The Tragedy of King Lear

I've watched every Lear I could get my hands on, and despite some glaring flaws, I come back to this one again and again. I'll start with the bad- - very cheesy synth music, hideous blocking on the fight scenes, and uneven acting (Rhoda's boyfriend in a Serious role? Ughh. ) It doesn't help that, in comparison, in the same year the RSC released an excellent version of Lear with the whole text and a masterful performance by Michael Hordern as Lear (and John Shrapnel as Kent) that is still my favorite overall.

What makes this version worth watching, despite some very obvious flaws and uneven acting, is Mike Kellin's performance as Lear. Kellin made his career as a character actor playing rough edged people on the edge of sanity, and I'd have to say he's my favorite all-around actor for Lear. (He only had about a year to live when he made this). Kellin was brilliant at bringing out the strong, harsh edge of Lear in the early acts, (the scene where he panics when he is driven to tears is fantastic), and his reading of the final scene (repeating the word "Nothing" five times in a row) is definitive. No other Lear I've seen and that combination of harshness and vulnerability as Kellin did in his performance. He keeps the balance pitch-perfect throughout.

So, if you watch this, brace yourself for some rough edges, wince at the lamely conceived fight scenes, cringe at the music, but don't you dare fast forward when Kellin is on the screen.