MSND film

Nick, you bring up a good point. The film has been set in a different time period from the one that Shakespeare intended. There is actually a huge tradition of doing this with Shakespeare plays. The Claire Danes / Leo DiCaprio Romeo and Juliet is a perfect example. The idea behind it I think is that Shakespeare's plots are universal and timeless, so directors use the stories to make statements about their own times and societies. Or, in the case of this film, about other times and places as well.