Shakespeare
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The Rogues Guide to Shakespeare on Film #63: Edward II
63. Derek Jarman’s Edward II (1991) Edward II is a little-known tragedy by Shakespeare, obscure probably because Christopher Marlowe wrote it, if you want to be technical. Derek Jarman’s film of Edward II is dazzlingly stylish, refreshingly direct, and deliciously playful. This visionary film is set as a postmodern anachronism. Nearly all of England is imagined as a… Continue reading
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The Rogue’s Guide to Shakespeare on Film #62: Hamlet (2009)
62. Gregory Doran’s Hamlet (2009) Gregory Doran’s 2009 film version of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2008 run of Hamlet boasts a tremendous cast, with David Tennant as the Danish prince, Patrick Stewart as both his uncle and his father’s ghost, and Penny Downie as Gertrude. This is a re-staging of that production on film soundstages… Continue reading
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Shakespearing #48: As You Like It at CSC
Shakespearing #48 by David Foley Wit and Fresh Sorrow: As You Like It at CSC When non-traditional casting is not the same as color-blind casting, things can get interesting. (I realize non-traditional casting is a bit of a misnomer since by now it’s quite traditional.) In John Doyle’s new production of As You Like It… Continue reading
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The Rogue’s Guide to Shakespeare on Film #61: Shakespeare Behind Bars [The Tempest] (2005)
61. Hank Rogerson’s Shakespeare Behind Bars [The Tempest] (2005) In 1950’s The Liberal Imagination, Lionel Trilling made an extended version of the argument that the liberal arts (including the experience of literature) help extend the imaginative powers of the human condition, which is necessary if society was going to thrive. This theory seems to be supported… Continue reading
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The Rogue’s Guide to Shakespeare on Film #60: King Lear (1983)
60. Michael Elliott’s King Lear (1983) As I suggested when I reviewed Kurosawa’s Ran, King Lear is an epic fucking bummer. It begins with a heartbreak that destroys a family, and then the plot degenerates until the very notion of integrity and decency and nobility, along with a kingdom, is destroyed. The essence of the… Continue reading
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Shakespearing #47: The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Shakespearing #47 by David Foley The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park Production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream The cult of the Fairy Queen has fallen into disuse, reduced to a remnant of aging votaries who follow her through the woods dressed in white. They serve her gently and lovingly, and why wouldn’t they?… Continue reading
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The Rogue’s Guide to Shakespeare on Film #59: Othello (1951)
59. Orson Welles’s Othello (1951) Orson Welles’s Othello opens with some weird music by Alberto Barbers and/or Angelo Francesco Lavagnino that splits the difference between a Modernist march and Gregorian chant during the funeral march of the Moor and Desdemona, with Iago brought along, caged in captivity, like some dolorous triumph. The tragic destinies are… Continue reading
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The Rogue’s Guide to Shakespeare on Film #58: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2014)
58. Julie Taymor’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2014) Dear readers, I have reached the point where my experience as a reviewer is becoming a liability. It is the responsibility of every production of Shakespeare’s work to both make it new while simultaneously tapping into the essence of what makes Shakespearean drama work. The more films… Continue reading
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Shakespearing #46: Measure for Measure at Theatre for a New Audience
Shakespearing #46 by David Foley Passion and Confusion: Measure for Measure at Theatre for a New Audience Measure for Measure has the bones of a simple story. The Duke of Vienna leaves his city in charge of Angelo, a cold-hearted moralist who condemns a man to death for fornication. When Isabella, the man’s sister, comes… Continue reading
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The Rogue’s Guide to Shakespearean Film #56: The Merry Wives of Windsor (1982)
56. David Jones’s The Merry Wives of Windsor (1982) My sweet readers, I have broken a promise in watching a BBC Complete Shakespeare film. I well know that fine actors were unable to rescue such productions, but I was tempted by my desire to see more Falstaff, and in particular my desire to see the great… Continue reading
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The Drunken Odyssey is a forum to discuss all aspects of the writing process, in a variety of genres, in order to foster a greater community among writers.
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