The new 2005 BBC series of updated modern-language Shakespeare TV movies is currently being shown Wednesday nights on Danish television. I missed one or two, but I caught Macbeth, which didn't impress me terribly, and last night they showed Much Abo About Nothing. This was a lot better than the Macbeth installment. It managed to maintain most of the structure of the original play, while changing some things (including significant parts of the ending) to keep it simpler and fresh. It was nowhere near the quality of a genuine Shakespeare play, although the acting certainly wasn't bad. Billie Piper's Hero impressed particularly, whereas I was not too taken with the actress portraying Beatrice. Benedick and Claude were played by types who reminded a lot - almost too much - of the Branagh movie's equivalents, but as I am a huge fan of Branagh's movie, this is not something that annoys me.
This version did have some shortcomings, such as a much too small role for Peter (Don Pedro), and, of course, the lack of the original Bard text, and I also felt it was more interested in being entertaining than in being any kind of complex literary comedy. But while the Macbeth episode of this series seemed contrived and simplified to the point of massive dilution, the Much Ado episode worked far better,despite being a very straight (and, again, simplified) version of the original. It seemed to me like it had been immensely easy to write; nothing much more than rephrasing parts of the Shakespeare dialog into modern language and changing the setting. Still, it was done with remarkable flair. Certainly Shakespeare Lite at the end of the day, but not bad at all.
7 out of 10.
Next Wednesday it's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
This version did have some shortcomings, such as a much too small role for Peter (Don Pedro), and, of course, the lack of the original Bard text, and I also felt it was more interested in being entertaining than in being any kind of complex literary comedy. But while the Macbeth episode of this series seemed contrived and simplified to the point of massive dilution, the Much Ado episode worked far better,despite being a very straight (and, again, simplified) version of the original. It seemed to me like it had been immensely easy to write; nothing much more than rephrasing parts of the Shakespeare dialog into modern language and changing the setting. Still, it was done with remarkable flair. Certainly Shakespeare Lite at the end of the day, but not bad at all.
7 out of 10.
Next Wednesday it's A Midsummer Night's Dream.