There is implied adultery between a man and two women (both of whom are married for at least part of the time their affairs are taking place). It is condemned by the noble characters and the play as a whole.

A few of Lear's knights are briefly shown chasing a servant girl. One man tries to grope her, but she screams and runs away and nothing else happens.

In a fit of insanity, Lear strips naked out in the heavy thunderstorm, but very little actual nudity is ever seen (we get a very brief and partial glimpse of his buttocks).

A man cuts his own arm and draws blood to make it seem like another man has stabbed him in order to falsely accuse him.

One man defends himself from another by hitting him with his staff, knocking him to the ground. He then grabs the man's sword and runs him through his chest. Intense scene but not very bloody.

A man is captured by Cornwall's soldiers and lynched. The man is shown crying while the noose is put around his neck, and we see him die and hear his neck break when the soldiers pull away the stool. This is a pretty brutal scene, though it is relatively quick.

One brief albeit very graphic and disturbing scene of torture and mutilation a little over half-way through the film (described below).

The final scene of the play (also described below) is quite violent and sad, though this film's depiction of it is not overly gory.

No profanity whatsoever.

Some consumption of wine by adults.

The film as a whole is an intense tragedy of violence, hatred, and familial as well as civil strife. The play centers around acts of betrayal and deception.