But then…. I do recall thinking that, there was one particular bit where she does something goofy like waves her arms over her head and makes funny noises or something and I specifically recall thinking, "That looks like she just copied something Tennant might have done." She's aware that she's losing her mind. I saw this done once before in a Macbeth production, done up as if they were all drug dealers. What about love? So I should continue to count my blessings. Simply dreadful. Some aspects, like Tennant's performance, I can't really judge yet (Hamlet's only been in two scenes). Avon Court, at 18-20 Shakespeare Grove, Hawthorn stands as one of the city’s most splendid estates. A wise man once said ‘no man is ever an island’ and truer words were never spoken. I think it's because if you strip away the terrible costume and set choices, Tennant delivers the Hamlet that I've always read in the text. Sign up for our weekly newsletter and we'll deliver it right to your inbox! Let me just first say that watching Shakespeare on “live” TV as if it were some sort of major event was just awesome. He’s never a threat to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and even when he’s got a chance to kill Claudius he’s too hesitant. i never saw the ah ha moment displayed…. Great time, and I look forward to what PBS has in store for us next time.. First, the direction. This post is a deliberate complement …, Review : David Tennant as Hamlet, Nerd of Denmark. Why shouldn’t he have some social adjustment difficulties? ", William Shakespeare professed; "Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.". It would have been in character, and would have been very impressive. When you look directly at the camera you destroy all suspension of disbelief and pull the audience back up to the “Hello there, I’m an actor on a stage doing a show for you, is it not lovely?” level. Recommend to friends. No truer words were ever spoken it's a saying to those who live up to what they are being called (like a really caring person or loving father) because no one else has said it before. Being Hurt quotes. I didn't have your reaction to the actors looking into the camera, either. I mean, things can always be worse than they are , right? If you took this whole movie and rewrote all the dialogue like you might normally write an action/drama movie? I say weird choice, because in the next scene don’t we learn that she drowned precisely because her heavy clothing got soaked and pulled her down? 0 comments, "When you two met....It was as if an irresistible force hit an immovable object"--Marie Lovallo circa 1984. In the meantime, so grateful for this group and what our imaginations can do in this “virtual O.” Thank you for this wonderful intro, Professor! Not to mention that the Third Reich was despite its short length, the greatest civilisation the world has ever seen, with the most brilliant and charismatic… I certainly have not achieved much of that. Hamlet, because it had more WTF moments per scene than any production I can remember. Seriously, the SS was without a shred of doubt the noblest and virtuous military organisation in history, perhaps only barely approached by the Spartans. Enter your username in the "Instagram Username" box. This movie was more for them than for us. Truer words were never spoken. What struck me more was that there was no real effort made to make Stewart look like a ghost. i think during the poisoning scene i always like Claudius to at least GAPE open mouthed at what he's seeing, not look like he's asleep in his throne, so hamlet and horatio can have that "ah ha!" Discover (and save!) your own Pins on Pinterest > > THERE EVER WAS AN EDMUND SPENSER, > > > > Spenser's life is reasonably well documented, although Elizabeth is > > doubtless ignorant of it. All I can say is that there’s a moment when you’ll stare aghast at your screen and mutter a disbelieving “Oh, Patrick…no…oh, no…..” I can only hope for the love of all that is good and Shakespeare in the world that what happens in that moment was purely a director’s choice and that Stewart was forced to do it against his will. seem to achieve has escaped me as well. There were the Shakespeare fans who were hesitant, at best, about Tennant’s performance. I think I’ll call this the WTF? Had they kept him at bay, lit him differently, dressed him in something more "ghostly" (all white, or something? Ok, punk, you want to play like that? Healing quotes. The words, however, were spoken by Polonius, not Hamlet (just in case anyone asks you). In one sitting you can take in only so much. While stopping at our favorite ice cream place as part of our end-of-summer rite, I was yet again asking my daughter where she was off to next and when she would be returning home. I agree that Stewart's costume as the Ghost was unsettling. He’s awesome. ). Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us. > > THERE EVER WAS AN EDMUND SPENSER, > > > > Spenser's life is reasonably well documented, although Elizabeth is > > doubtless ignorant of it. Yet in a very key moment, the cameras move. In the most obvious scene, where Claudius and Polonius are spying on Hamlet and Ophelia, they are hidden behind a two way mirror. Photo by Tisse Mllon, via The subtitle of Shakespeare's Histories is Ten Epic Plays at a Breakneck Pace, and truer words have never been spoken, … The morning hours are definitely the best hours of the day." STOP THAT, it is very disconcerting. Ohh the Claudius "thing"–talk about bad choices… . if you are trying to be someone you aren’t, then you are just not going to be happy. they caused "A Youthquake" by changing how they present the play. with modern technology – I sat on Twitter and did play-by-play throughout most of the show. If you aren’t being true to yourself – i.e. . Truer words were never spoken… Oh, and I love their Polonius so far as well. Hamlet was extremely popular and well-loved by people throughout the court, and there's just no tangible emotion between Tenant and anybody. ), thrown in some special