it to the original play. Above all, students and teachers
can enjoy the shared experience of watching and discussing a film together.
Please visit www.filmclub.org for further details.
FILMCLUB Guide to Shakespeare
for GCSE English Enrichment
Key Stage Target
✓KS4
Curriculum Links
✓English ✓ Drama
The films in this resource are:
Macbeth (1971, 15) 14+
William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996, 12) 11+
Dil Chahta Hai (2001, PG) 11+ - based on Much Ado About Nothing
She’s The Man (2006, 12) 11+ - based on Twelfth Night
Caesar Must Die (2012, 12A) 11+ - based on Julius Caesar
The Lion King (1994, U) 5+ - based on Hamlet
Ran (1985, 12) 11+ - based on King Lear
10 Things I Hate About You (1999, 12) 11+ - based on The Taming of the Shrew
Forbidden Planet (1956, U) 7+ - based on The Tempest
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1996, PG) 11+
Get access to all these films and more, plus download additional resources when you join
FILMCLUB:
FILMCLUB is an education charity which helps schools set up and run film clubs for pupils to
watch, review, discuss and learn through a curated catalogue of films from across the world
and from over 100 years of cinema.
Free to all state schools, FILMCLUB provides weekly screenings, online reviewing, monthly
webcasts, industry events and hands--on support to engage, challenge and open new
avenues for informal learning. Teachers receive the support they need to introduce pupils to
the world of film, creating a memorable experience with proven academic benefit.
It is now even easier to join through online start up sessions! To join FILMCLUB please visit:
www.filmclub.org or call 0207 288 4520 for more information. Follow us on Twitter and
Instagram @filmclubuk and on Facebook – www.facebook.com/filmclubuk
FILMCLUB Guide to GCSE Shakespeare
Macbeth (1971, 15) 14+, 140 mins
Enrichment Focus
This film resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested subjects for discussion are
Macbeth and adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.
What’s this film about?
Lively version of the famous Shakespeare tragedy about a Scottish general intent on
becoming king at any cost.
Why this film?
William Shakespeare gets the Roman Polanski touch in this energetic version of ‘the
Scottish play’, and that means that while there's always respect for the exquisite text,
there are also some modern touches, flashes of violence and notably quite a lot of
nudity. The cast is excellent if at times eccentric, with Jon Finch in good form as
Macbeth, Francesca Annis believably ambitious and insane as Lady Macbeth, and TV
stars Martin Shaw and Keith Chegwin turning up as Banquo and Fleance, respectively.
What the critics think
“Polanski has increased the film's barbaric realism and fills the screen with blood, mud
and brooding atmosphere.”
Film4 Online
“This is an original film by an original film artist, and not an ‘interpretation.’”
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times Online
Discussion Questions
1. Watch the opening scene and title credits. How does
Polanski set the tone for the film straight away?
2. Do you think that this version of Macbeth is too violent?
3. How have special effects been used in this film? Are they
successful?
4. In your opinion, is this a good adaptation of Macbeth?
Teacher Notes
1. When the witches are on the beach the air is full of dust and smoke which makes it mysterious and seem
very bleak. It also brings the line “through the fog and filthy air” come alive. It also foreshadows Macbeth
because at the same time he is fighting in the fog of war and immediately links him with the witches.
2. This version does show the horrors of war. In the play they are merely described by other characters but in
the film we can actually see the actions. This gives us a deeper understanding of Macbeth as not only a
good soldier but a violent warrior as his job called for. However the battle scene uses dialogue from the
play which students may find detracts from the action of the scene.
3. In the film we actually see the imaginary dagger that leads Macbeth to Duncan’s chamber, but when he
stabs the king the action is very staged. The soliloquies are part of the voice-over soundtrack rather than
spoken to one side as it would be in the theatre.
