Friday, January 2, 2009
MEDIA REVIEW: A Midsummer Night's Dream
© It's a Pucked-Up World
The 1999 film-adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream succeeded in its portrayal of how silly young love can be. The all-star cast included Kevin Kline ( Nick Bottom), Michelle Pfeiffer (Titiana), Stanley Tucci (Puck), Sophie Marceau (Hippolyta), Christian Bale (Demetrius), and Calista Flockhart (Helena). Shakespeare’s themes of dreams and magic take the viewer on an entertaining journey of how silly love can be. The audience enjoys the ensemble of actors who masterfully portray the characters while adding a little twist of 'contemporary', such as the use of bicycles, setting the film in Italy with reference to the original Athens setting, and a mud-wrestling scene!
Dreams are one of the main themes used to rationalize otherwise unbelievable events within the forest. Hippolyta mentions dreams in the first scene which sets a tone for the rest of the play: “Four days will quickly steep themselves in night, / Four nights will quickly dream away the time” (I. i. 7-8). Another mention of a dream came from Bottom, as his own logic attempts to explain away the events of the previous night: “I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what / dream it was” (IV. i. 90-92).
As magic is another central theme in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare uses a love potion to symbolize the magical properties of love. Puck sprinkles the liquid from the flower onto various mortals’ eyelids while they sleep with the intention of helping the mortals realize their true loves. Oberon convinces Puck to spread the magic to Titiana when the behavior of faries in love become equally silly. One of Titiana’s notorious quotes is “My Oberon! What visions have I seen! / Methoughts I was enamoured of an ass” (IV. i. 59-60).
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s themes of dreams and magic exemplify how the various states of love might be. The intensity of love can motivate the actions of lovers and sometimes does nothing but discombobulate a person’s perception of reality. Once the initial phases run their course, the real reality takes over! Enjoy the film clip of Michelle Pfeiffer "enamoured with an ass", and a mud-wrestling scene!
Shakespeare's remarkable talent and vision, as well as his understanding of human nature (both male AND female), are timeless and will survive through the ages!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Dir. Michael Hoffman. Perf. Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Calista Flockhart,
Sophie Marceau, and Christian Bale. Fox Searchlight Pictures. 1999.
Shakespeare, William. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. 3rd
ed. Ed. Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. 311-333.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
All Doubts Fade
©I gaze into mirrored places
sometimes, not recognizing
the many faces of me
Awed by simple relevance
apposite within the moment
*
Gentle golden heart, mended
Infinite capacity of emotion
looking back at me
Holding myself in protective layers
while they slowly peel away,
along with the tougher times,
every day
*
Influenced by many loves
from years of seeking
the one
who understands me
who embraces me
Overlooking the flaws
of beauty fading on the outside
looking in
sometimes, not recognizing
the many faces of me
Awed by simple relevance
apposite within the moment
*
Gentle golden heart, mended
Infinite capacity of emotion
looking back at me
Holding myself in protective layers
while they slowly peel away,
along with the tougher times,
every day
*
Influenced by many loves
from years of seeking
the one
who understands me
who embraces me
Overlooking the flaws
of beauty fading on the outside
looking in
and
At the same time
I notice how self-love
brilliantly shines
in beauty present,
envisioning the truth
through the sands of time
all of those years which do not fade
At the same time
I notice how self-love
brilliantly shines
in beauty present,
envisioning the truth
through the sands of time
all of those years which do not fade
*
The lines dissolve
...and I'm amazed
The lines dissolve
...and I'm amazed
Smiling, knowing
time is only relevant
to those with no warmth
or intelligence
Reminded every single day
of the gift of knowledge
time is only relevant
to those with no warmth
or intelligence
Reminded every single day
of the gift of knowledge
of life
as I embrace
so many different faces
Coming together as one
under the sun.
as I embrace
so many different faces
Coming together as one
under the sun.
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