Master Will Shakespeare: A Dusty Peek at the Bard

Is this worth the watch?

Honestly, only if you have a weird obsession with early cinema or you're doing a deep dive into old school biographies. If you're looking for something that moves fast, stay away. This thing has all the energy of a museum placard. 📜

It’s barely a movie. It’s more of a short sketch about Will Shakespeare trying to pay his bills. You watch him go from one theater job to the next, which is fine, but it’s all very stiff.

The vibe is... dusty

The whole thing feels like it was filmed on a stage that hadn't been swept in a week. The lighting is super flat. You can tell they were trying to give it that historical gravitas, but it mostly just feels like a school play that got caught on camera.

I found myself staring at the background extras more than the main cast. One guy in the back keeps looking at the camera like he’s waiting for his lunch break. It's distracting, but honestly, it’s the most real thing in the film. 🥪

It reminded me a little bit of the pacing in Winners of the West, though that had a lot more going on. This? This just plods along.

Odd little moments

• The wigs look like they were pulled out of a bargain bin at a costume shop.
• The dialogue is so formal it sounds like everyone is reading from a grocery list.
• There is a scene where Shakespeare looks at a quill like it’s a alien artifact.

Sometimes the movie tries to be deep, and you can just feel it reaching. It’s trying to convince you that this guy was destined for greatness, but the direction is so dry you just want to hand him a coffee and tell him to wake up. It’s not a disaster, but it’s definitely not something I’m going to rewatch.

If you're interested in how they used to do these historical shorts, check it out. Otherwise, maybe go watch something with a bit more life in it, like Laburnum Grove. At least that one has a pulse.