King Lear

An early Italian take on King Lear notable for its vibrant stenciling and impressive use of outdoor locations.

This Italian take on King Lear quickly followed an alternate 1909 film by America’s Vitagraph company. Both films run approximately ten minutes, but the Italian version is undoubtedly superior for its wise abbreviations (removing the Edgar subplot, for example) and its use of outdoor locations as opposed to Vitagraph’s studio-based production.

With its judicious use of intertitles (thankfully in English here), it’s clear this was a production intended more for general audiences than some of the more scholarly adaptations.