The Marlowe Problem

[laurawise]

At last at last I got to see Only Lovers Left Alive. It was straight-out wonderful, feeding a lot of my aesthetic needs: languorous pacing (but nicely judged), sumptuously decaying locations, proper married-people romantic interaction between Adam (Tom Hiddleston's delicious character) and Eve (Tilda Swinton's awesome character), witty and metaphor

Comments

[gwynnega]

I'm really looking forward to seeing that movie, in spite of the Marlowe thing! It is a rather weird trope, to be sure.

The film of The Hours made me roll my eyes wildly at its portrayal of Virginia Woolf, who apparently had no friends and no political views, and seemingly walked into the sea immediately after she finished writing Mrs. Dalloway.

[laurawise]

[blinks] I've never seen The Hours, but... oh dear me NO. That would be a Do Not Want.

Hugs and a good Monday!

[wildrider]

We haven't seen it yet, but I've always wondered why people today are so set on making Shakespeare less than he was. Maybe modern people just can't conceive of one person being that brilliant.

I liked Marlowe's work, too -- but why is it he can't be brilliant on his own, without putting Shakespeare down?

I have to see the movie and think about it some more...

[laurawise]

I liked Marlowe's work, too -- but why is it he can't be brilliant on his own, without putting Shakespeare down? EXACTLY.

(Apparently Jarmusch is one of those anybody-but-Shakespeare conspiracy theorists in Real Life, so I guess that explains that aspect of the movie.)

Cheers and hugs!

[paratti]

Oh, yes. Whedon.

I'm glad OLLA was good:)

((Hugs))

[laurawise]

Hee, I should have known you would say Whedon! :)

Cheers and hugs, and breathable air despite the Flower Show.

[kathyh]

another one of the battalion of modern texts in which W Shakespeare is slagged off and Christopher Marlowe exalted

Oh, dear! I share your problem with that. Sadly early death and melodramatic life trump reasonable life span and dramatic inner life.

If this portrait of Shakespeare was the authenticated popular one we might view him differently. I think he looks quite hot :)

[laurawise]

Sadly early death and melodramatic life trump reasonable life span and dramatic inner life.

I love that phrasing, K.

And you're right, I love that portrait too! :)

Hugs and a good Monday.

[paratti]

Apart from the Jimmy Hill chin;)

[laurawise]

It is not a Jimmy Hill chin, L.

(Hee.)

[freixenet]

You know, I came across OLLA in a completely different context this weekend--and here it is again. Clearly, I must see this film, even with the reservations expressed. Your aesthetic sensibility is far more refined than mine, so I appreciate the insight, even if it is "your" Marlowe problem. :)

[laurawise]

The film is gorgeous, just gorgeous. Slow-ish, which I'm going to write about in another post, but fab.u.lous.

Cheers and a great Monday!