4. The ending of the film shows Malcolm’s brother going to consult the three witches and indicates that history
will repeat itself. However in the play all we know is that Malcolm becomes king. Also, in the film Ross is one
of Macbeth’s henchman but in the play he only has a minor role. Shakespeare’s stage directions do not
say that Lady Macbeth sleepwalks in the nude but this is Polanski’s addition to the play.
Next Steps
1. Watch Throne of Blood (1957, PG) 14+. How does this adaptation of Macbeth compare to
Polanski’s?
2. Get your students’ voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to GCSE Shakespeare
William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996, 12) 11+, 115 mins
Enrichment Focus
This film resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested subjects for discussion are
Romeo and Juliet and adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.
What’s this film about?
Highly original, loud and colourful adaptation of Shakespeare's classic play about two
young lovers from bitterly feuding families.
Why this film?
Bold, bright, fast and frantic, this adaptation of Shakespeare's tale of star-crossed lovers is
about as far from traditional theatre as you could imagine. Played by Leonardo Di
Caprio and Clare Danes, the young couple at the centre of the story must still overcome
their families' bitter feuding in order to be together, but now they do so in violent Verona
Beach, a place where swords have been replaced by guns, and where their soundtrack
is blazing rock music.
What the critics think
“I had two controlled assessments on the play I found the movie a great help in
understanding the storyline and the language.”
Shabina FILMCLUB Member, aged 14.
“Luhrmann and his two bright angels have shaken up a 400-year-old play without losing
its touching, poetic innocence.”
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone Online
Discussion Questions
1. How does the first scene in the film show that this is a modern
adaptation of the film?
2. How is love represented in Romeo + Juliet?
3. How are relationships between the sexes portrayed in the film?
4. How does the modern setting of the film reflect Shakespeare’s
original setting for the play?
Teacher Notes
1. It starts with Benvolio and the Montague boys pulling up to a gas station, where they get into a fight with
Tybalt, Abra and the Capulets. The scene is fast-paced due to quick cuts between camera shots. The pistols
that they use are called swords as they are using Shakespeare’s original text for the dialogue and they bear
the names of the houses on them. The costumes also show the modernity of the adaptation because the
Montagues have bleached hair and Hawaiian shirts while the Capulets wear leather and Cuban heels. The
language is Shakespearean but the accents are American (standard and Hispanic accents).
2. In the party scene that corresponds with Act 1, Scene 5 of the play, the burgeoning love between Romeo
and Juliet contrasts the hate in the scene caused by the Montagues gatecrashing the Capulet party. The
party is very fast paced and frantic, but, in contrast, when Romeo and Juliet meet across the fish tank, the
pace slows down. Close ups of their faces show that they are falling in love and the fish in the tank make it
seem more romantic as they try to look at each other. The famous balcony scene also takes place in water as
they both fall into the swimming pool where time moves slowly and their love is romantic and all-consuming.
3. Romeo and Juliet have a romantic relationship, even though during their first meeting he is very keen on her
from the outset whereas Juliet is more reserved. However Juliet’s parents do not appear to have such a loving
relationship and her mother cannot bear to be left alone with her daughter without her nurse. Women are not
well respected as seen when the Nurse is made fun of by the Capulet boys and Juliet has to marry the man of
her father’s choosing, even though she does not want to. The same occurs in the play.
4. The play is set in Verona Italy, but Luhrmann has set the film in Verona Beach, based on Venice Beach in Los
Angeles, America. It is a modern area with high rises and some areas in ruin so it fits in with the film where the
civil war between the Montagues and Capulets has been raging for years. Juliet’s bedroom is similar to any
teenage girl with trinkets everywhere. The Church is neutral ground where Romeo and Juliet can meet with no
fear of danger even though they only go there twice, firstly to marry and secondly when they both die.
Next Steps
1. Watch Romeo and Juliet by Franco Zefferelli (1968, PG) 9+. How is this different to Luhrmann’s
adaptation? Which do you prefer?
