AS YOU LIKE IT (1936) - ♦♦

Directed by - Paul Czinner

Written by - J.M. Barrie, Robert Cullen, Carl Mayer, William Shakespeare

Starring - Elisabeth Bergner, Lawrence Olivier, Sophie Stewart, Henry Ainley

"This big screen adaptation of As You Like It, the story of an prince in exhile in the woods who falls for a woman, who plays with him by posing as a man, also marks the big screen debut of the great and celebrated actor Laurence Olivier. 

Nevertheless, it is clearly far too stagey and almost completely lacking in any technical aspect. It is also heavily brought down by a cheap look of the visuals, especially in the sets, that seem quite poor even for their times. 

Shakespeare's original text is also arguably his breeziest work, and somewhat underrated for being quite daring and for its use of great tongue in cheek humour, so even this underwhelming Czinner film can't deny it that.

Comedy, UK