Gaywatch: Merchant of Venice (2004)

[brittanyksduh]

I have to give props to geekgirlt for bringing this one to my attention. Frankly, I'm not sure how a film adaptation of Shakespeare with Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes slipped past my radar. The trailers must have focused on Al Pacino or something, because I probably would have remembered this being on my screen:

Comments

[looloogirl]

What about Kenneth Branagh's "Hamlet"?? The acting in that friggin movie was definitely better than R&J. UGH SO GOOD YOU HAVE TO SEE IT

BUT GODDAMN SON OF A BITCH HELL do I love Shakespere for his descriptive/rhyming/gaysubtexting/everything skillzzzz

[brittanyksduh]

I can never manage to get through much of Branagh's Shakespeare stuff, including Hamlet. It's done well, don't get me wrong, but it's just not my style, really. Oddly enough, David Tennant's Hamlet was the first time I was able to understand what the hell was going on in that show. o.O

[werkelijkheid90]

I think it's because they speak with a more 'modern' inflection in David Tennant's Hamlet, though an argument could be made that that's how they'd have spoken in Shakespeare's time in any case. It just makes it seem more like human dialogue with an intended meaning rather than uppity robots spouting off programmed phrases (that's often what Shakespeare sounds like to me when performed. It's as if the actors don't know what the hell they're saying either. I've always had to sit down and read it to see how beautiful and meaningful it is).

I hope more renditions of Shakespeare's stuff get performed like David Tennant's Hamlet. Perhaps then more people will be able to 'get' it.

[brittanyksduh]

YES, exactly. Badly done Shakespeare is self-indulgent and robotic in an attempt to be wayyyyy too "emotional," leaving the audience wondering what the hell is going on. Haaaaaate it.

Sadly, the actors not knowing what they're saying happens a lot because the director is an idiot and doesn't spend the first few rehearsals on nothing but text work. The results are so painful. -.-

[spookyfbi]

But Joseph Fiennes IS Shakespeare! That's THREE Elizabethan era characters he's played (he also played Elizabeth's love interest in the beginning of Elizabeth)

Oh, I would love to study Shakespeare! We did Romeo & Juliet in year 10, and I found it very interesting. And it doesn't surprise me that it's slashy. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that every Shakespeare play had a gay character. I mean, Romeo & Juliet were in heterosexual lust with each other to the point of suicide, but Mercutio? Also, some or one of his sonnets were supposedly about a man.

[brittanyksduh]

He's also in the newest film version of Coriolanus set in modern times, the boy is everywhere. XDDD

Every play has a gay character? I'll have to keep that theory in mind. Off the top of my head I don't remember getting any red flags in Othello, but then I did read that before my slash days...

[spookyfbi]

Uhm... apparently Iago, according to this page.

[brittanyksduh]

That...is the best link I've gotten in a long time. Thank you thank you thank you thank you!! <3333

[brittanyksduh]

If you're into downloading things, there's quite a lovely torrent of Merchant on the interwebs. Other than that, I bet you can get it really cheap at most movies places. You will not be disappointed. XD

[geekgirlt]

I had a feeling you would appreciate this. XD

This play was just in Chicago and they decided to go the route of slash too. XD It was beautiful!

[xunudory]

Hi there, awesome site. I thought the topics you posted on were very interesting

[brittanyksduh]

Thank you! Glad you enjoy my ramblings. =)