Movie

The Beggar's Opera

1953 · 94 min

A witty, theatrical romp through 18th-century London, blending catchy ballads with sly social satire and a roguish charm.

Directed by: Peter Brook
Genres: History, Crime, Music
Starring: Laurence Olivier, Hugh Griffith, George Rose

Overview: Adaptation of John Gay's 18th century opera, featuring Laurence Olivier as MacHeath and Hugh Griffith as the Beggar.

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Directed by: Peter Brook
Genres: History, Crime, Music
Starring: Laurence Olivier, Hugh Griffith, George Rose

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: satiricalstrength 3 of 3
whimsicalstrength 2 of 3
cynicalstrength 2 of 3
campystrength 2 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: crime
class
betrayal
love
freedom
Places: big city
prison
Era: period
Audience: adult
Form: musical
nonlinear
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	4
Horror	1
Humour	6
Realism	5
Romance	5
Tension	3
Darkness	4
Complexity	6
Emotional weight	4

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Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy

Amazon Video

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: history, crime, music
Directed by: Peter Brook
Written by: Denis Cannan, Christopher Fry
Starring: Laurence Olivier, Hugh Griffith, George Rose, Stuart Burge, Cyril Conway, Gerald Lawson, Dorothy Tutin, George Devine
Music: Arthur Bliss
Cinematography: Guy Green
Runtime: 94 min
Country: United Kingdom
Languages: English

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The Beggar's Opera

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