An arena of arts
Entertaining performances The third day at the Festival of Arts presented an Arais, Opera and Musical theatre. The Lyric Ensemble…
As this year marks the 400th death anniversary of Shakespeare, one section of the IIC film festival was entirely dedicated to feature some of his renowned works, paying tribute to the maestro. The fest showcased a total of 6 Shakespearean adaptations by diverse directors.
Hamlet (Gamlet/Soviet Union)
Directors: Grigori Kozintsev and Iosef Shapiro
Featuring a positive hero, the action unfolds between shots of lowering rocks and turbulent seas, with Hamlet pattering through a very tangible Elsinore of massive portcullises, stone walls, endless corridors and chunky oaken furniture. A little monolithic in theory, but it works magnificently because Kozintsev had thought his interpretation right through to the end with complete consistency and gives the film a genuinely exciting epic sweep. What one remembers, though, is the superb marginal detail: the appearance of the Ghost on the battlements, vast black cloak billowing in the wind, like a Titan striding across the sea; the dying Polonius pulling down the arras to reveal row upon row of tailor's dummies in Gertrude's wardrobe; above all, the wonderfully moving conception of Ophelia as a frail blonde marionette, first seen jerked into motion by the tinkling music of a cembalo at her dancing lesson, and gradually becoming the helpless plaything of court politics. There is a genuine cinematic imagination at work here.
Throne of Blood (Kumunosu jo; Japan)
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa's stunning adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth is a dark samurai drama, set in feudal Japan. As the film begins, two soldiers- Washizu (Toshiro Mifune) and Miki find themselves lost in a dense forest during a powerful thunderstorm. Seemingly unable to leave the woods, they encounter a ghostly old woman who predicts that Washizu will soon rise to power. At the goading of his ruthless wife, Asage (Isuzu Yamada), Washizu embarks on a murderously ambitious path and quickly fulfils the prophecy. However, his ascension is cursed by his brutal actions and soon opposition arises to challenge his blood-stained rule.The film's highlight, however, is the tense and skilfully paced finale, which features Washizu literally up against the wall as he faces an army of vengeful archers.
The always-amazing MIfune gives one of his greatest performances as the haunted yet unrelenting Lord Washizu, while Yamada portrays eeriest version Lady Macbeth to ever grace the screen or stage. A master of reinterpretation, Kurosawa incorporates strong elements of Japanese Noh drama into the film, and the result adds to the somber and chilling mood.
Othello (US)
Director: Orson Welles
Welles rearranges the order of the tragedy and starts with the funeral of the Moor and his bride, thereby turning it into a film noir as the murder investigation takes place as to what led to their deaths. It ends as well with the funeral procession continuing Rs a procession that didn't appear in the play, as Welles took many such liberties throughout.
However, the classical tragedy theme is kept intact with the jealous Othello (Orson Welles), who is led into an uncontrollable rage over a series of misunderstandings culminating with a misplaced hanky that somehow points to Cassio (Michael Laurence), the handpicked lieutenant chosen by Othello, the powerful General of the Venetian army. Cassio is accused behind his back of having an affair with Desdemona (Othello's wife) by the Moor's base underling Iago (Dublin actor Micheal Mac Liammoir), who is angered that he was passed over for Cassio's position.
The Moor is too blind to see through such hateful deceits and is easily manipulated by the emboldened Iago. Emilia (Fay Compton), the sincere wife of Iago, when she learns of her husband's foul deeds, immediately speaks to the Moor so he can understand that he strangled to death a virtuous woman.
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