Movies I Love, #1 Twelfth Night

I am sitting, gobbling up fat-a-licious chocolate ice-cream and watching one of my favorite films when I think well hullo, why haven’t I started writing about my favorite films on here yet? I had in fact spent half the day wanting to write a new blog but not being able to think of a good topic. So here it is. Don’t let this #1 fool you into thinking this is a film I prefer over any other, it is simply the first move I shall write about on here.

The film in question is actually an adaption of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night or What You Will (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117991/ ).

I admit I started on the wrong foot with Shakespeare, being forced to watch Leonardo DiCaprio as Romeo in high-school (I hated the actor back then, but he’s improved on me since). But my love affair with dear old Bill started when I tried to make the best of things by arguing Romeo’s homosexual tendencies in my final paper for English class. I’m still not a huge fan of Romeo and Juliet, but I do think fondly of that essay. But as most have been told but sadly few really know, Shakespeare was and still to this day through his work is a genius.

Seeing as my buddy Bill is not exactly the easiest of reading materials it’s a blessing for us modern lazy buggers to be able to watch such great movie version to help us appreciate him as he should be appreciated still. Thank you BBC and friends, thank you so very much.

I must admit I assume dear William did not write it with Helena Bonham Carter in mind (derp) but I’m sure if he was still here he would have chosen her. She is in fact one of the three greatest attractions in there. Another is having Ben Kingsley as Feste, just lovely.

What I love most about this dear creation of his though, and in this I am not the most unbiased persons, is the cross-dressing theme. I just love anything where women dress up and impersonate men (as I love doing myself too, having a Tomboy shell around a so-long-dormant bi-confused inner core it seems only natural). Defying the “normal” socially applied gender roles is nothing but a wonderful subject. And having to hide your true identity offers such great opportunities for dialogue that amuses the reader/watcher and perplexes the other characters.

My favorite dialogue in this play is between Viola (dressed as a young man named Cesario in the count’s service) and Feste (Ben Kingsley) who is Lady Olivia’s Fool.

Feste: Now Jove, in his next commodity of hair, send thee a beard!

Viola: By my troth, I’ll tell thee, I am almost sick for one – though I would not have it grow on my chin.

Obviously an unhealthy obsession (/fetish) for beards is one of the few things I have in common with dear Viola.

Being so arrogant as to think there are a lot of people unfamiliar with the story I wont give away any great twists but anyone who likes good wordplay and humour but has too high a level of ADD to sit down with Shakespeare’s text I seriously recommend this for a Sunday night view. It offers a lot of laughs, some tears and all around fun where arrogant people get their comeuppance.

And last but not least, one of the greatest quotes of all times, from this work of art:

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

You should remember that as you set sail into a new week… go throw some greatness at a random passer -by but take care not to hurt anyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhSfZplNbN0 (end credit song which I love)

Responses

orwell1627

April 7, 2013

I enjoyed reading your review. No character comes close to the comical genius of Falstaff, but Sir Toby certainly holds a firm second place for me.

Reply
1. ingambeck
  
  April 7, 2013
  
  Thanks man. Always great to hear about it when people like reading my stuff, as insignificant and random as it is haha. I do love Sir Toby, I think if I’d been a man at that time I would have been much like him x)
  I’m not as familiar with Falstaff yet, as much as I love Shakespeare I’m ashamed of how little I’ve actually read of his work. I have spent years studying English back here in the land of ice but each time I’ve taken a class where Shakespeare is part of the schedule (but not the main topic obviously) It’s always Romeo and Juliet, as if he doesn’t have tons of other great stuff, and comedies too!
  
  Reply
  1. orwell1627
    
    April 8, 2013
    
    I can sympathize with your irritation over the obsession which school teachers possess for Romeo and Juliet. Not to say that it isn’t a wonderful play, but there is so much more to Shakespeare that people do not experience.
    
    Keep warm up there in Iceland. I imagine it’s beautiful in the summer, which is only a couple of months away.
  2. ingambeck
    
    April 8, 2013
    
    Yeah it’s a great play but it’s been done to death, and often people don’t even realize they’ve already seen other things based on Shakespearean writing. I mean it took me YEARS before I found out that 10 Things I Hate About You which was like insanely popular when I was a kid, was actually based on Taming of the Shrew. Maybe that’s just because I can be incredibly dense but it’s still a fact. And BBC made a tv mini-series they called ShakespeaRe-Told where there is a fantastic version of Taming of the Shrew with Shirley Henderson in the lead. I’m so going to be writing another blog about that one at some point.
    And yes, Iceland is magnificent in the summer, but it is in winter too. There’s nothing in this world that compares to putting on really warm overalls, going outside and lying down flat on a soft pile of snow and staring up at a clear winter sky, especially when the northern lights are twisting and turning all over it.

Inga M. Beck