The Man Who Cried...

[fajrdrako]

In my ongoing project of seeing all Johnny Depp's movies, this evening I saw The Man Who Cried.

The plot is... okay. Not full of surprises.

The best thing about it? Johnny Depp as a very sexy gypsy. Johnny Depp in a uniform on a horse in an opera. Johnny Depp looking as good as Johnny Depp can look (how good does good get?).

The second best thing about it is all the opera in it, which absolutely suited my new-found passion. The theme (reprised on several occasions during the movie) is the same thing Lionel Luthor was listening to on Smallville, Bizet's "Je crois entendre encore" from The Pearl Fishers. My ear isn't good enough (yet) to be able to tell whether the recording Lionel was listening to was from the sound track of the movie, but I thought it might be; at one point, the tenor in the story is singing it in Italian, but the original theme has it in French (as Bizet did) and Lionel was listening to the French version. It was also fun to see Johnny Depp and his horse on stage in a Verdi opera I couldn't identify. Yeah, I've read Opera for Dummies now, and The History of Opera by Ricahrd Fawkes, but I still can't identify many visually (or even musically). They did show a moment of the tenor singing in The Pearl Fishers in a rather bizarre costume that looked like Robinson Crusoe with oyster shells in his hair.

Another good thing about this movie is a Johnny Depp sex scene.

I liked it that Depp was a gypsy. He makes gypsies look pretty good. I know little enough about gypsies, and would like to know more.

There was a moment I found rather odd. The movie is set in Paris in the 1930s; the heroine is Jewish. At one point someone scorns the Johnny Depp character for being a 'dirty gypsy' and she speaks up for him. Later, he's angry with her for the conversation, on the grounds that she isn't 'one of us'. She says, "But I'm not one of them." "So what are you?" he asks. We don't hear what she tells him, but presumably she says she's a Jew; but I wondered why he would think a Jew was any closer to being a gypsy than anyone else. Maybe it was just that in that time a place, it put them in the same sort of danger?

Comments

[lilithlotr.livejournal.com]

Well, one presumes it wasn't only Hitler who thought that both Jews and Gypsies were subhuman.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

True: they had shared experiences with regard to others, and that was probably enough for him to accept her (or trust her) in a way he would never accept someone who wasn't threatened by mainstream bigotry.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I love that movie. The first time I saw it I felt it was ok. For some reason, the more I watched the more I liked it and ended up buying it. I am partial to Sally Potter for Orlando. I think Orlando is better, but I really ended up liking The Man Who Cried, and not just for Johnny, though primarily for Johnny.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I find myself thinking about it this morning, and appreciating its content more than when I was watching it. Except for how luscious Johnny Depp is, of course. I still haven't seen Orlando - I take it that you'd recommend it? (Should I read the book too? Which should I do first?)

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I do recommend Orlando. I saw the movie first and then read the book, so I'm not sure what order would work best. I usually recommend books before films, but if you want to see if you even like the concept, try the movie and get a feeling for it. The book has more detail (of course) and better characterization, and more psychology into Orlando's mind, as only books can do.

I own the book. It's my favorite Virginia Woolf (though I haven't read all of her stuff) and it's one of my favorite books ever. I own the movie as well, though the ending is very strange and has nothing to do with the book (I could find symbolism in it but found it a really cheesy way to end a film with such deep meaning). Of course they changed some things for the film. Nothing too major, I don't think, except that they skip a chapter in Orlando's life mainly because it's a whole lot of inner dialog and self discovery, which probably wouldn't work well in a film.

I shouldn't keep rambling, dare I spoil more. Since I'm so fascinated with gender this story was bound to catch my attention at some point!

Let me know what you think if you see/read it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm fascinated with gender too, and the story has historical settings, doesn't it? So I've long wanted to read it. On the other hand, I haven't particularly enjoyed the bits and pieces of Virginia Woolf's writing that I have read, so I was hesitant to pick it up. Your response makes me more inclined to read or watch it - moving it up on my "to be read" pile. Which, goodness knows, is humungous anyway.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Yes, the story spans about 400 years, starting in Elizabeth I's time and ending in modern days (in the movie this is 1990s England and in the book it's Woolf's era, erm, late 20s/30s?). It's interesting that the character of Orlando was inspired by a woman Virginia knew and admired - a woman who seemed to transcend gender at the time and had both feminine and masculine qualities.