2. Get your students’ voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to GCSE Shakespeare
Dil Chahta Hai (2001, PG) 11+, 183 mins
Based on Much Ado About Nothing
Enrichment Focus
This film resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested subjects for discussion are
What’s this film about?
Three friends' relationships are put to the test when they discover they have very different
beliefs in this gripping Bollywood drama.
Why this film?
In this buddy movie with a dramatic twist, Akash, Sameer and Siddharth are long-time
best friends with a world of things in common. However, the three have very different
views of love. Soon their already complicated personal lives are about to be entangled,
as each becomes involved in relationships that will make them rethink their beliefs - and
test the bonds they have with each other. Dil Chahta Hai is a gripping drama from start
to finish based on one of Shakespeare’s most emotionally engaging plays . Voiced in
Hindi, subtitles in English.
What the critics think
“This is a very good movie. It is Bollywood. It is very different”
FILMCLUB Member Hanna, aged 9
Discussion Questions
1. How are the characters similar and different to
those in Much Ado About Nothing?
2. How are women portrayed in the film?
3. Does it work to set the film in modern India?
4. Do you think that this is a good adaptation of
Much Ado About Nothing?
Teacher Notes
1. Akash is like Benedict as they are both mischief makers and they both do not believe in love. Akash only
keeps girlfriends for a maximum of 2 weeks and Benedict exchanges insults with Beatrice. Sameer is like
Claudio as they are both very romantic and fall in love very easily. Sid is the most mature and focuses on his
work rather than love and is like Don Pedro. In Dil Chahta Hai the friends fall out over an older lady but in
Much Ado About Nothing they fall out a young lady called Hero.
2. Dil Chahta Hai is set in modern India and the women are seen to be dating men and also having arranged
marriages. In the film Shalini chooses Akash over her fiance Rohit. In Much Ado About Nothing Hero is bound
by what her father says and he tells her to agree to marry Claudio; “if the prince do solicit you in that kind,
you know your answer”. Innocent Hero’s humiliation and rejection by both her father and Claudio is the most
shocking part of the play.
3. India is shown as a cosmopolitan, urban and vibrant country. The characters are all wealthy and travel to
Goa and Australia. The majority of the characters wear Western clothes and socialise in clubs with their
friends. Sameer agrees to have a traditional arranged marriage to Pooja but he ends up falling in love with
her.
4. The film is only loosely based on Much Ado About Nothing due to the relationship between the three main
male characters. There are Bollywood song and dance numbers but this does link in with the play where
there are songs in the text. There is no character that parallels Don John who is the villain of the play, and
there is no equivalent of Dogberry and The Watch to provide comic relief in the darker parts of the film.
Next Steps
1. Watch Much Ado About Nothing (1993, PG) 11+. How good an adaptation of Shakespeare’s
play is it? Do you prefer it to Dil Chahta Hai?
2. Get your students’ voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to GCSE Shakespeare
She’s The Man (2006,12) 11+,105 mins
Based on Twelfth Night
Enrichment Focus
This film resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested subjects for discussion are
Twelfth Night and adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.
What’s this film about?
A teenage girl poses as a guy for two weeks while her brother sneaks off, but problems
arise when she develops a crush on her football teammate!
Why this film?
Viola’s twin brother, Sebastian, persuades her to pose as him for a fortnight while he
sneaks off to London. He is about to start a new school anyway, so it’s easy for Viola to
fool the teachers and students, particularly when she displays her impressive soccer skills.
Uncomfortable near-misses and romantic complications threaten to derail the illconceived masquerade when Viola develops a crush on her teammate, Duke, who in
turn fancies Olivia – while Olivia is smitten with... Sebastian (who, of course, is really Viola).
A very modern take on the web of love and infatuation outlined in Shakespeare’s
Twelfth Night.
What the critics think
“This is a perfectly pleasant, entertaining and often witty romp with engaging
performances.”
