MovieChat Forums > King Lear (1984) Discussion > Is it me?

Is it me?

posted 21 years ago by jmull
15 replies | jump to latest

Being a fan of Shakespeare and loving the printed work as much as the cinematic representation, I buy the bard's work sight unseen. I expect a level of professionalism and decency not evident in other contemporary films. You can imagine friends, my utter horror and strangely erotic find of Olivier's man boob in the film, clearly (and lovely) seen at 1:47:33-35. The obscene titty juggles for two seconds while I, agape in awe and ecstasy, curse perversion and disrobe in my heated passion. Is this the “special” edition? Is that Diana Rigg’s lovely orb? Am I gay?

[–] Gibski 19 years ago

what in the hell are you talking about?

and i don't know what you are...but you've definately scared me lol

[–] Rexhavoc14 19 years ago

haha, no, he's right. I watched this in school the other day and at one point, in the beginning of a scene, right before Lear eats a rabbit and makes a crown out of daisies (!), he bends over and a massive, floppy man boob pops out. You don't see him at first and I was sure the movie had female nudity for a second. It's quiete odd and very unsettling to see one of the greatest actor's of all time like that.

[–] jmull 19 years ago

Say what you want. Odd... Unsettling... I'll say that I knew "her" and loved "her" in my own way.

Long live the man boob and inevitable social stigma contained within. No one's innocent!

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] jaydf60 19 years ago

OMG I'm crying here LOL!!!

[–] Mad Dog McLagan 19 years ago

Am I gay?

There is no evidence to the contrary.

I suspect the problem is that you have too many paperclips up your nose

[–] JStiles85 18 years ago

I just saw this film and I must say that I too noticed the appearance of the man boob, and found it quite unsettling.

[–] drella666 18 years ago

I believe that Olivier suffered from prostate cancer. I may have got it all wrong, but isn't one option for this condition a hormone treatment that can provoke the development of breasts?

[–] JStiles85 18 years ago

I really don't know a lot about cancer therapy, I just think that it was a bad decision by the costume designer, whether from a medical condition or not.

[–] ContinentalOp 18 years ago

Yes you can develope breasts due to Hormone treatment. This is a rather odd thread. I am sad to hear that it wasn't Dame Diana Rigg who bares all.......:)Mind you as Diana Rigg is not in this that would have been hard!

Is this a good adaptation of the play?

Regards,
The Count

[–] flickergoer 18 years ago

It's the best version of King Lear that I've seen, man-boobs and all.

[–] wg1 17 years ago

I have to agree with you... this was an excellent performance, as are all Shakespearean performances by Sir Laurence Olivier. I was laughing, however, over all the comments on "man-boobs" ... Maybe it was a "wardrobe malfunction" ala Janet Jackson? LOL

On a serious note, King Lear is an aging monarch and lets face it, aging gives the human body a certain degree of (for want of a better term) sagging? I wouldn't expect the aged king to have a firm chisled chest.

Anyone see those beach scenes with Jack Nicholson that were in the tabloids? Now *there's* some serious man-boobs.. LMAO

~wg

[–] yes_we_raczkan 13 years ago

Yeah it is but please read the cast list. Rigg played Regan.

[–] blacknorth 17 years ago

That is true, current treatments for prostate cancer can cause gyno and men can take on female characteristics, but I'm not sure those medications were availabale back in the early 80's. Whatever, it very brave of him to take on such a mammoth role at that age in poor health. I think this production caught him five years too late.

[–] 17 years ago

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