Pacino calls for more Shakespeare movies

During the launch of his latest movie, The Merchant Of Venice, Al Pacino has revealed that he thinks more of Shakespeare's plays should be adapted into movies.

Pacino, who plays Shylock in director Michael Radford's adaptation of the Shakespeare classic, spoke at the world premiere of the film - at the Venice Film Festival.

He said, "I believe Shakespeare in film is really something that should be tried more often, an opportunity to take some of the humanity that he writes into his characters and to express it.

"In the theatre you are watching it as it happens and listening to the words. But in a movie you have the opportunity to cut away, to go in for close-ups, to bring in a different dynamic to a scene.

"I would like to do yet another Shakespeare if I could. I would prefer to do it as a play first.

"There are a lot of roles in Shakespeare I would like to play. If I feel the script is right for a movie I would definitely be interested in doing any role."