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DramaHistoryThriller

Anonymous

- Was Shakespeare a Fraud?

Set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Essex Rebellion against her, the story advances the theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare's plays.

Release Date : 2011-10-21

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Centropolis EntertainmentColumbia PicturesRelativity MediaStudio Babelsberg

Production Country : GermanyUnited KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Jamie Campbell Bower

Character Name : Young Earl of Oxford

Original Name : Jamie Campbell Bower

Gender : Male

Rhys Ifans

Character Name : Edward de Vere

Original Name : Rhys Ifans

Gender : Male

David Thewlis

Character Name : William Cecil

Original Name : David Thewlis

Gender : Male

Joely Richardson

Character Name : Princess Elizabeth Tudor

Original Name : Joely Richardson

Gender : Female

Vanessa Redgrave

Character Name : Queen Elizabeth I

Original Name : Vanessa Redgrave

Gender : Female

Sebastian Armesto

Character Name : Ben Jonson

Original Name : Sebastian Armesto

Gender : Male

Rafe Spall

Character Name : William Shakespeare

Original Name : Rafe Spall

Gender : Male

Edward Hogg

Character Name : Robert Cecil

Original Name : Edward Hogg

Gender : Male

Xavier Samuel

Character Name : Earl of Southampton

Original Name : Xavier Samuel

Gender : Male

Sam Reid

Character Name : Earl of Essex

Original Name : Sam Reid

Gender : Male

Paolo De Vita

Character Name : Francesco

Original Name : Paolo De Vita

Gender : Male

Trystan Gravelle

Character Name : Christopher Marlowe

Original Name : Trystan Gravelle

Gender : Male

Robert Emms

Character Name : Thomas Dekker

Original Name : Robert Emms

Gender : Male

Tony Way

Character Name : Thomas Nashe

Original Name : Tony Way

Gender : Male

Julian Bleach

Character Name : Captain Richard Pole

Original Name : Julian Bleach

Gender : Male

Derek Jacobi

Character Name : Prologue

Original Name : Derek Jacobi

Gender : Male

Alex Hassell

Character Name : Spencer

Original Name : Alex Hassell

Gender : Male

James Garnon

Character Name : John Heminge

Original Name : James Garnon

Gender : Male

Mark Rylance

Character Name : Condell

Original Name : Mark Rylance

Gender : Male

Jasper Britton

Character Name : Pope

Original Name : Jasper Britton

Gender : Male

Ned Dennehy

Character Name : Interrogator

Original Name : Ned Dennehy

Gender : Male

John Keogh

Character Name : Philip Henslowe

Original Name : John Keogh

Gender : Male

Lloyd Hutchinson

Character Name : Richard Burbage

Original Name : Lloyd Hutchinson

Gender : Male

Vicky Krieps

Character Name : Bessie Vavasour

Original Name : Vicky Krieps

Gender : Female

Helen Baxendale

Character Name : Anne De Vere

Original Name : Helen Baxendale

Gender : Female

Paula Schramm

Character Name : Bridget De Vere

Original Name : Paula Schramm

Gender : Female

Amy Kwolek

Character Name : Young Anne De Vere

Original Name : Amy Kwolek

Gender : Female

Luke Thomas Taylor

Character Name : Boy Earl of Oxford

Original Name : Luke Thomas Taylor

Gender : Male

Isaiah Michalski

Character Name : Boy Robert Cecil

Original Name : Isaiah Michalski

Gender : Male

Timo Huber

Character Name : Boy Earl of Southampton

Original Name : Timo Huber

Gender : Male

Richard Durden

Character Name : Archbishop

Original Name : Richard Durden

Gender : Male

Shaun Lawton

Character Name : Footman

Original Name : Shaun Lawton

Gender : Male

Detlef Bothe

Character Name : John De Vere

Original Name : Detlef Bothe

Gender : Male

James Clyde

Character Name : King James I

Original Name : James Clyde

Gender : Male

Christian Sengewald

Character Name : Cecil's Spy Servant

Original Name : Christian Sengewald

Gender : Male

Jean-Loup Fourure

Character Name : Monsieur Beaulieu

Original Name : Jean-Loup Fourure

Gender : Male

Viktoria Gabrysch

Character Name : Buxom Lady

Original Name : Viktoria Gabrysch

Gender : Female

Axel Sichrovsky

Character Name : Essex General

Original Name : Axel Sichrovsky

Gender : Male

Katrin Pollitt

Character Name : Lady-in-Waiting

Original Name : Katrin Pollitt

Gender : Female

Patricia Grove

Character Name : Lady-in-Waiting

Original Name : Patricia Grove

Gender : Female

Laura Lo Zito

Character Name : Selling Maid

Original Name : Laura Lo Zito

Gender : Female

Gode Benedix

Character Name : Groundling

Original Name : Gode Benedix

Gender : Male

Nic Romm

Character Name : Usher

Original Name : Nic Romm

Gender : Male

Henry Lloyd-Hughes

Character Name : Bear Baiter

Original Name : Henry Lloyd-Hughes

Gender : Male

Patrick Diemling

Character Name : Oxford's Servant

Original Name : Patrick Diemling

Gender : Male

Patrick Heyn

Character Name : Oxford's Doctor

Original Name : Patrick Heyn

Gender : Male

Nino Sandow

Character Name : Stage Manager (New York)

