June
2002
Trenton
hosts royalty at the Main Library
By Dan Dodson
The royal court is the perfect backdrop for struggles over the
classic dramatic themes of power, love and family. June's movie
series, "Movies about the Royal Court" gives three examples
of unimaginable personal tragedy coupled with national consequence.
The schedule includes: Hamlet on June 6, Queen Christina
on June 20 and The Affair of the Necklace on June 27. All
dates are Thursdays with show times at 6:30 p.m. As always, you
may park the royal carriage in the library's side lot.
You must be crazy to play Hamlet
Most
people know Mel Gibson from Mad Max, Road Warrior, Braveheart
and Lethal Weapon, not Hamlet. Look at the common
theme in Gibson's career-making characters and you'll see a strain
of insanity resulting from unbearable tragic events. He has those
same twitchy eyes in Hamlet, the most famously tragic role
in English literature.
In this 1990 version of Hamlet, director Franco Zeffirelli
used none of the pop-devices in vogue at the time to make Shakespeare
more modern. Instead, he created a big-budget period set for his
big-budget cast. Joining Gibson are Glenn Close, who brings Fatal
Attraction attitude to the role of Gertrude, and Helena Bonham
Carter whose descent into madness makes Ophelia a poster child
for teen suicide.
Zeffirelli has directed more than his share of Shakespearean movies
including the all time classic, Romeo and Juliet (1968)
starring Olivia Hussey. Need I say more. I'm going out on a limb
and predicting that Gibson's Hamlet will set a similar standard
for accessibility.
Isn't it odd that Shakespeare, arguably the greatest communicator
in the English language, destroys his characters through miscommunication?
An intercepted letter here and an overheard conversation there,
turns an otherwise manageable court intrigue into the Danish monarchy's
downfall. Zeffirelli stresses this point by creating a sense of
isolation in the castle that gives a false sense of security.
We all know the story, but try putting yourself in Hamlet's or
Ophelia's place while you watch this film. Try it and see if you
don't leave the library with a touch of madness.
Queen Christina is a modern woman in a 17th century
world
Christina pushes Sweden towards a modern world filled with new
ideas and surging continental politics. However her nation's struggle
is a subtext to the story of the Queen's conflicted personal life.
Christina becomes queen at age 6 after the death of her beloved
father in a victorious battle. Christina grows up to be an able
ruler who often wears boy's clothes but nonetheless lives in her
father's shadow. Her court and subjects want her to marry Charles,
the war-hero cousin whom she doesn't love. In an anonymous chance
meeting she falls in love with the Spanish ambassador, only to
find that her people won't accept an international marriage.
Greta Garbo made this movie in 1933 and shows why even today she's
regarded as one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Her presence fills
the screen with glamour, intelligence and class. Though the film's
dialogue suffers from the stilted technique of the era, the powerful
performances and lush sets make Queen Christina a fairy
tale about social awakenings.
Russian born director Rouben Mamoulian's reputation as a maverick
perfectionist got him fired from several great films, such as
Cleopatra and Laura. Luckily, he was able to move
his experimental blending of sound and picture forward in Queen
Christina.
By 1933, World War I had forever changed the royal court and the
monarchies of Europe. Queen Christina is set symbolically
during the upheaval in seventeenth century Europe, a period characterized
by new universities and continental war. Christina is a populist
queen who reacts to the change with hopes of enlightening the
Swedish masses, also a popular sentiment during the depression
era. The conflict in Christina's life represents the pain of Sweden's
transformation to a modern society.
James Madison said what Queen Christina meant: "Knowledge
will forever govern ignorance: and a people who mean to be their
own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge
gives."
Trenton's recent political season has shown that knowledge is
lacking in local politics. Over the next four years, Trentonians
will do well to heed Christina's and Madison's admonishments and
arm themselves with knowledge of economics, history, the arts,
business and government.
The Affair of the Necklace is in the new release section
Series coordinator Maureen Neville's June 27 movie selection is
so new that the library might have it before Director's Video.
Affair of the Necklace is a romantic drama based on the
controversial true story of Jeanne De La Motte Valois, a countess
whose name was stripped from her by the Royal Family during the
late 18th Century. The story of her fight to restore her name
and proper place in society is filled with mystery, intrigue and
desire, with an infamous diamond necklace at the center of it
all.
Affair of the Necklace stars Hilary Swank and the great
Christopher Walken and is directed by Charles Shyer. I didn't
see the film in theatrical release so I haven't been able to review
it. That said, Mr. Shyer's previous credits include Father
of the Bride, Baby Boom and writing credit for Private
Benjamin and Happy Days; given these credits a period
piece starring Hillary Swank should be interesting.
What will Maureen say about these royal films
Maureen's pre-screening discussion could center on the TNT network
slogan, "We Know Drama." Each of the movies explores
the essence of drama proving that while all the world is a stage,
the royal court is center stage.
# # #
Dan Dodson can be reached at dan@livingonthenet.com
Dan
can be reached at dan@livingonthenet.com