Claudia Puig, USA Today Online
“Bynes tackles her part with gusto, while Tatum underplays his to striking effect..”
Neil Smith, BBC Online
Discussion Questions
1. How are the character names used to indicate a clear
link to Shakespeare’s play?
2. How are the roles of the female characters affected by
the modern setting?
3. How is the character of Viola portrayed in the film
compared to the play?
4. Do you think that this film is a good adaptation of
Twelfth Night?
Teacher Notes
1. In the play, Viola uses Cesario as her alias, but in She’s The Man she takes on the persona of her own twin
Sebastian. Viola’s school is called Illyria, which is the land where the play is set. Sebastian’s new school is
called Cornwall, which is where Cesario and Viola are from in the play. Antonio helps Olivia with her
scheme but in the play he is more important and involved in the plot. Malvolio was the name of the
tarantula in the the film.
2. Viola is shown to be a tomboy and even her mother gets her confused with her brother. She is the direct
opposite of her twin brother’s girlfriend Monique who is concerned only with her appearance. Viola also
stands up to her ex-boyfriend Justin who cannot admit that she is a good football player to his teammates.
When she cross-dresses she treats women badly to fit in with the guys. The camera angles show that she too
objectifies women in her role.
3. In the play Viola is obedient, loyal and virtuous, which was the ideal role for a woman in the Elizabethan
age. She has no option but to dress as a man after the shipwreck in order to protect herself from potential
harm. In She’s The Man, Viola is brash and unfeminine and has no desire to be a debutante. She dresses as
her twin in order to prove herself on the football pitch. At the end of the film she attends the ball with Duke
and happily takes on the stereotypical female role in their relationship.
4. She’s The Man is not as tense or as dramatic as the play, which starts with Viola and Cesario being
shipwrecked and thinking that each other is dead. In the film, Viola knows that Sebastian will be back from
London, and the dramatic highlight is his early return on the twelfth night.
Next Steps
1. Watch Twelfth Night (1996, U) 11+. How is this different to She’s The Man? Which do you
prefer?
2. Get your students’ voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to GCSE Shakespeare
Caesar Must Die (2012, 12A) 11+, 76 mins
Based on Julius Caesar
Enrichment Focus
This film resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested subjects for discussion are
Julius Caesar and adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.
What’s this film about?
A quasi-documentary following a re-enactment of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in a highsecurity Italian prison, with prisoners playing the roles.
Why this film?
The film won the Berlin Film Festival's 2012 Golden Bear award and is inspired by the
dichotomy of teaching murderers how to murder, Caesar Must Die marks a profoundly
moving return to the big screen for master filmmakers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. The twist
lies in the fact that the players are prisoners and the backdrop is a high security prison in
Rome. The in-mates’ crimes (some Mafia related, including murder) appear to
dramatically inform their understanding of Shakespeare's characters. In Italian with
English subtitles.
What the critics think
“The Tavianis come not to use or mangle Shakespeare but to honor him”.
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker Online
“It ranks among the most involving adaptations of Shakespeare ever put on screen”.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times Online
Discussion Questions
1. What effect does the prison setting have on the film?
2. How do the actors’ real-life stories influence their
portrayal of the characters?
3. Even though the film has a documentary style, parts of it
have been staged. Does this spoil your enjoyment of the
film?
4. In your opinion, is this a good adaptation of
Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar?
Teacher Notes
1. The atmosphere in prison is one of betrayal, friendship and conspiracy which are also themes in the play. The
film shows the prisoners rehearsing in their environment in the cells, corridors and exercise yards. At the end of
the film when the prisoners return to their cells after their performance the viewer feels sorry for them.
2. The actors are real-life prisoners jailed for crimes such as murder, drug smuggling and Mafia involvement. The
actors can see links between their own lives and the play. They use their own regional accents in rehearsals
because some of them are from Southern Italy and that region is associated with the criminal class. During
the stabbing scene, the directors ask them to draw on their experience of violence to make it more realistic.
