IF YOU LIKE 'THE BIKERIDERS,' CHECK OUT THIS SHAKESPEAREAN BIKER DRAMA

The Bikeriders recently sped into theaters, and it has all the makings of a Shakespearean tragedy: Tom Hardy plays a man who reigns over his fellow bikers like a king – and eventually that reign ends in blood and death. Austin Butler's Benny is determined to carve out a life for himself on the open road, which causes friction with his wife Kathy (Jodie Comer). It chronicles the rise and the fall of a biker club over the course of a decade, adding elements of myth to the narrative in a way that only Jeff Nichols could deliver. But a decade ago, there was a crime film featuring bikers that actually did take inspiration from one of William Shakespeare's plays. That film is Cymbeline.

Cymbeline Is Based on One of William Shakespeares Lesser Known Plays

Cymbeline stays true to the plot of Shakespeare's original play, focusing on the titular king (Ed Harris) and his relationship with his daughter Imogen (Dakota Johnson). Embroiled in a war, Cymbeline intends to strengthen his rule by marrying Imogen off to royalty. There's just one hitch in the plan: Imogen is already secretly married to the love of her life, Posthumous (Penn Badgley). Further complicating matters is Cymbeline's queen (Milla Jovovich), who has her own designs on the throne and seeks to gain power by marrying off Imogen to her son Cloten (Anton Yelchin). Finally, Posthumous ends up in a wager with Iachimo (Ethan Hawke), who bets he can seduce Imogen and take her virginity.

Writer/director Michael Almereyda takes a similar route to other modern-day Shakespeare adaptations, namely Romeo + Juliet, by setting Cymbeline in the modern day. Castles and horses are replaced by motorcycles and a war with a corrupt arm of the police department. Instead of Rome, there's the Rome Police Department. Instead of the British, there's the Briton Motorcycle Club. In translating the story to a modern-day setting full of crime and violence, Almereyda had a compelling hook. But the real draw of Cymbeline is its star studded cast.

Cymbeline Has an Impressively Star-Studded Cast

Given all the plot threads going on, any director would want a top-notch cast who can bring these characters to life, while also keeping the audience invested. Almereyda succeeds in this regard, gathering together character actors including Vondie Curtis-Hall and Delroy Lindo as well as letting the younger actors shine. Yelchin turns in a performance that was a far cry from his more everyman characters; here he's a slimy brat the audience will love to hate. Badgley and Johnson have palpable chemistry as Posthumous and Imogen, to the point where the strongest plotline in Cymbeline is the trials their relationship goes through. Even Bill Pullman has a brief but engaging role as Posthumous' father Sicilius.

But the strongest performance goes to Harris as Cymbeline. Every time he's on the screen, he commands the viewer's attention. The way Harris delivers dialogue throughout Cymbeline has a undercurrent of danger lining every word. It gets to the point where you never know if he'll shake someone's hand or shoot them in the face; Harris would bring a similar energy to his role as the Man in Black on Westworld. Harris' performance as Cymbeline also feels like a callback to Knightriders, where he played the "king" of a traveling group of bikers with a medieval theme. The only difference is that Cymbeline is far less romantic – and more dangerous.

The Director of Cymbeline Previously Teamed Up With Ethan Hawke for a Hamlet Adapatation

Believe it or not, Cymbeline isn't the first time Almereyda put a modern spin on Shakespeare – nor is it the first time he worked with Hawke. The duo teamed up for an adaptation of Hamlet in 2000, with Hawke portraying the title role. Much like Cymbeline, Almereyda opted to shift the story of Hamlet to a modern setting. Instead of being set in Denmark, the story is centered on control of the Denmark Corporation. Hamlet's late father, played by Sam Shepard, appears to him not in ghostly form but through television screens. And much like Romeo + Juliet, disputes are often resolved with guns instead of swords.

When it made its debut, Hamlet received a mixed reception from critics. Some felt the update was successful, while many criticized Almereyda's choice to keep the dialogue of the play intact. But with the passage of time, Hamlet has received a critical reevaluation – particularly when it comes to how Almereyda still keeps the themes of vengeance intact. The cast, much like Cymbeline, also features top-tier performances from Kyle MacLachlan's Claudius and Liev Schrieber's Laertes. Julia Stiles even appears as Ophelia, which marks a tradition of her appearing in modern-day Shakespeare adaptations.

Theres One Hurdle Cymbeline Cant Quite Overcome

Even though Almereyda gathered together a talented cast and gave the story a clever modern-day update, he couldn't avoid one major issue with Cymbeline: the play is overstuffed with characters. Cymbeline's struggle to hold onto his kingdom, Imogen being pulled between Posthumous and Iachimo, Queen's schemes...all of this feels like material for two to three plays, rather than one movie. It also didn't help that no one agrees on whether the play is a tragedy or a comedy. In true Shakesperean fashion, there's lies and backstabbing galore, but the film ends with Imogen marrying Posthumous and Cymbeline holding onto his kingdom...which doesn't sound very tragic.

Cymbeline also lacks the hook of Shakespeare's more popular plays. The battle for a kingdom had been done before in Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth; the star-crossed romance was given far more weight in Romeo & Juliet. Still, Almereyda deserves credit for putting his own take on a lesser known story and convincing the likes of Ethan Hawke and Ed Harris to bring it to life. Cymbeline's tale of bikers fighting to preserve their way of life, as well as the romance between Imogen and Posthumous, should appeal to those who watch The Bikeriders and think "I could use more of this in my life."

Cymbeline is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

WATCH ON HULU

2024-06-24T08:52:47Z dg43tfdfdgfd