Films of Shakespeare's plays can demonstrate to students not only that Shakespearean drama is as "alive" today as it was 400 years ago, but also that directors, actors, settings, and costumes can assist in formulating interpretations of plays. In addition by comparing stage and film, students learn to distinguish between the conventions required by the theater and those required by the film; e.g., in the theater, poetic conventions are acceptable but, in the film, the illusion of reality must be preserved. Castellani's "Romeo and Juliet" and Mankiewicz's "Julius Caesar" can be examined to determine the problems involved in the realistic presentation of these plays. On the other hand, several excellent productions depend largely on a symbolic interpretation: e.g., Zeffirelli's"Taming of the Shrew," in which the characters are broadly conceived; Oliver's "Richard III," which emphasizes the villain's asides and thus becomes a kind of black comedy; and Olivier's "Henry V," in which historical pageantry is combined with the sense of never really leaving the Globe Theater. (JB)