3. The Taviani brothers’ films often use a mix of factual and fictional filmmaking and this is also evident in Caesar
Must Die. The sections shot in colour are the performances in front of an audience and the black and white
sections show the harsh reality of the prisoners lives, the casting process and the rehearsal process in their
prison environment.
4. The film is not a direct adaptation of Shakespeare’s play but it is very interesting to see their interpretation of
Shakespeare’s text.
Next Steps
1. Re-script a short scene from the play set in a prison but in modern English. How does the
environment change the way in which the characters respond to one another? Perform the
script to your class.
2. Get your students’ voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to GCSE Shakespeare
The Lion King (1994, U) 5+, 89 mins
Based on Hamlet
Enrichment Focus
This film resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested subjects for discussion are
Hamlet and adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.
What’s this film about?
Song-filled Disney classic about a lion cub who runs away from the pride allowing his evil
uncle to become king.
Why this film?
On its release, The Lion King was hailed as an instant classic from Disney. This animated
epic is not only beautiful visually, but the story is equally captivating. Lion cub Simba runs
away from his pride, believing he caused the tragic death of his beloved father King
Mufasa. With Simba away, his evil uncle Scar can become king. However, while
wandering in the African wilderness, Simba meets Pumba and Timon, two colourful
characters, whose friendship gives him the strength to face his destiny. This tale of familial
betrayal and retribution is loosely based on the tragedy of Hamlet.
What the critics think
“I think this film is unbelievable. It includes sadness and euphoria, conflict and love,
villains and heroes.”
FILMCLUB Member, Emily aged 14
“A classic story told through immersive visuals, great voice work and some of the most
memorable songs in movie history. The Lion King defines animated classic.”
R L Shaffer, IGN DVD
Discussion Questions
1. How is the plot similar and different to Hamlet?
2. How is Sarabi the lioness portrayed in the film? Are there
any differences to Shakespeare’s portrayal of Gertrude
in Hamlet?
3. Do the songs in The Lion King make the themes in the
film less serious than in Hamlet?
4. The ending of The Lion King is uplifting and happy
compared to the ending of Hamlet - why do you think
this is?
Teacher Notes
1. Simba, like Hamlet, loses his father and becomes depressed because he has nobody to teach him how to
become king. They both run from their responsibilities with Simba retreating from his past and Hamlet
retreating into madness.
2. Sarabi is the Queen of Pride Rock and she is a good queen lioness, who continues in her role after the
death of Mufasa and is influential to the other lionesses. She is nearly killed by Scar, showing how males are
more powerful than females in the lion pride. In Hamlet, Gertrude is Queen of Denmark and also
maintained her position after the death of her husband by marrying her brother-in-law Claudius. Her
actions cause Hamlet to become even madder because her actions are a betrayal of his father. Even
though Sarabi does not remarry, both Hamlet and Simba are upset at how their mothers are they are
treated by Claudius and Scar.
3. The songs in the film were written by Sir Elton John and Sir Tim Rice and do fit in with the themes in the play.
Songs like Hakuna Matata and I Just Can’t Wait to be King are upbeat in tempo and may not feel right in a
tragedy, but show how Simba is feeling about dealing with depression and his rightful place as king after
his father’s death. The Circle of Life and Can You Feel the Love Tonight are more serious songs.
4. The film was created by Disney and their films are known for having happy endings. The audience for their
films are young children so it needs to be uplifting so that they will not be upset. Also the ending of the film
leaves room for a sequel in The Lion King 2.
Next Steps
1. Watch Hamlet (2000, 12) 11+. How is this different to The Lion King? Which do you prefer?
2. Get your students’ voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to GCSE Shakespeare
Ran (1985, 12) 11+, 115 mins
Based on King Lear
Enrichment Focus
This film resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested subjects for discussion are
King Lear and adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.
