Comments | sadcypress: and pretty, witty nell

sadcypress

and pretty, witty nell

Feb 24, 2009 12:06

YOU GUYS.

So, I KNOW that Stage Beauty has some INCREDIBLE flaws. We watched the first half hour in my Shakespeare in Performance class today as an intro to Restoration Shakespeare, and I learned about even more historical innacuracies that are in the film than I was previously aware of ( Read more... )

film, fangirling, shakespeare, boys in skirts ftw, geekiness

Comments 14

fannishliss February 24 2009, 17:39:24 UTC

Sadcypress! I interrupt your love of Stage Beauty to ask an important question! did you know Dan Savage was at UM!!! and someone asked him to redefine "cornerstone, diamondback, and fear the turtle" in salacious terms!!! OH! OH! I AM LAUGHING TOO HARD TO BREATHE!!!!

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=1118133

also, I have Stage Beauty on my shelf, but have not watched it, but now I will, so let me know your other useful caveats.

Ok, your love for Stage Beauty may now resume!!

sadcypress February 24 2009, 19:48:58 UTC

Oh hey, that's awesome! I missed out on that completely- I tend not to know what's happening to the university outside of our department- Tim Gunn was the one exception. ;)

I really love Stage Beauty, but it's big drawback is that it raises so many interesting and complex issues of sex and gender... and then massively oversimplifies them and pushes for heteronormativity.

But it's FUN and PRETTY, so I forgive it. :D

ciaan February 24 2009, 19:47:59 UTC

Historical accuracy whatev! That is not what movies are for. They are for fun and pretty which that movie has.

sadcypress February 24 2009, 19:49:49 UTC

WOOHOO! I can ascribe to this theory with GOOD CHEER. :D

ciaan February 25 2009, 19:11:48 UTC

It serves me well!

arcadiaego February 25 2009, 00:32:50 UTC

And I KNOW that the film says that all questioning of gender and sexuality can be solved via the healing properites of Claire Danes's Magical Vagina, and seems to assign categories of 'straight' and 'gay' that just didn't exist in that period and asserts a culture of heteronormativity.

Wow, I didn't see any of that in the film at all. I thought Ned saying whatserface* was the cause of his death and the 'I don't know' ending with the lack of resolution in their expressions pretty much suggested the exact opposite of the former.

As for the latter part of the quoted statement, well I just didn't see that full stop. But I haven't watched it for a couple of years.

*Not to disparage Claire Danes, I just am absolutly terrible at remembering character names.

sadcypress February 25 2009, 19:59:40 UTC

Hmm. I can see your point- I think my impression is always that they leave too much of a feeling that Ned isn't 'manly' enough, and that he must literally perform a manly role (Othello) in order to succeed. I DO find hope in that final exchange, but I'm always a bit uneasy.

I think this is CLEARLY a cue that we both need to rewatch. :D

tempestsarekind February 27 2009, 20:20:41 UTC

Butting in several days later to add: Though the thing I like about that is that he ultimately doesn't perform Othello in a particularly "manly" sort of way. I do find it interesting to compare the earlier, bombastic Othello to his broken, vulnerable one. So for me, it's still a part of that questioning of gender roles, even if not as extreme.

But I find Ned's ideas about "femininity" really problematic, anyway.

arcadiaego February 25 2009, 00:36:24 UTC

The method acting and the historical accuracy is bollocks though, but I trust that Richard Eyre knows that too or he shouldn't really have had such a high position in the National Theatre. :-P

cisic February 25 2009, 04:43:09 UTC

Hatred of Claire Danes is not at all irrational.

But you are right, Stage Beauty is highly enjoyable even with her in it.

sadcypress February 25 2009, 20:00:23 UTC

I just... I HATE HER SO MUCH. And there's not really any one reason behind it and my fury is GREAT.