it is taken from the filming of two live performances, then edited together. the production itself was supposed to be more like a dress rehearsal so as to 'reveal the beauty of the language' as Gielgud put it. so it is pared back and is without elaborate costumes modern or ancient and only with the properties vital to the show. Richard Burton was already being touted as one the great Shakespearean actors by Olivier, Tynan and Geilgud among many others and this recording only gives a glimpse of that immense talent - and that is only because the medium of film is not a friend to the theatre; they are different art forms. well worth watching.