Shakespeare Movie Marathon

Woke up on Saturday full of vigor and planning to do many a constructive thing with my weekend, and was greeted with sheets of rain cascading down upon my little town, promptly sapping me of all energy. After some debate as to how to amend my plans, it struck me that there are many holes in my cinematic Shakespeare eduction and so decided that remedying this would be the new focus of my weekend.

I went out to Barnes & Noble during a brief gap in the downpour and came back only to find that the storm had completely abated and the sun was shining. I forged ahead with my plans.

O: I will include this in the recap though it was actually viewed on Friday evening during a room-cleaning spree and therefore lies outside my marathons plans. O was made in 1999, with release being pushed back until 2001 due to outbreak of school violence at the time (including the Columbine shooting). Starring Mekhi Phifer, Josh Hartnett and Julia Stiles, it's a modern language adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello set in what appears to be a present-day North Carolina boarding school.

I found the translation to be quite clever. in this new telling Othello becomes Odin James, star basketball player, with Hugo (Iago) and Michael Cassio (Cassio) his fellow players. Odin, or O, is dating the dean's daughter, Desi (Desdemona), the object of affection for school outcast Rodger (Roderigo). Hugo is slighted when O chooses to share his MVP prize with Michael and thus the events of the play are set into motion.

Where the movies strength's really lie is in the cleverness of the detail. The race question is tamped down, though its setting below the Mason-Dixon allows for it to still have some impact. Hugo is the coach's son, which, coupled with some acknowledged but not overblown steroid use, explains his 'motiveless malignancy.' Rodger's persecution at the hands of the jocks, including Michael, strengthens the idea that he could be driven to killing. Throughout the whole movie, Shakespeare's words are cleverly updated to fit the time and yet contain an echo of the original work.

As an exercise in Shakespeare adaptation, I thought it was quite entertaining and enjoyable. I have no idea if others will find it so, but if you're writing a paper or studying Othello, I would definitely recommend.

Julius Caesar: A 1953 version of Julius Caesar with John Gielgud, Marlon Brando AND Deborah Kerr? Count me in.

The movie was pretty much exactly what you would expect from that description. No great fiddling with the text, black and white, everyone in togas and armor reminiscent of the plastic kids sets you can buy at Renn Fairs. Still, the language is remarkable, and even if James Mason is a little emo as a conflicted Brutus, Gielgud's Cassius is delightfully scheming and Brando's Anthony great fun. The dueling eulogies are a masterwork of writing and aptly played as such by the two actors. Only Shakespeare can make the word "honorable" becomes so horrid.

Henry V: Out of all of my imaginary boyfriends, no one holds my heart like Kenneth Branagh, which is why it shocked so many people to learn I had never seen Henry V, his first and most celebrated Shakespeare adaptation. Upon watching it, my love tripled. It is glorious. Not so much wildly innovative (though the use of the brilliant Derek Jacobi as chorus was an inspired stroke) and brilliantly clear compelling story telling. Its strength lies in its simplicity and its performances and...i just can't say enough good things about it.

So instead of prattling on, I'll let you watch a bit for yourself:



...right? Right? I know.

But remember, he's mine.