This version of King Lear, which was done by Sir Ian Mckellan and PBS, by far has the best rendition of the first scene of the play. From beginning to end, it shows the madness that is King Lear in a way that shows his shear craziness, but also his extreme disappointment with his daughter Cordelia. McKellan is completely baffled at Cordelia's response to his love question and his extreme anger that follows. McKellan's brilliant acting of King Lear in this section really sticks out. Also interesting is how Kent, played by Jonathan Hyde, reacts to the whole situation. In the play, Kent is thrown out of the court by Lear because he says Lear is making a terrible mistake. In the play, Kent seems more mad at Lear, but then wants to go back and help Lear. In this version, you can tell that Kent is just trying to help Lear and never really yells or gets upset with him, even though Lear throws Kent out. It creates a sense that Kent cares very deeply about Lear. Another part that sticks out in this version is the reaction of Burgundy. In this version, he seems to care more deeply about Cordelia than in the actual play. He goes as far as going on one knee and about to propose to Cordelia then backing away at the last moment realizing he will not get the money, but one can tell that he has feelings for her. In the play, he seems to really only care about the money and power he will be getting by the marriage and not Cordelia at all.
This version of Act 1, Scene 1 done by the Royal Shakespeare Company has some minor issues, but overall is great. The major issues of this version is that the camerawork is just awful, with the shots changing back and forth in a way that makes no sense and lessens the intensity in the scene. Another minor issue is the plainness of Cordelia, who looks like a poor maiden or wench, not like the princess that she really is. Lear looks more like a Viking king, even though he is supposed to be an English one. The best part of this scene happens around the five minute mark, in which the King is mad about Cordelia's answer. In the Ian McKellan version, Lear is portrayed as just being angry with Cordelia, without and real sadness of what his daughter has said. King Lear, in this version, seems to show remorse for what he is doing and although angry, one can sense that he is saddened by his daughter's answer and not just mad. Though not a famous actor, the man portraying King Lear does an amazing job speaking, as the words just seem to flow from his mouth in a way that the listener can really understand the character of Lear in a much deeper level. Kent seems to be more of an assistant in this version and is not as forceful as one would believe him to be based on the original play, but he does have a sense of being wise. Overall, good scene with flaws, that can be easily overlooked if one pays close attention to how King Lear is portrayed.
This version has tons of flaws as it was done by a high school A.P. English class, but the way it has been modernized shows how the scope of King Lear is wide. King Lear is not a king in this version, but an owner of a huge company and he wants to retire. Cordelia is displayed as a Cinderella type character in this version as her sisters are depicted as wicked from the beginning and actually try to hurt Cordelia. Though it is strange at some parts, like when the song "Milkshake" is playing, it keeps the spirit of the play alive in a modern setting. One of the funniest and most clever moments is when Goneril declares that she loves her father more than her cell phone or laptop, which for any teenage girl means a lot. Also, it is interesting how they portray Cordelia as scared and not having much, even though in the play she is strong in her beliefs and has many things. Though it does keep the spirit of the play alive, the scene with Lear disowning Cordelia would have to be the low point in this version as it was very cheesy and Lear's rage does not build like it should, but happens instantly with his throwing of an object. Kent's interaction with Lear is a high point as it correctly shows the passion and body language that encompasses these two characters when they are together, but Lear does not send Kent away, which sets up a conundrum for how the rest of the play should happen.