The Merchant Of Venice

Synopsis

This beautifully filmed adaptation of Shakespeare's play takes its visual cue from Renaissance paintings. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender in Christian Venice, when the merchant Antonio - who has earlier spit at Shylock in the street - requests a loan, the moneylender says that should he default, he will repay it with flesh. Known as a "difficult" play because Shylock is often seen as an anti-Semitic caricature, this production reveals the complexity of the drama and avoids the pitfalls.