The Tempest...

[fajrdrako]

Went to a movie this afternoon: The Tempest, starring Helen Mirren



It's terrific.

It isn't just Helen Mirren who makes it good. The cast includes some of my favourite actors (including David Strathairn and Alan Cumming) The photography is stunnning, filmed (it seems) in Hawaii, but it isn't the Hawaii you see on Lost or Hawatt 5-O. The cinematography doesn't take away from the story at all, it enhances, making it look like an untamed, magical, otherly island.

And Helen Mirren is so good. I believed Prospero was a woman, and a mage, and a mother. As if Prospero had never been anything else. To tell the truth, though I've seen several productions of The Tempest, I've never seen one I thought was stellar, though there have been some great shipwreck scenes.

More comments:

1. Djimon Hounsou as Caliban was strangely appealing.
   
   
2. Felicity Jones was lovely as Miranda - just the right combinations of innocence and cleverness.
   
   
3. Ditto Reeve Carney as Ferdinand. I've always thought that was a wimpy sort of role, but he pulled it off.
   
   
4. Chris Cooper as Antonio was a familar face, but I couldn't place him, and looking at what he's done, I conclude I've probably never seen him before. Does he remind me of someone else? Maybe.
   
   
5. Alan Cumming: how I love thee.
   
   
6. A lot of special effects were lavished on Ben Whishaw as Ariel, and he came across rather convincingly as a non-human nature spirit. Some of the special effects were better than others. His actual acting was first class.
   
   
7. It's always good to see Alfred Molina, but I much prefer him in serious roles to comedy.
   
   
8. I love the images of feathers - Prospera's cloak, Ariel's Harpy.
   
   
9. I was trying to think how many characters Shakespeare had named Antonio and whether any of them were actually good. I could only come up with a good Antonio in The Merchant of Venice, though I could well be forgetting someone. Antonio is Measure for Measure is a bit of a favourite, though definitely not good.
   
   
10. Fun seeing a Julie Taymor film, so soon after reading the article about her Spider-Man in New York magazine. She does have a sense of style.
    
    
11. I'd give Sandy Powell an Oscar for costuming, I really would. I particulalry loved seeing Ariel lacing Prospera's bodice.
    
    
12. I found myself thinking about what Shakespeare meant with this play, a question I have often discussed in English and philosophy of history classes. I thought this time round, it's something of an indictment of the material world (of illusions, effects, and desires) and an illustration of both rejection of the world, and adoption of higher values - in forgiving Antonio and setting both Ariel and Caliban free, Prospera has feed herself. And she has achieved happiness for her progeny.
    
    
13. I was actually distresses when Prospera destroyed her wand.