For this excellent traditional presentation of Shakespeare's classic work, Olivier gives just the sort of performance we'd expect, he conveys Lear's spirit and the pathos of the situation in which he finds himself with clarity and insight into the character's personality. The costumes are wonderful, as are the sets, the most noteworthy of these being Stonehenge, which is the setting for both the first and final scenes. Very little of the text has been omitted and, with the possible exception of the Paul Schofield's, this is the best version.