Comments | katrinb: Thoughts on Much Ado About Nothing: Joss Whedon Version

katrinb

Thoughts on Much Ado About Nothing: Joss Whedon Version

Jul 13, 2013 10:31

( spoilers )

Comments 4

netpositive July 13 2013, 15:58:20 UTC

(1) I thought the Benedick was the weakest of the actors, though given the overall level I guess it would be hard to keep up. But then I'm not a huge fan of what I perceive as the "Dylan McDermott" type of actor - smooth, handsome, mugging for the camera, supposed to show weakness at the right moment but never quite gets that far down in his psyche to be believable. (I admit, I'm not an overall huge Whedon fan so maybe Denisof has other work/roles people have seen emotional depth in. I just couldn't get past his making me think of McDermott ( ... )

katrinb July 13 2013, 16:04:48 UTC

Um, Leonato is Hero's father, not Don Pedro. He's the visiting prince.

netpositive July 13 2013, 16:34:51 UTC

Oh, sorry, I got the names confused - it's been a month since I've seen it, and several years since I last watched the Branagh version. (And while I was an English major in college, I somehow managed to duck a lot of Shakespeare. My drama shelf tilts towards Restoration dramatists.) My gripes about Leonato's behavior as a father stand though, and I think none of the "businessmen" had anywhere near the kind of gravity one expects in "nobles". "Going to war together" didn't even feel like a good metaphor for whatever kind of "business" they actually transact. (I think I finally decided they were either all life insurance salesmen or manufactured plastic children's novelty toys.)

But maybe the point is still that they can be just as weak and easily led as the common folk...

katrinb July 13 2013, 22:08:09 UTC

True - and it's also a play that points up the contrast between the conventional pair of lovers, who spout romantic poetry but treat love as a business arrangement (on Claudio's part, one of the first things he asks Don Pedro is, "Has Leonato any son?", the purpose of which is made clear by Don Pedro's response, "No child but Hero: she's his only heir," whereas you may note that it's Beatrice who wryly notes that it is her cousin's duty to say, "Father, as it please you," but then, "For all that, cousin, let him be a handsome fellow, or make another courtesy and say, 'Father, as it please _me_'") , and the unconventional pair, who mock love and each other, but once they acknowledge their love, will stand by it till the death ( ... )