What’s this film about?
An epic film set in medieval Japan and based on Shakespeare's King Lear, in which an
ageing man splits his land between his three sons, resulting in war.
Why this film?
Shakespeare's King Lear is the basis for this spectacular epic set in medieval Japan. The
ageing Hidetora splits his land up between his three sons, hoping that they will preserve
his legacy and let him live out his years in comfort and with respect. However, his wellintentioned gesture only leads to brutal war and the betrayal of the old man. The film
combines this tragic personal story with some of the greatest battle scenes ever shot, all
made without a single computer trick. Voiced in Japanese, subtitled in English.
What the critics think
“Few other directors had Kurosawa's ability to convey the intimate as well as the epic, to
handle stillness as well as violence.”
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
“The battle scenes the most ghastly ever filmed, and the outcome is even bleaker than
Shakespeare's.”
Time Out Online
Discussion Questions
1. How is the family relationship portrayed in Ran in
comparison to King Lear?
2. How are women represented in Ran?
3. How similar is the film to the story of King Lear?
4. How does the setting of Ran enhance the film?
Teacher Notes
1. The patriarch of the family is Hidetora and his three sons Taro, Jiro and Sabora have parallels with King Lear
and his daughters Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. Like Lear, after he banishes the children they do not
support him and two of his children turn against him whilst third supports him.
2. Sué and Lady Kaede are the two main female characters and both of them had their families killed and
castles taken over by Hidetora. Sué has a good nature and is only seen in the distance and often prays to
Buddha. In contrast Lady Kaede refuses to give up her position by manipulating and seducing her brotherin-law. She wears layered clothing to symbolise the different layers of her personality and her duplicity. Ask
students how she is similar to Lady Macbeth. Despite Sué and Lady Kaede being polar opposites both of
them suffer the same death by beheading.
3. Ran has condensed the dialogue from the play to just the bare minimum as opposed to the lengthy
dialogue that helps to reveal the characters in Shakespeare’s text. In King Lear, Lear is portrayed as a fool
whereas Hidetora is an ageing cruel warrior who is ridiculed by his fool Kyoami in his decrepit state. The
character of Lady Kaede who is married to Hidetora’s ambitious son Taro has been added to the film by
Kurosawa. She is more ambitious and evil than both Goneril and Regan in the original play and she is
reminiscent of Lady Macbeth when she pushes those around her to murder so that she can can control and
ultimately destroy the Ichimonji clan.
4. The exterior scenes are set in wide open spaces in the countryside and show how inconsequential Hidetora
and his sons’ squabbling is compared to the wider world. The breaking clouds are a visual representation of
the breaking bonds within the family. Inside the castles the rooms are empty, minimalistic and symmetrical
like a theatre set. This creates an artificial feeling and the castle is destroyed by the violent battle scenes.
The weather becomes progressively stormier as the film progresses and in the final scenes there is a red
sunset to highlight how small and insignificant Hidetora has become over the course of the film.
Next Steps
1. Create a storyboard for a modern adaptation of King Lear. How would you make it relevant
to people today?
2. Get your students’ voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to GCSE Shakespeare
10 Things I Hate About You (1999,12) 11+, 94 mins
Based on The Taming of the Shrew
Enrichment Focus
This film resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested subjects for discussion are
The Taming of the Shrew and adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.
What’s this film about?
10 Things I Hate About You recreates Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew in the
setting of a modern American high school.
Why this film?
The fast-paced and very funny 10 Things I Hate About You combines the Bard's dialogue
with a brilliantly up-to-date attitude. When new boy Cameron arrives at Padua High
School, he instantly falls for Bianca Stratford - but his hopes of winning her heart take a
tumble when he learns that Bianca will never be allowed to date by her father until her
rebellious older sister Kat has done so first. And so, without her even knowing it, the
search for a suitable boyfriend for Kat begins.
