Here's a film version of my favorite Shakespeare that I hadn't seen yet: A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999). This version has a bunch of late 90s names and a late 19th-century Italian setting.
You know the plot: Duke Theseus (David Straithairn) is marrying Queen Hippolyta (Sophie Marceau), but first must resolve a marriage issue: Demetrius (Christian Bale) wants to marry Hermia (Anna Friel), with her father's blessing, but she wants to marry Lysander (Dominic West). Meanwhile, Callista Flockhart as Helena wants Demetrius. When the king demands marriage or the nunnery, they plan to elope to the forest.
Meanwhile, a group of rude mechanicals are planning a play for the Duke's nuptials. The principal player - or overplayer - is Kevin Klein, ready to perform all the roles. And, as night falls, we meet the fairies: Rupert Everett as Oberon and Michelle Pfeiffer as Titania - and Stanley Tucci as Puck.
The play goes as written - I felt like we were getting about 50% of the lines, about par for movie adaptations, or a little under. The setting is, of course, different, and the director (Michael Hoffman) makes a lot of the new-fangled invention, the bicycle, for some reason. There is also a ton of silent bits that depart from Shakey's script. These are usually low slapstick, like Hermia and Helena getting into a mud fight. I feel like this is true to the spirit of Shakespeare, so I'll allow it. Enjoyed it, actually.
It's also interesting to see what, for example, Flockhart does with Shakespeare. Since Helena is a bit of a ditz, it works out OK. Everett cuts a rather Terence Stamp-like figure as Oberon. Kein is sort of the standout, doing a fine job as Bottom with the head of an ass. When Pfeiffer kisses him, and they look down to discover what other body parts have become donkey-like, it's a cute little bit. I feel like the Tooch was a little wasted as Puck. His style of humor seems too dry for the manic Robin Goodfellow. "What fools these mortals be," indeed.
The best scene is usually the brief, tedious play. Our favorite clown, Bill Irwin, plays the Wall, but I wish he had more to do. Of course, Sam Rockwell's Thisby finally brings tears to all eyes as the iron hour of midnight approaches.
All in all, not the best Dream, but a fun one, with much joy and silliness. Lovely music as well, including Mendelssohn and some opera.
1 comment:
I have an Archangel audio recording of Midsummer (on cassette tape!), one where Oberon and Titania have Jamaican accents. The part where Bottom says, "Die, die, die..." is so melodramatically drawn out, it's hilarious.
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