Richard and Anne Courtship Scene - Various Versions
Hello! I've been watching various videos of different versions of Richard and Anne's courtship scene from Richard III, and thought I ought to share them with you all.
Laurence Olivier and Claire Bloom:
Part One
Part Two
I don't love this interpertation. I really think splitting the scene up weakens the impact, and it truly seems rather as though only the second section is neccesary, which really shouldn't be true. And I...like stronger Annes. But there are a few eerie, not so sickly sweet moments here that I like.
Ron Cook and Zoe Wanamaker:
Part One
Part Two
This is my favorite, by far, though there are some moments when it misses pretty significantly. I love Zoe Wanamaker's anger and Ron Cook's calm, and I love the quick back and forth of their argument. I also think this one gets the complexity of the power dynamics best.
Kenneth Branagh and Stella Gonet (just audio)
I don't mind Stella Gonet, but here it's Kenneth Branagh, towards whom I've always had mixed feelings, who irritates me. Sometimes, it always feels to me as if he's playing himself. However, at least this version doesn't cut "But I know none and therefore am no beast". A surprising number of these do, which is truly odd to me, as it's quite possibly my favorite part of the scene.
Ian McKellen and Kristin Scott Thomas
This is such a cleverly, brillantly written and made film, and this scene is no exception. Ian Mckellen does some really genius things during it as well (I love his "Was ever woman in this humour woo'd?"), and it's interesting to see it so...quiet. But yet, I must feel that it loses something in the quiet, in the cinematic rather than theatrical mentality. With much of the film, it was interesting to see the quieter versions of things, and they sped along beautifully, but this, for all that the interpertation was unique, was not my idea of Anne.
Al Pacino and Winona Ryder
Oh, go away, Winona Ryder. Really, it seems as though her acting range encompasses nothing but 'slightly naive, whiny teenager', which makes her really good in Age of Innocence and The Crucible, but how she gets cast as strong, mature women falling prey to the seductions of dark, terrifying men who put their husbands in danger (see also: Bram Stoker's Dracula) escapes me. This is particularly painful to watch, as I (generally) like Al Pacino's Richard, and it's terrible seeing him act opposite Winona Ryder's Anne (I suppose I can count myself lucky that she's never yet been cast as Madame de Tourvel in Dangerous Liaisons, or Ellida in The Lady from the Sea).
ETA: Jonathan Slinger and Hannah Barrie, via Lareinenoire (thank you!).
Laurence Olivier and Claire Bloom:
Part One
Part Two
I don't love this interpertation. I really think splitting the scene up weakens the impact, and it truly seems rather as though only the second section is neccesary, which really shouldn't be true. And I...like stronger Annes. But there are a few eerie, not so sickly sweet moments here that I like.
Ron Cook and Zoe Wanamaker:
Part One
Part Two
This is my favorite, by far, though there are some moments when it misses pretty significantly. I love Zoe Wanamaker's anger and Ron Cook's calm, and I love the quick back and forth of their argument. I also think this one gets the complexity of the power dynamics best.
Kenneth Branagh and Stella Gonet (just audio)
I don't mind Stella Gonet, but here it's Kenneth Branagh, towards whom I've always had mixed feelings, who irritates me. Sometimes, it always feels to me as if he's playing himself. However, at least this version doesn't cut "But I know none and therefore am no beast". A surprising number of these do, which is truly odd to me, as it's quite possibly my favorite part of the scene.
Ian McKellen and Kristin Scott Thomas
This is such a cleverly, brillantly written and made film, and this scene is no exception. Ian Mckellen does some really genius things during it as well (I love his "Was ever woman in this humour woo'd?"), and it's interesting to see it so...quiet. But yet, I must feel that it loses something in the quiet, in the cinematic rather than theatrical mentality. With much of the film, it was interesting to see the quieter versions of things, and they sped along beautifully, but this, for all that the interpertation was unique, was not my idea of Anne.
Al Pacino and Winona Ryder
Oh, go away, Winona Ryder. Really, it seems as though her acting range encompasses nothing but 'slightly naive, whiny teenager', which makes her really good in Age of Innocence and The Crucible, but how she gets cast as strong, mature women falling prey to the seductions of dark, terrifying men who put their husbands in danger (see also: Bram Stoker's Dracula) escapes me. This is particularly painful to watch, as I (generally) like Al Pacino's Richard, and it's terrible seeing him act opposite Winona Ryder's Anne (I suppose I can count myself lucky that she's never yet been cast as Madame de Tourvel in Dangerous Liaisons, or Ellida in The Lady from the Sea).
ETA: Jonathan Slinger and Hannah Barrie, via Lareinenoire (thank you!).