This fascinating video documentary covers a nine-month rehearsal of Shakespeare's final play by inmates at the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in La Grange, Kentucky.
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08/12/08
Shakespeare Behind Bars (2006)
83
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:12
Fresh:10
Rotten:2
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: Shakespeare Behind Bars is a moving testament to the power -- and universality -- of art.
Theatrical Release:Mar 10, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: Shakespeare's plays have been performed in every major city, in every possible venue, but perhaps the most unusual and emotionally-charged performances of OTHELLO and TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA have... [More]
Director: Hank Rogerson
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Reviews for Shakespeare Behind Bars
1 - 12 (sorted by date)
Top CriticRogerson and producer Jilann Spitzmiller ably convey the humanity of the inmates while also exposing them as deeply flawed individuals. The film also reconfirms the enduring relevance and power of Shakespeare and his adaptability to almost any milieu.
05/12/06
Top CriticFew non-fiction films about the arts hit as hard or soar to such heights of poetry and humanity.
05/11/06
Top CriticObserves as the inmates use theater to massage knots of guilt and anguish in their psyches.
05/05/06
Top CriticThe film makes the case -- one that always needs making -- that, despite what they've done, these men retain some shred of humanity.
04/14/06
Top CriticRogerson lets the cameras roll, and we get real insight into daily prison life. But he doesn't stop to create context, and we feel stuck inside the razor wire.
04/14/06
Top CriticWe'd all like to believe that art is a lot more powerful than it is, but during rehearsals, two inmates who swear that Shakespeare has shown them the light are instead cast off to the Hole for breaking prison rules.
03/10/06
Top CriticThe mere fact that Shakespeare can teach hardened criminals to search their souls gives hope that forgiveness and redemption are possible -- even at the bottom of the human barrel.
03/10/06
Top CriticIn Shakespeare Behind Bars, the most restricted people in society find freedom in performance and release in words.
03/09/06
Top CriticThere's no denying the pic's overall impact as a compelling study of art as a source of transcendence.
03/09/06
Top CriticAny minute of this low-budget, digitally shot documentary packs more punch than the entirety of most triumph-of-the-human-spirit blockbusters.
03/09/06
Top CriticRogerson's structure is ingenious: He dilutes our initial skepticism by showcasing the prisoners' thoughtfulness and intelligence, and as soon as we've come to care for the men he shocks us with the details of their crimes.
03/07/06
Top Critic1 - 12 (sorted by date)
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