King Lear (1971 British film)

King Lear
Film poster
Directed byPeter Brook
Written byPeter Brook
William Shakespeare
Produced byMichael Birkett
Mogens Skot-Hansen
StarringPaul Scofield
CinematographyHenning Kristiansen
Edited byKasper Schyberg
Production
companies
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • 4 February 1971 (1971-02-04)
Running time
137 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

King Lear is a 1971 British film adaptation of the Shakespeare play directed by Peter Brook and starring Paul Scofield. Filmed in stark black-and-white, the film was inspired by the absurdist theatre of playwrights such as Samuel Beckett and upon release was noted for its bleak tone and wintry atmosphere.