King Lear
Король Лир
Synopsis
King Lear, old and tired, divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to their protestations of love for him. When Cordelia, youngest and most honest, refuses to idly flatter the old man in return for favor, he banishes her and turns for support to his remaining daughters. But Goneril and Regan have no love for him and instead plot to take all his power from him. In a parallel, Lear's loyal courtier Gloucester favors his illegitimate son Edmund after being told lies about his faithful son Edgar. Madness and tragedy befall both ill-starred fathers.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
King Lear (1970) Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2021-07-07
Top Cast
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Jüri Järvet
King Lear
Galina Volchek
Regan
Elza Radziņa
Goneril
Valentina Shendrikova
Cordelia
Oleg Dal
Fool
Donatas Banionis
Albany
Regimantas Adomaitis
Edmund
Aleksandr Vokach
Cornwall
Aleksey Petrenko
Oswald
Juozas Budraitis
King of France
Karlis Sebris
Gloster
Vladimir Yemelyanov
Kent
Leonhard Merzin
Edgar
Roman Gromadskiy
Gloster's Servant
Zinoviy Gerdt
King Lear (voice)
Grigoriy Gay
Gloster (voice)
Aleksandr Demyanenko
Albany (voice)
Emmanuil Vitorgan
Edgar (voice) / Messenger (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
Cannes Film Festival (exact date unknown)
Festival / Special Debut
August 6, 1975
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Grigori Kozintsev
- Screenplay & Story
- William Shakespeare, Boris Pasternak, Grigori Kozintsev
- Original Score
- Dmitri Shostakovich
- Original Title
- Король Лир
- Country of Origin
- Soviet Union
- Spoken Languages
- Russian
- Runtime
- 2h 12m
- Production Studios
- Lenfilm
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Grigori Kozintsev
William Shakespeare, Boris Pasternak, Grigori Kozintsev
Dmitri Shostakovich
Jonas Gricius
Yevgeniya Makhankova
Department Leadership Roster
Grigori Kozintsev
Director
Simon Virsaladze
Costume Design
Yevgeniya Makhankova
Editor
Dmitri Shostakovich
Original Music Composer
Jonas Gricius
Director of Photography
Grigori Kozintsev
Writer
Evgeny Eney
Production Design
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for King Lear.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring King Lear.
Medieval
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
ALLL MOVIESSS
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Soviet Movies With English Subtitles
Medieval Europe / European middle ages in Soviet cinema
List doesn't include films where the action mostly takes place in Russia or where representatives of medieval Europe are just episodic characters
Harvard University's Suggested Narrative Film Viewing List
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Frequently Asked Questions About King Lear
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is King Lear about?
King Lear, old and tired, divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to their protestations of love for him. When Cordelia, youngest and most honest, refuses to idly flatter the old man in return for favor, he banishes her and turns for support to his remaining daughters. But Goneril and Regan have no love for him and instead plot to take all his power from him. In a parallel, Lear's loyal courtier Gloucester favors his illegitimate son Edmund after being told lies about his faithful son Edgar. Madness and tragedy befall both ill-starred fathers.
Who directed King Lear?
King Lear was directed by Grigori Kozintsev.
Who stars in King Lear?
The principal cast of King Lear includes Jüri Järvet, Galina Volchek, Elza Radziņa, Valentina Shendrikova, Oleg Dal.
When was King Lear released and how long is it?
King Lear was released in 1970 with a total runtime of 2h 12m.
Who composed the musical score for King Lear?
The original motion picture soundtrack for King Lear was composed by Dmitri Shostakovich.