Yes, but... is it safe?

[thehefner]

Right right right, I know there are Olivier detractors here. I know you all have your reasons and I'm sure they're mostly perfectly valid, but you have to respect the man for the contributions he made to our modern perceptions of Shakespeare. I dare say that he was the 20th Century David Garrick, a pioneer in his field who spread the joyous word of Shakespeare to the unwashed heathen masses. His Henry V is an excellent, classically patriotic take on the character, every bit as valid and good in its way as Branagh's post-Vietnam anti-war take on Hal. My father still maintains that Olivier's Hamlet is THE definitive Shakespeare film by which all Hamlets should be judged. I must see it again. And then... we have this, which will be remastered and out on DVD by the end of the month...

Ooooo. Pretty.

While we're on the subject of "THE definitive" of anythings, this is THE defintive classical take on the play, and I know, many of you out there are all scared by classical styles or that doing plays in period isn't "hip" or whatever. Hell, I avoid it myself, most times. Now, of course, doing it like that runs some usual risks, namely that for every three cool scenes in R3, there's one boring as shit one, and those boring ones are all the more boring in this film. But the good is damn good. Claire Bloom as Anne. Ralph Richardson, the Supreme Being himself, is Buckingham. John Gielgud, the Supreme Being's boyfriend, is Clarence.

Now come on. OK, maybe Olivier is too "over the top" for our delicate modern sensibilties, but seriously, all of that lends itself beautifully to his Richard. And if nothing else, you gotta respect him for incorporating a huge speech from Henry VI into the first monologue (Instead of "plots have I laid, he goes into the long speech that includes "hue my way out with a bloody axe" and ends with "Tut, were it further off, I'd pluck it down"). As a result, the speech itself is, like, seven minutes of pure, solitary, unadulterated Shakespearian goodness. So, so good.

Like him or not, you gots to respect the Olivier. I'm actually considering going to England for graduate school to be classically trained (I can hear the method actors grinding their teeth from here, hee hee). And hey, if you think he can't do subdued, you haven't seen "Marathon Man." That man somehow made going to the dentist's even scarier.

Comments

[jcsbimp.livejournal.com]

I so wanna see Olivier's R3. But only when the play's over.

I so wanna see McKellan's R3. But only when the play's over.

And if Ethan Hawke takes a turn at it, cue it up, boys, and pour me a dry one.

But if the RMs ever do it again, I want to see tazira as Richard. Just because in that "thou troubler of the poor world's peace" scene, especially when she leans in, she can creepy the rings around me!