What the critics think
“This is a brilliant film, which is not your average cheesy teen flick! It's hilarious and edgy,
and the main characters are outcasts - so not your typical popular kids.”
FILMCLUB Member Lauren, aged 16
“With the present deluge of teen angst films now on the market, this one is perhaps the
best available in terms of plot, script, acting and direction.”
Paul Clinton, CNN Online
Discussion Questions
1. How is the relationship between Kat, Bianca and
their father in the film similar or different to the play
The Taming of the Shrew?
2. How is the character of Patrick portrayed in the film?
3. What does Kat’s poem at the end of the film show
about how she has changed since the beginning?
How does the viewer feel about this?
4. Do you think that this film adaptation successfully
reinterpret’s The Taming of the Shrew for a modern
audience? Could any improvements be made?
Teacher Notes
1. In the play, Katharine and Bianca are bound by societal conventions of the time, which dictate that
women must be married and must do what their father wants. He wants to marry off his eldest daughter
because she is considered his property to give to somebody else. In the modern film adaptation, their
father forbids them from dating boys and from going to parties because of his fear of them getting
pregnant, losing their independence and being unable to make their own decisions in life.
2. Patrick seems full of himself but he is an outsider in Stratford because he is an Australian and the new boy
at school. In The Taming of the Shrew Petruchio is pompous, only after Katharine’s dowry and is cruel to her
by depriving her of food. However Patrick actually falls in love with Kat and by the end of the film he is not
in charge in their relationship.
3. She has softened as a result of falling in love with him but she still maintains her feminist ideals. In the play
Katharine submits completely to her husband and accepts that she must marry him for life and submit to
him. Due to the social and historical period when the original play is set, if she stayed a shrew then she
would not have a place in society and being a servant to man seems better than nothing. The viewer will
feel happy for Kat at the end of the film because she is asserting herself and making her own choices,
however they are likely to feel sorry for Katherine as she has no option but to submit to her husband.
4. Students may find the musical set pieces a distraction from the plot and they may enjoy the film for its
portrayal of teenage relationships. They may find that the film is quite dated and the links to the original
texts are not very obvious.
Next Steps
1. Write the script for a scene after the end of the film. How has Kat and Patrick’s relationship
developed?
2. Get your students’ voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to GCSE Shakespeare
Forbidden Planet (1956, U) 7+, 98 mins
Based on The Tempest
Enrichment Focus
This film resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested subjects for discussion are
The Tempest and adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.
What’s this film about?
Classic sci-fi movie about a rescue team that arrives on a distant planet in search of lost
humans.
Why this film?
A rescue team arrives on a distant planet to see what happened to a group of human
colonisers. The only survivors are the strange Dr Morbius and his daughter, although they
do have a massive robot to help them out. Commander Adams has to figure out why
Morbius's companions all died (and why he survived), and what is threatening his crew.
A classic sci-fi movie with an ahead-of-its-time electronic soundtrack that cleverly
adapts aspects of tragicomic romance The Tempest.
What the critics think
“This film is a fantastic, brilliant, mind-boggling, epic, science fiction adventure. I really
enjoyed this film and think you will too.”
FILMCLUB Member Liam, aged 11
“Imaginative gadgets galore, plus plenty of suspense and thrills, make the production a
top offering in the space travel category.”
Variety Online
Discussion Questions
1. What are the similarities and differences between The
Forbidden Planet and The Tempest?
2. How is the theme of nature versus technology used in the
film?
3. How far is Dr Morbius to blame for the destruction of the
planet?
4. In your opinion, is this a good adaptation of The Tempest?
Teacher Notes
1. The character of Dr. Morbius is like Prospero as they are both living in a place that on first impressions looks
like paradise along with their daughters who are Altaira and Miranda respectively. In both the play and the
film a group of young men arrive on the scene who are sailors stranded by the tempest in the play and a
space crew on a mission in Forbidden Planet. The main difference is that Prospero uses magic to control,
the elements of the island which are personified in Caliban the monster whom he has enslaved. However, in
the film Dr Morbius is a scientist who uses technology to control the environment around him.
