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Shakespeare
in Love (1998)
Give
"Shakespeare in Love" twenty minutes and it will suck
you in like a wench at a house of ill-repute. It takes
it a bit to get going then it soars until the wonderful
and poetic conclusion. At the beginning, you think it's
going to be all these little historical "in-jokes" about
Shakespeare and his times. They seem cute, but too cute,
kind of trite, overly intellectual and overtly witty.
But then the film's plot, characters and style begin
to grow on you and, suddenly, you're hooked into the
story. And the film does something quite magical: In
addition to being a wonderful and romantic film, it
makes Shakespeare's near 500 year old work come to vibrant
life.
There is so much to be hooked by here. The story, the
characters, the dialogue, the references, the actors,
the script, the "in jokes," the way the film plays with
gender roles, the manner in which it pokes fun at actors
and directors and producers and, by inference, modern-day
Hollywood, the way it weaves the reality of Shakespeare
into this fictionalized love story and, ahhhh... the
romance of it all. It's captivating.
Truly it is the script, direction and the acting that
deserve so much recognition here. The script by Tom
Stoppard and Marc Norman is remarkable. It takes so
much of the reality of Shakespeare and his times, and
then weaves them into this intricate latticework of
a plot that often pays homage to Shakespeare's works
but never, ever, rips them off. The play on words and
the play on plot is furthered when Stoppard and Norman
work them into the romance and the storyline about actors
and productions here.
The direction by John Madden is perfection. Not only
does he work a magic spell over the camera and editing,
but he also presents the times of the piece in perfect
verisimilitude. It simply looks precise without ever
bowing to repulsion or exploitation. (okay, there are
a few too many rats). These historical qualities of
the script and the film should come as no surprise to
us. Stoppard has proven his knowledge of Shakespeare
in many of his previous works, especially "Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern are Dead" while Madden provided his
eye at historical detail in the Victorian-era set "Mrs.
Brown." Their apparent talent has not diminished one
iota here.
Finally, the acting is impeccable. Not only do the leads,
Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes, perform at the peak
of their art, but the supporting cast down to the extras
are all in perfect sync as well. Geoffrey Rush, Judi
Dench, Ben Affleck, Colin Firth, Simon Callow, Rupert
Everett and many other familiar faces fill out a cast
fine tuned to distinction. Fiennes and Paltrow both
perform lines by Romeo and Juliet in the film, the latter
in male and female drag, with pure raw emotion. Anyone
who doubts Paltrow's abilities only need be shown the
proof here. Fiennes, meanwhile, is new to film and starts
his career off in a piece that not only garners him
much attention but sets a precedent for the caliber
of performance we will expect from him in the future.
Like Paltrow, Affleck, in a lesser capacity, proves
his worth as an performer by showing he is more than
just a pretty face. The giggling girls in the front
row will be hushed in awe at what they see here. Rush,
Dench, Callow - these names are already synonymous with
fine acting and their work here never fails to live
up to their credentials.
The "in joke" coolness of the production is furthered
by the casting of Everett as Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare's
contemporary who is now renowned as an fairly open homosexual
of his time. In this vein, "Shakespeare in Love" has
a field day playing with gender roles and sexuality.
In the spirit of "Victor/Victoria," it presents men
dressing as women who are perceived as both genders.
Well, it difficult to explain. As the mores of the time
dictated, no females were allowed to be actors in the
plays of Shakespeare's time. This Elizabethan code fuels
the plot in that Viola (Paltrow) longs to tread the
boards. And so, dressing as a man, she does just that,
auditioning for one of the bard's plays. Shakespeare
falls for her when he meets her as a female but also
shows a sort of interest, albeit minor, in her as a
male. (There are those historical homophiles who claim
the bard was homosexual as well). One of the most beautiful
"bending" of gender identity comes from the love scenes
with Shakespeare and Viola where, in the throes of passion,
she, the actor, mouths Romeo's lines and he, the writer,
respond with Juliet's. It's cunning and charming. The
exploration of gender and sexuality somehow, magically,
only adds to the romance in the film. Madden works wonders
with camera movement and editing in visually braiding
these moments together in sweeping cinematics that further
the passion the film evokes.
A knowledge of the times as well as Shakespeare's work
may be helpful but it isn't necessary. Even those uninitiated
will enjoy the piece. Shakespeare's words come to life
in the piece and the romantic poetry that are his plays
and sonnets, especially "Romeo and Juliet," is made
fresh and new. This film is wonderful and the love and
interest in evokes in the work of the bard is only enthralling
epilogue.
Notes: Norman also served as a producer. Music by Stephen
Warbeck.
The film was first written in the early 90's as a vehicle
for Julia Roberts and Daniel Day-Lewis.
Shakespeare's work strongly alluded to include "Romeo
and Juliet" and "Twelfth Night." Many other Shakespeare
and Marlowe works are also mentioned and quoted from.
The film was nominated for and won several awards including
Golden Globe wins for Best Picture Comedy or Musical,
Best Actress (Paltrow), and Best Screenplay.
Report
Card
Script:
A+
Acting: A+
Cinematography\Lighting: A+
Special Effects\Make Up:A+
Music: A
Final
Grade: A+
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