The play, I watched, was published by Granada Television in 1984. It was directed by Michael Elliott. The producer was David Plowright, who was high up in the ranks of Granada. With the actor Laurence Olivier who played King Lear. The English play writer Charles Bennett said Laurence Olivier could speak William Shakespeare’s lines as naturally ask if he were “actually thinking them”.
In every sense of the word, this is an old King Lear. At that year Olivier was 77 years old. This was the second time Olivier played Lear. I agree that age is a key thematic arc of the play. King Lear’s primary tragic force is because he got older. When the old Lear came out with his youngest daughter, he was holding the chair and walking not very stable. So I believed that it was the time to divide up his kingdom among several heirs, even it is terrible. Olivier truly understood this role. When everyone kneed to him, we can see his confidence on his face. Lear is a man who wanted to enjoy his “retirement” while maintaining his dignity. Then, when people put the map in front of him, I could feel the disdain when he had real power in his hand. After his daughters expressed their love to him, he used his sword to divide his territory on the map. At that moment, he liked an admired person. His daughters were trying to please him and got more property. Olivier could play the character very well. This is the reason I chose this video.
The background of music is also my favorite part. The music is a little exciting, like the horn that blew on the battlefield. The soldiers are ready to fight. Meanwhile, the music is a little sad. It is a sign that there were bad things would happen, which King Lear would almost certainly guarantee a war between them in the future.