Original Name : Nino Sandow

Gender : Male

Craig Salisbury

Character Name : Dwarf / Puck

Original Name : Craig Salisbury

Gender : Male

Rainer Guldener

Character Name : Quince

Original Name : Rainer Guldener

Gender : Male

Trystan Pütter

Character Name : Bottom

Original Name : Trystan Pütter

Gender : Male

André Kaczmarczyk

Character Name : Titania

Original Name : André Kaczmarczyk

Gender : Male

Jonas Hämmerle

Character Name : Child Oberon

Original Name : Jonas Hämmerle

Gender : Male

Mike Maas

Character Name : Pole's Commander

Original Name : Mike Maas

Gender : Male

Christian Leonard

Character Name : Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Original Name : Christian Leonard

Gender : Male

Christian Banzhaf

Character Name : Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Original Name : Christian Banzhaf

Gender : Male

Victoria Calero

Character Name : Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Original Name : Victoria Calero

Gender : Male

Martin Engler

Character Name : Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Original Name : Martin Engler

Gender : Male

Alfred Hartung

Character Name : Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Original Name : Alfred Hartung

Gender : Male

Oliver Kube

Character Name : Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Original Name : Oliver Kube

Gender : Male

Christian Ludwig

Character Name : Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Original Name : Christian Ludwig

Gender : Male

Oliver Rickenbacher

Character Name : Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Original Name : Oliver Rickenbacher

Gender : Male

Claudius von Stolzmann

Character Name : Stage Player: Shakespeare Company

Original Name : Claudius von Stolzmann

Gender : Male

Tjadke Biallowons

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Tjadke Biallowons

Gender : Female

Dafne-Maria Fielder

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Dafne-Maria Fielder

Gender : Female

Alexander Flache

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Alexander Flache

Gender : Male

Antonia Gerke

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Antonia Gerke

Gender : Female

Sophie Hichert

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Sophie Hichert

Gender : Female

Vera Kreyer

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Vera Kreyer

Gender : Female

Stefanie Lanius

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Stefanie Lanius

Gender : Female

Urban Luig

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Urban Luig

Gender : Male

Jasmin Mehling

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Jasmin Mehling

Gender : Female

Elisabeth Milarch

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Elisabeth Milarch

Gender : Female

Robert Munzinger

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Robert Munzinger

Gender : Male

Benjamin Plath

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Benjamin Plath

Gender : Male

Erik Studte

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Erik Studte

Gender : Male

Johann Hakob Wurster

Character Name : Dancer

Original Name : Johann Hakob Wurster

Gender : Male

Steffi Sattler

Character Name : First Lady to King James I (uncredited)

Original Name : Steffi Sattler

Gender : Female

Reviews

A

Andres Gomez

@tanty

2021-06-23

Good entertaining fictional historic movie. Just don't try to chew on whether the history is true or not but enjoy the plot.

F

Filipe Manuel Neto

@FilipeManuelNeto

2023-02-16

**A film that would be much better with less sudden flashbacks, fewer anachronisms and a more careful explanation of the theory it comes to present.** I've already written a lot here, and I've said it a few times, but it's worth saying again that, although I'm a historian and I like Shakespeare's work, I'm not a native English speaker (I'm Portuguese and I speak the language of my country) nor am I an intensive or specialized connoisseur of the playwright's life and work. Therefore, I certainly won't offend anyone if I say that, until I saw this film and documented myself a little to write about it, I didn't know that there were controversies surrounding the identity of Shakespeare. It is perfectly normal that there are doubts about the authorship of some of the works of an ancient author, there are many examples. Less normal is that there are doubts surrounding the totality of his work. The film advocates the following theory: the real Shakespeare neither wrote a line nor knew how to write. Who really wrote the works, dramatic and poetic, to which he lent his name was someone who, for social and political reasons, could not do so: the Earl of Oxford, a nobleman and courtier. I'm not going to question whether this is true or false, there are people better qualified to talk about it. What I can say is that I wasn't convinced. If Oxford, for some reason, could not exhibit his literary work, how did he acquire fame as a playwright and poet? It does not make sense. Furthermore, for me, until this moment, Shakespeare was an author who did not deserve discussion. Trying to turn him into someone else's figurehead seems to me something that can only be asserted with overwhelming evidence, and not only do we not have that evidence, but the amount of historical inaccuracies and anachronistic errors that the film carries as well do not make us comfortable about the theory it presents. However, the most complicated thing about this film are not the anachronisms or the far-fetched theory that it brings us, but the flashbacks and flash forwards that occur almost without warning and make it very difficult to follow the story. I also didn't like the way the film assumes from the outset that the audience is familiar with Shakespeare's life and the Tudor period. I happen to know, but people don't have to read an English history textbook before seeing a movie. When I saw Roland Emmerich's name in the director's seat, I also feared the worst. I feared that we had something brutally destroyed or that we were witnessing some kind of disaster. Luckily, or maybe not, we only have to mourn the loss of the Globe Theatre, completely consumed by a fire. Anyone who thought he was going to be able to make a film without destroying something didn't know him. The film has excellent actors, and most of them do an impeccable job. I particularly liked Rhys Ifans and Sebastian Armesto, but Rafe Spall, David Thewlis and Joeli Richardson were also excellent in their roles. Vanessa Redgrave also does a well done job, but she had already played this role before, in another film, if I'm not mistaken. On a technical level, the film relies heavily on high-quality, well-crafted CGI, and on a selection of filming locations made with great care and discretion. On all levels, the film appears to be a major production, with some effort and investment.