I've read excerpts from other Woolf pieces but Orlando is the only one I've read through to the end. The fact that I made it says something - usually I will put something down if I am bored enough. I've done that with Dickens, much as I've liked some film adaptations of his work.

Oh, and I noted in one of your book lists that you choose Jane Eyre as a favorite. I also loved that book when I studied it in Victorian Lit.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I don't know who Woolf based Orlando on, but I've always found her cricle of friends and acquaintances very interesting.

Isn't Jane Eyre wonderful? Definitely a much-read favourite.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Her name was Vita Sackville West. The book Orlando is dedicated to her.

The greatest thing about the book is that it is treated as a biography, including various portraits and photographs of Orlando. Of course, being that Orlando is fictional, the later, modern photos are of Vita herself.

Taken from an online source (http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/orlando.html):

"Orlando: A Biography, published in 1928, was not Woolf's most famous work, but it was one of her most intense considerations of gender. Through the life of the extraordinary character Orlando, Woolf examines the meanings of masculinity and femininity as these definitions changed in Europe over the course of four hundred years. In tracing those changes, Woolf presents a feminist overview of history from the days of Elizabeth the First to the end of World War I. Orlando, who was modeled on Woolf's close friend Vita Sackville-West, goes from being a young man in Queen Elizabeth's court to a love affair with a Muscovite princess; from Ambassador Extraordinary to encounters, now as Lady Orlando, with the famous English writers Pope, Addison, and Swift; finally, Orlando experiences childbirth."

Oh my god, I think I'm going to have to re-read this book over the summer. Now that I have it back on my lap from the bookshelf...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I read a book about Vita Sackvile-West and her husband, and I have her novel. Definitely an interesting woman. I didn't know (or forgot) she was the model for Orlando. Thanks for the info.

[moonchildetoo.livejournal.com]

I surprised myself by liking this film, because I'm not a fan of Cristina Ricci, but I thought she was very good indeed, and I enjoyed her scenes with Johnny, who was...thud...the perfect gypsy. Tortured and hard and...doomed. I was flabbergasted when I finally recognized Cate Blanchett...I almost didn't.

At one point, years ago, I'd read a lot of anthropological books about Gypsies. They were one of my fascinations. I suspect that much of what I knew is now quite outdated. I've tried to keep up with what documentaries I stumble across on TV, but haven't read any books in a while.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Johnny, who was...thud...the perfect gypsy

Ain't it the truth. And in some ways, the perfect hero - strong, loving, loyal to his family, self-sacrificing in the face of difficulties, uncompromisingly proud with regards to his enemies, a good trick rider and a man with an aura of mystery and glamour.

Well... my type, anyway!

At one point, years ago, I'd read a lot of anthropological books about Gypsies.

Got any bibliographic recommendations? I remember once I wanted to have a character in one of my slash stories say "I love you" in Romany, and couldn't for the life of me find a dictionary. I'd like to read about the language in particular, but also, of course, the culture. It's a sort of longstanding unfulfilled fascination.

[moonchildetoo.livejournal.com]

Got any bibliographic recommendations? I remember once I wanted to have a character in one of my slash stories say "I love you" in Romany, and couldn't for the life of me find a dictionary. I'd like to read about the language in particular, but also, of course, the culture. It's a sort of longstanding unfulfilled fascination.

Most everything I've read is very out of date. The Gypsies by Jan Yoors is "the" classic, and has been reprinted. Another good book is "Bury Me Standing" by Isabel Fonseca. If you go to Amazon.com and plunk in "The Gypsies" and "Jan Yoors", you'll find a lot of links on the page to follow, and other books. "The Gypsies" by Angus Fraser seems to be a good newer one. Natl Geographic published a wonderful book some years ago, full of great pictures. You'll see books by Ian Hancock. He's a Gypsy, and a professor. He's been on a couple of documentaries I've seen. As for dictionaries, there are quite a few online - google "romany" and you'll come up with them. The problem is that they're all from Romany to English and not the other way around, and most of them consist of the way I first wrote down my Romany phrases & names...copying them from their use in the books I read, i.e. with no particular rhyme or reason. I used to have lists & pages of Romany phrases and names...all long gone.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I spent some time today looking up the books you suggested (at the library and on amazon.com) to get a good idea of what books there are out there. The library has some stuff (which I ordered), including the National Geographic one, I'm glad to say, but not anything by Hancock. Ah well: I have to start somewhere. They have what looks like an interesting book of photography on the subject - but it's listed as "missing". Drat!

When I have time, I'll start on the net searches. I am intrigued.