The Merchant of Venice
Synopsis
A rich merchant, Antonio is depressed for no good reason, until his good friend Bassanio comes to tell him how he's in love with Portia. Portia's father has died and left a very strange will: only the man that picks the correct casket out of three (silver, gold, and lead) can marry her. Bassanio, unfortunately, is strapped for cash with which to go wooing, and Antonio wants to help, so Antonio borrows the money from Shylock, the money-lender. But Shylock has been nursing a grudge against Antonio's insults, and makes unusual terms to the loan. And when Antonio's business fails, those terms threaten his life, and it's up to Bassanio and Portia to save him.
Top Cast
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John Franklyn-Robbins
Antonio
John Rhys-Davies
Salerio
Alan David
Solanio
John Nettles
Bassanio
Richard Morant
Lorenzo
Kenneth Cranham
Gratiano
Gemma Jones
Portia
Susan Jameson
Nerissa
Daniel Mitchell
Balthasar
Warren Mitchell
Shylock
Marc Zuber
The Prince of Morocco
Enn Reitel
Launcelot Gobbo
Joe Gladwin
Old Gobbo
Roger Martin
Leonardo
Leslee Udwin
Jessica
Peter Gale
The Prince of Arragon
Richard Austin
Antonio's Servant
Arnold Diamond
Tubal
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Jack Gold
- Screenplay & Story
- William Shakespeare
- Original Score
- Stephen Oliver, Carl Davis
- Original Title
- The Merchant of Venice
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 37m
- Production Studios
- BBC, Time-Life Television Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Jack Gold
William Shakespeare
Stephen Oliver, Carl Davis
Department Leadership Roster
Jack Gold
Director
Carl Davis
Original Music Composer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Merchant of Venice.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Merchant of Venice.
500 best 80's movies
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THE MARVELOUSLY-MANIACAL HEART-STOPPING FLICKERS PROJECT 2015 💔
Once again, a new year starts and this list will be a record of the films I watch in 2015. The title for this year's list is by Beck77 letterboxd.com/beck77/
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BBC Shakespeare
Imported from JSON – BBC Shakespeare
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Merchant of Venice
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Merchant of Venice about?
A rich merchant, Antonio is depressed for no good reason, until his good friend Bassanio comes to tell him how he's in love with Portia. Portia's father has died and left a very strange will: only the man that picks the correct casket out of three (silver, gold, and lead) can marry her. Bassanio, unfortunately, is strapped for cash with which to go wooing, and Antonio wants to help, so Antonio borrows the money from Shylock, the money-lender. But Shylock has been nursing a grudge against Antonio's insults, and makes unusual terms to the loan. And when Antonio's business fails, those terms threaten his life, and it's up to Bassanio and Portia to save him.
Who directed The Merchant of Venice?
The Merchant of Venice was directed by Jack Gold.
Who stars in The Merchant of Venice?
The principal cast of The Merchant of Venice includes John Franklyn-Robbins, John Rhys-Davies, Alan David, John Nettles, Richard Morant.
When was The Merchant of Venice released and how long is it?
The Merchant of Venice was released in 1980 with a total runtime of 2h 37m.
Who composed the musical score for The Merchant of Venice?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Merchant of Venice was composed by Stephen Oliver, Carl Davis.