Shadowman4710
One of my favorite Shakepeare films, Kevin Kline leads an excellent cast. How much you enjoy the film is probably going to depend on how much you enjoy the works of the bard but for me this is a real treat.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
07/24/23
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Shioka O
A film adaptation of the same titled comedy by the Bard. I'm not sure about the storytelling of this version but the casting is great fun to watch. I like Stanley Tucci as Puck and Michel Pfeiffer as Titania. Visual effect in this is badly dated considering the release date 1999, the other Shakespeare film "Titus" is the same year and way more visually striking. (also Matrix and Star Wars I is the same year release) The use of classical music is appropriate.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/08/23
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Audience Member
Paper 3 Midsummer Night Dream
The film version I decided to watch is "A midsummer Night Dream" the 1999 version. The Michael Hoffman film had a great depiction of Shakespeare's play with its own twist and turns added. The film showed the gender roles, comedy, and love triangles with great acting and cinematography. The film jumps out of the gate with gender and comedic excitement. Following Shakespeare original play, it starts with Egeus (Hermia's father) giving Hermia(daughter) to marry Demetrius. Hermia does not want this she wants to marry Lysander, but it is not her choice instead her fathers. Immediately you are introduced to gender issues in the film which ultimately starts to build one of the major themes of gender roles in the film. Hermia and the rest of the love triangle including her father go to the duke to resolve this problem. Hermia is then faced with the dilemma of listening to her father's commands, dying, and becoming a nun.
I found various parts of the film interesting on how it related to gender, gender roles, and Shakespeare's original play. Women not being able to choose their own partners, also men leading the society and the other outside elements that take a role. Although it is fiction it sends off real life situations that are were faced by many. In this film and the play gender is a major factor. The gender roles women play is inferior to men and the society they live in. While on the other hand men run the society and ultimately have the last say in things.
You may be wondering what is meant by the gender roles showed in the film and play. Some may think it's as simple as showing how society was back then. In my opinion there is a deeper meaning in gender role in the film and play because it is meant to watch and enjoy. So, what makes this enjoyable for its audience? After reading the article "Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess" by: Linda Williams, it gave me a sense of why us as audience enjoy a film or play like Mid-Summer Night Dream. The film can be considered to be a melodrama because of how it empowers women and men. It gives women "weepies" a certain type of emotions during the film which give woman power and pleasure.In the article the author says "And is the weeping woman of melodrama appealing to the abnormal perversions of masochism in female viewers?" The answer to this is that it is and gives the enjoyment of watching the film. I say this because it fits the film's theme it is supposed to give male and female viewers an emotional appeal because of what the film is about portrays these things to be normal in that society. While it gives men other emotions during the film that empowers them. It makes you interested by engaging your emotions that go into your deep routes of what our society is like.
The film builds the audience's emotional interaction with the movie by making comedy out of gender roles. An example of this are the scenes in the forest. Hermia and Lysander decide to run away into the forest to avoid her having to marry Demetrius. Hermia tells her best friend Helena her plan and Helena is in love with Demetrius. So, Helena tells Demetrius the plan, and Demetrius chases Hermia and Lysander into the forest. while Helena follows Demetrius trying to get his love. Once in the forest is when the comedy starts and when you can start seeing more contrasts to Shakespeare original play. In the forest there are magical ferries that live there. There is a king ferry (Oberon) and a queen ferry (Titania) Oberon wants to prove himself to Titania by making Demetrius love Helena. So, Oberon sends his ferry henchman Puck to get a rose that has the juice to make someone love the other person. Accidently Puck gives the juice to Lysander and Demetrius creating another love triangle between Lysander, Demetrius, and Helena. Puck also accidently makes Titania in love with a mortal named bottom who turns into half human and beaver when puck puts a spell on him. This is when things get humorous all of the sudden Helena has Demetrius and Lysander fighting over her. Helena thinks Lysander and Demetrius are mocking her, but little does she know they are in love with her. Helena runs away from them and they chase and fight for her. Throughout all this Hermia is sleeping and wakes up to this to then think Helena stole Lysander from her. Hermia and Helena then start to fight and they all run through the forest wild fighting over a crazy mixed up love triangle. While that is happening Titania is in love with bottom whom is lazy and unattractive to the other ferries. As they say love makes you blind Titania and bottom even end up getting married.
The comedic sense in the film and play is meant to be critiquing gender roles and their society. It is meant to be critiquing instead of taking serous because of the nature of the comedy. In their time something like what happened in the film would never happen in reality. Hermia going against her fathers' choices would most likely have not happened. This is true based on pass historic knowledge when women did not have much rights. Each character resembles a comedic sense about them when watching the film, it is hard to even take the main characters serous because of the situation they are in. Besides them speaking in old English and the viewer needing to watch with captions on. In most modern-day cases something like this would not happen which also shows you the critiquing of the comedic sense of gender roles. Shakespeare's purpose for critiquing in this comedic way is to change the way comedy is and also bring up problems within society.
I love how Helena's character is played in the film. Helena is chasing Demetrius throughout the whole film determined to get his love. She thinks she is not good enough for him and feels down about herself throughout the film. Often in the film she is seen saying negative things about herself, and comparing herself to Hermia. In her eyes Hermia is superior to her because she looks better than her and Demetrius wants Hermia. Helena says in the film "I am your spaniel. And Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will fawn on you. Use me - but as your spaniel. Spurn me, strike me, neglect me, lose me, but give me leave, unworthy as I am, to follow you." Helena said this during one of the scenes in the forest the quote gives you a good sense of what Helena and Demetrius relationship was before the ferries got involved. It is ironic though because Demetrius is chasing Hermia but instead feels he deserves her because of hernia's fathers blessing. This goes to show the gender roles being played in the film shown through Helena's character.
Shakespeare's imagination was truly shown when reading the play compared to the film. In the film somethings were left out and changed a little. The play had more background on the Indian boy, Oberon, and Titania as well as explain the 4 stories within the story. The comedy compared to the film is quite similar it goes over the same points. There were minor character changes from the film and play, but it did not make much of a difference. For example, Puck in the play is seen to be sweet and charming. While in the movie he is seen to be an old and rude lizard ferry.
Woman play the gender role of being inferior to men in the play and film. The comedic sense of the film is based on gender roles and is criticizing them. Shakespeare purpose of the play is to change comedy and bring problems of society into it. The film was a great depiction of Shakespeare play. In the today's day in time gender roles have changed for the better giving women the rights they have always deserved. Comparing modern times to the play is interesting because things are so different now. Overall recognizing these gender roles are important because it will only help us as a society to become better. Although it is fiction it sends off real life situations that are were faced by many. In this film and the play gender is a major factor. The gender roles women play is inferior to men and the society they live in. While on the other hand men run the society and ultimately have the last say in things.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/18/23
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