Just a Little Torture for Your Sunday.
A clip from Russian version of "La Torture", with Marakulin and 'I'm not sure who' as playing Esmeralda. It's pirated video, but is nevertheless actually pretty high quality, and very close up - if a bit wobbly.
I could prattle on endlessly on how much I like this portrayl, starting with Esmeralda looking properly young, gypsy like, and actually... reacting believably to what is going on around her. Then, more significantly, Marakulin's Frollo. In the musical, this is a pretty tricky scene for Frollo who has to take an active role in the torture, instead of just being a bystander like he is in the book. But, in the space of two minutes, Marakulin manages to come across as incredibly threatening (with a sprinkling of religious fanatism) while at the same time showing Frollo's conflict and cracks of vunerability to Esmeralda's answers. Great stuff.
I could prattle on endlessly on how much I like this portrayl, starting with Esmeralda looking properly young, gypsy like, and actually... reacting believably to what is going on around her. Then, more significantly, Marakulin's Frollo. In the musical, this is a pretty tricky scene for Frollo who has to take an active role in the torture, instead of just being a bystander like he is in the book. But, in the space of two minutes, Marakulin manages to come across as incredibly threatening (with a sprinkling of religious fanatism) while at the same time showing Frollo's conflict and cracks of vunerability to Esmeralda's answers. Great stuff.
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