He's destroyed the world and most of its populace several times over, and now Roland Emmerich has turned his laser-targetting system on William Shakespeare, contending in Anonymous that the Bard is not, in point of fact, the author of the plays of William Shakespeare. Wherever you stand on the theory*, you'll still admire the sumptuous costumes, quality cast and rather gorgeous production of this exclusive clip from the film.
This segment intercuts between two very different productions of Hamlet, one at the public theatre of the Rose and one in the royal court of Elizabeth I (Vanessa Redgrave here, although Joely Richardson plays her younger self). The film's candidate for the true author of the plays, the Earl of Oxford (Rhys Ifans) watches closely to see if the mob gets the political allusions he's added to the play, attacking the Queen's advisor, Cecil (David Thewlis).
brightcove.createExperiences();Anonymous is out on October 28 and is at the BFI London Film Festival this week.
*OMG it's nonsensical; of COURSE Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare.