Author Topic: William Shakespeare on Film  (Read 18557 times)

Jared

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Re: William Shakespeare on Film
« Reply #80 on: October 02, 2015, 09:21:42 PM »
...communal politics and riots often play a large part in Hindi (and Indian) film narratives, especially compared to US and western cinema. This article - Communal Politics and the Tragic Love Narrative in Hindi Cinema - elaborates a little on that.

Given that you have considerably more knowledge and familiarity with this part of the world's cinema, did you find the escalation into war one of the better parts of the movie?


(FWIW, Ranveer and Deepika will be starring in Bhansali's next film, too: Bajirao Mastani, a sumptuous looking historical epic. Here's hoping their on-screen chemistry continues.)

Count me in!

Sandy

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Re: William Shakespeare on Film
« Reply #81 on: October 03, 2015, 07:03:20 PM »
Ram (Romeo) is played by Ranveer Singh and perhaps has the best musical entrance I have ever seen a character make:
Why bother whining about "fair Rosaline" when you can instead to a crazy ass song with 50 back-up dancers and pelvic thrusts that make the ladies faint? My three year old was also copying the "hair brushing" move and it was pretty funny.

:))

I'm a little annoyed that he is so talented, because of it, I can't fault his conceit as much!


Filmi Hero

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Re: William Shakespeare on Film
« Reply #82 on: October 03, 2015, 07:39:40 PM »
did you find the escalation into war one of the better parts of the movie?

From what I remember, probably not; I liked the same bits you liked. ("Tattad Tattad" and the female gaze, which is a bit of a common Bhansali trope.)

FWIW again, Ishaqzaade, the other film mentioned in that article, is another Romeo and Juliet adaptation. It's quite good, but not as artfully pretty as Bhansali's. (Having said that, I prefer any of Habib Faisal's films over Bhansali's.) Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra have a nice chemistry, too.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2015, 07:41:20 PM by Filmi Hero »

Jared

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Re: William Shakespeare on Film
« Reply #83 on: October 03, 2015, 09:39:51 PM »
I hope to watch that one but havent been able to locate it yet (at least, not with subtitles). Maybe next trip to the video store will have positive results.

Jared

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Re: William Shakespeare on Film
« Reply #84 on: October 20, 2015, 12:26:53 AM »
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)


Mickey Rooney is an actor that I have always thought is pretty good, but his role as Puck in this one is nothing short of terrible. A constant annoyance that ruins an otherwise pretty good movie. I'm less annoyed by the incredibly racist Japanese character he plays in Breakfast at Tiffany's and that is saying something.

The rest of the movie is a pretty delightful, with wonderful music, extended dance scenes and touches of magical realism that is a good time. I also really loved the scenery throughout, with these terrific castle backgrounds that look like something out of a Georges Melies movie. Other than when the aforementioned “nails on a chalkboard” performance is on the screen, the movie really feels like the pleasant dream that it should.


James Cagney plays Bottom, and is the highlight of the movie as far as I'm concerned. His performance is by far the most funny, as he spends a good portion in a pretty cool looking donkey mask. He is wonderful in every beat of the ending “play within a play”. It takes a darn good actor to play a bad actor in such a funny way. There are a few other big stars in this one too, including Olivia De Havilland and Dick Powell who are fun enough.

This one is a big time production, with the overture, intermission, and exit music. Watched it all and thought it was an ok time all things considered.

1SO

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Re: William Shakespeare on Film
« Reply #85 on: October 20, 2015, 01:28:10 AM »
Here are two posts from Letterboxd, quoted for truth.

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Mickey Rooney as Puck = one of the most ear-shatteringly irritating characters in cinema history.
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Mickey Rooney is just about the most unappealing and annoying Puck one could imagine with his constant high-pitched little-boy-screams and constant forced maniacal laughter.

It's that bad, and I don't blame Rooney. He handles the Shakespeare well, but the screech and giggles he made to throw on top are just about the most trying thing you could willingly sit through.

Kilroy'sCarnival

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Re: William Shakespeare on Film
« Reply #86 on: June 19, 2016, 12:52:55 AM »
Another thread that makes me lament being off the forum for such a long time.  You saw the entire Jane Howell H6-R3 tetralogy! I love that series, though it's difficult to review it as film. It's definitely something distinctive as a televised stage play in the ear of low-budget production values but acting alone showcased.

There are quite a few Hamlets available through Netflix, and one year I saw all I could get my hands on which I hadn't previously seen. There is a film of a Richard Burton stage play, one with Adrian Lester, the Derek Jacobi BBC television version, Branagh's film, and the ones with Olivier, Mel Gibson, and Ethan Hawke in the title roles.  Did you get to those?

Jared

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Re: William Shakespeare on Film
« Reply #87 on: June 19, 2016, 01:57:54 PM »
Still a ways away from Hamlet but looks forward to watching those. Might be getting into a "Season 2" of this project sooner or later, but had to stop for awhile on reading the plays and writing the reviews. Watching the movies was fun, but some of the rest of it was feeling like homework for awhile, which it certainly should not.

Maybe after the summer I'll pick up where I left off  :)

pixote

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Re: William Shakespeare on Film
« Reply #88 on: June 19, 2016, 09:24:52 PM »
As for Mickey Rooney, he made me wish every classic film included him in the background echoing the other actors' lines.  I could really watch that all day.  There were times his cackling felt a little forced and gestures stiff, but overall he brought an appealing and impressive wildness to the role — a manic kind of performance that, so far as I know, is rare to see in Hollywood films of the thirties.

winrit and I were definitely in the minority here.

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smirnoff

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Re: William Shakespeare on Film
« Reply #89 on: February 20, 2019, 03:28:24 PM »
I hope this comes back one day! :)

 

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