2. The tigers on the island are like domestic cats, however when Altaira is attacked by a tiger, the Commander
blasts it. This shows that technology is dominant over nature.
3. Dr Morbius doubled his intelligence by using the Krell’s plastic educator and as a result of this encounter, the
creature that threatens to kill everyone at the end is an extension of his own mind. Robby the Robot is
unable to kill it because he realises that it is part of his human master. Dr Morbius stops the monster but then
has to activate the self-destruct button to destroy the planet. At the end of The Tempest, Prospero destroys
his magic staff and magic book.
4. Dr Morbius shows what can happen when technology is allowed to increase without human control. It gets
out of hand eventually leading to the planet of Altair IV being destroyed. Ask students if they think that this
can still relate to modern life today?
Next Steps
1. Create a storyboard of a scene from Robby the Robot’s perspective. How different is it to the
original film?
2. Get your students’ voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org
FILMCLUB Guide to GCSE Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1996, PG) 11+,105 mins
Enrichment Focus
This Film Resource is aimed at GCSE English students. Suggested subjects for discussion
are A Midsummer Night’s Dream and adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.
What’s this film about?
Shakespeare's famed comedy about a boy's dream featuring feuding fairies is here
performed by a great Royal Shakespeare Company cast.
Why this film?
This fits somewhere between a filmed theatrical production of Shakespeare's comedy
and a full movie adaptation but is completely enchanting. Following the logic of the
title, the fact that there are several different stories including a play-within-the-play and
feuding fairies is explained with the idea that this is all a boy's dream. The cast do a fine
job with what is a tricky task: making a 16th-century comedy seem actually funny to a
modern audience.
What the critics think
“The latest version of Shakespeare’s play is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face,
makes you laugh, makes you giggle and brightens your day”.
FILMCLUB Member Paige, aged 12
“A framing device whereby a young boy dreams the play is the film's one piece of
invention, the rest is reverential and stagy”.
Film 4 Online
Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think the small boy was included in this
version?
2. What special effects are used in this version to make it
less of a staged performance?
3. How do the costumes reflect the character’s
personalities?
4. In your opinion, is this adaptation effective?
Teacher Notes
1. The boy is the person who is having the dream and we watch the action that takes place in the play
alongside him starting from when he wakes from his bed with a copy of the text and enters the room where
the action begins. His interaction and proximity with the actors makes it less staged. At the end when Oberon
speaks directly to the boy, the viewer may be left wondering whether he is the changeling boy that is
mentioned in Shakespeare’s text.
2. The room that is the setting for the opening of the play is very much like a traditional stage play. Later in the
play the doors are a replacement for the trees and branches in the wood. The lighting is dark when Oberon
and Puck are scheming together but colourful and bright when Titania and the fairies are on the screen. The
fairies are separated from the mortals as they appear in bubbles which implies that they can magically
appear. The Mechanicals have a motorcycle that flies through the air to give the impression of speed.
3. The Mechanicals wear modern dress to reflect the fact that they are practical and not at all associated it the
fairy world. The fairies wear brightly coloured outfits and feathers to indicate that they have the ability to fly.
Puck is the only exception and has a punk-style haircut instead to show that he is rebellious. The outfits that the
Lovers wear looks like nightwear and reinforces the dream theme even further.
4. Students may feel that this adaptation is too stage-like as it is literally the filmed version of the stage play. The
double casting of Hippolyta / Titania, Theseus /Oberon and Puck/ Philostrate adds an interesting dimension to
the play and create parallels between the sets of characters.
Next Steps
1. With a group create the trailer for a Hollywood blockbuster adaptation of A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. How will you modernise the film for today’s audience?
2. Get your students’ voices heard by joining FILMCLUB and writing reviews at www.filmclub.org