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That was fun to read, even though I would disagree with much of the article. I generally like the comedies least, the OP likes them most, but it's nice to see p
by ojbyrne 3y ago
That was fun to read, even though I would disagree with much of the article. I generally like the comedies least, the OP likes them most, but it's nice to see people talk about Shakespeare in an article linked here. A couple of comments I would make:
* "People will think I’m crazy, but yes, I’m placing Henry IV above Henry V." I doubt many people would think you're crazy, the Henry IVs are generally considered better and for the reason mentioned: Falstaff.
* On performances of Richard III: "I liked two different performances for different reasons. The 1995 major film puts the play in the World Word II era. It’s solid and does well standing alone. The BBC production has linked casting with the three parts of Henry VI, which allows one to enjoy it in full in its broader context. It’s also well-performed, but obviously has less spectacle and a lower budget." -- you really need to watch the 1955 version for Laurence Olivier's performance.
Also on editions: The Riverside Shakespeare is great. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1036552 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1036552
- jfengel 3y agoSo much depends on the performance. Some of the comedies make great productions, suitably edited and with the right amount of physical comedy. Right on the page they are nearly all a slog. The tragedies make better reading.
- ghaff 3y agoThere have been some really good productions of the comedies, e.g. Emma Thompson's Much Ado About Nothing. But often as I have seen some of them over the years, the mistaken identities/gender swapping/etc. all sort of blend together for me past some point. (Case in point, when I looked up my example, I originally typed in As You Like It.) I definitely remember the tragedies as more distinct entities.
- as_bntd 3y agoLaurence Olivier is a great actor. I've enjoyed several of his films, including his Hamlet adaptation (which he also directed). I have yet to watch Richard III though.
- tomcam 3y agoI thought he overacted that role. I feel it requires a much lighter touch than most actors give it.
- as_bntd 3y agoIt was my first encounter with Hamlet so I didn't have another frame of reference to judge the performance. And I had already watched him in other movies such as Rebecca (I didn't like the movie except for the (some of the) end) so maybe I was used to his acting.
- tomcam 3y ago...or maybe my own taste sucks. Most movie historians adore the guy.
- twiddling 3y agoFalstaff. Ah Falstaff. I would recommend Orson Welles "Chimes at Midnight" as a wonderful setting of Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2.
- bradleyjg 3y agoHe’s just wrong about Titus Andronicus. It’s far and away the worst.
- bombcar 3y agoI mean it has this very modern sounding dialogue: CHIRON Thou hast undone our mother. AARON Villain, I have done thy mother.
- jonstewart 3y agoTwo Gentlemen of Verona is pretty cringe.
- jfengel 3y agoSomehow, Julie Taymor managed to make a masterpiece out of Titus. She embraces the fact that it's a horror story, and treats that horror in a fashion akin to Tarantino: awful and beautiful. I would have sworn it was impossible, but she did it. And having done it, I don't feel like it ever needs to be done again. That said, I've seen moderately successful attempts at other horror-inspired approaches: grand guignol, horror fun-house, even "Titus! The Musical".
- johncessna 3y agoAgreed, the comedies are the least enjoyable. Like today, much of the comedy needs a context and without it, it doesn't hit as hard.
- apendleton 3y agoYeah, I also liked the idea but apparently have pretty different tastes. I was pretty surprised to see Pericles and Othello almost next to each other in the rankings. Pericles is... not at all good. There's this whole build-up of dramatic tension and then in a sudden, bizarre deus ex machina moment, the plot takes a hard turn when pirates appear out of nowhere and kidnap one of the main characters for no clear reason. One production I saw at least try to lampshade the absurdity by giving the pirates eyepatches and parrots, which almost made it tolerable. Also, maybe unpopular, but I don't love the Branagh Hamlet. It feels pretty overwrought to me, and I like Helena Bonham Carter's Ophelia better than Kate Winslet's.
- Simon_O_Rourke 3y agoI guess the immortal Bard himself was on tenderhooks to find out this overly subjective ranking of his work. The author left out one final work, the most excellent comedie "Two Gentlemen of Lewbowski". https://www.amazon.co.uk/Two-Gentlemen-Lebowski-Excellent-Tragical/dp/1451605811 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Two-Gentlemen-Lebowski-Excellent-Tr...
- jdsnape 3y agoSorry, this is unnecessarily pedantic, but as it's a discussion on literature I couldn't help mentioning that it's 'tenterhooks' not 'tenderhooks'
- ojbyrne 3y agoIf we're going to start discussing fan fiction, we should mention the best: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ROSENCRANTZ-GUILDENSTERN-ARE-DEAD-Stoppard/dp/0571081827 https://www.amazon.co.uk/ROSENCRANTZ-GUILDENSTERN-ARE-DEAD-S...