Shakespeare Films

<p> This study reexamines the recognized canon of films based on Shakespeare's plays and argues that it should be broadened by breaking with two unnecessary standards: the characterization of the director as auteur of a play's screen adaptation and the convention of excluding films with contemporary language or modern or alternative settings or which use the play as a subtext. The emphasis is shifted from the director's contribution to the film's social cultural and historical contexts. The work of the auteurs is reevaluated within present-day contexts preserving the established canon while proposing new criteria for inclusion.</p>