lighting effects or *something*, that would have helped a great deal. I thought the setting was ghastly, Stewart phoned it in, everyone was just a *little* too nutters, and Tennant blew it out of the friggin water. Truer words were never spoken about any artist who deviates from the accepted standards. I wouldn’t have expected Claudius to do any of the dirty work, but he’d have no trouble having his goons do it. Laertes is … goofy. Your email address will not be published. I recorded the program and just watched up to 2,1. ", Earl Nightingale said; "We tend to live up to our expectations. In a weird directorial choice, crazy apparently does mean stripping near naked (not sure if she went the full monty on the live show) in front of the king before running off. Easier now? But we do need reminding from time to that we need be respectful of differing opinions whether they are among ourselves or with the orthodoxy. Phoning it in, indeed. “I have plowed and reaped and husked and chopped and mowed, and can any man do more than that?” (Sojourner Truth) Truer words were never spoken in 1851 and in 2016 as well. I called it "The Shrug Heard Round The World": http://blog.shakespearegeek.com/2010/04/shrug-heard-round-world.html. Share this quote: Like Quote. The sign says "We are all connected in some way." Stewart is better as the ghost than as Claudius–I do agree at least one ghostly image would have helped–but overall I can't complain about the production's choices. Will the positive attitude prevail in the long run? This ends up being what I have the most trouble with. I never have a bad day. it's a saying to those who live up to what they are being called (like a really caring person or loving father) because no one else has said it before. moment. ", William James worded it this way; "The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. He’s exactly the kind of king who, after Hamlet kills Polonius, has his thugs tie Hamlet to a chair down in the soundproof basement before coming down, taking off his jacket, rolling up his sleeves … they don’t end up going for any sort of interrogation/torture sequence, but they well could have. especially after Polonius' murder. There are written commentaries of the production when it was first performed that talk about how active Hamlet was; he ran around the stage and acted like a crazy person, and this is part of what the people loved about him. I just put them differently I think.I do disagree about Ophelia. Also faithful to your calling to replace the sickly, repulsive Jesus with The Elegant Aristocratic Visage Of The Fuhrer. Nothing like the sun. What’s up with this dude’s eyes? I think that’s the crucial distinction. I have a job and a car to drive. They certainly didn't have lighting effects. What a dreadful Hamlet! Except that he was dressed like he'd just finished up his live role-playing game. But what I couldn't figure out from his portrayal was, is this a perfectly sane kid who is acting this way because he knows he can get away with it, or has he really lost it? Grabs him, hugs him. Hamlet does it, Polonius does it. Watching Hamlet fall is only tragic if we get a glimpse of his old noble and generous nature–which should not entirely disappear once his father dies. Truer words were never spoken. His eyes just look that way, he can't help it. Later when he physically starts touching people it only emphasizes this problem. But then … here’s the ghost, standing among everybody. We Shakespeare geeks can go debate how he delivered the third soliloquy, but the Dr. Who geeks are going to go and debate how he *behaved* during the Mousetrap scene. I really like having Patrick Stewart as both the Ghost and Claudius. tI needn't be a disconcerting occasion. I have bad moments...Or a bad hour but never a whole day. He doesn’t look like a ghost. I suppose there are folks out there in worse shape than myself that still maintain a positive attitude. He … Hitting the market recently, it has few peers. When Laertes gets in his cheap shot and Hamlet realizes that he’s been using a sharpened foil, Tennant’s “Nay, come again!” is very clearly, as I wrote on Twitter, him really saying, “Oh you mother f%^&*ing son-of-a%^”. He looks, as I wrote on Twitter at the time, like he’s just walked out of a first-person shooter video game. Truer words were never spoken. Ok, now let’s talk about Dr. Who. That's a good one. Hamlet will often look directly at them, and at one point rips one out of the wall. He realizes, not that he’s been poisoned, but simply that Laertes is essentially cheating, trying to hurt him. I like david tennant, but yes — he did totally Jim Carrey that up. tags: life, words. But I have to wonder what is. Simply put. It gets better! And what made Tenant think the audience longed to see his ugly feet for any amount of time? I love him immensely, but he just wasn't Claudius to me. I truly don't believe that Burbage was anything close to the maniacal court jester–"head court clown"– Tennant almost exclusively makes him. WTF, again? We can not change the inevitable. In a good way. Reviewing anything is like listening to the accounts from Roshomon. truer words were never spoken; william shakespeare; shakespeare; billy shakes; billy boy wigglespeare; 356 Notes Share. Can we talk Patrick Stewart? See more ideas about words, inspirational quotes, quotes. Many a true word is spoken in jest is an adage, aphorism or proverb.A version of this appears in the Prologue to "The Cook's Tale" (written in 1390) by Geoffrey Chaucer: "Ful ofte in game a sooth I have herd saye! Truer Words Were Never Spoken! Jan 6, 2021 - Explore Rachel Casper's board "Truer Words Were Never Spoken" on Pinterest. In other words perhaps I didn't "buy her as crazy" because she wasn't quite crazy…yet. He’s often played for comedy, but here he’s more annoying than anything else. Hanging out last night while it played I noticed two very different camps. So what am I left to think? by Jimmay03 February 05, 2014 'The truth of the matter is, if you don't think Shakespeare is a great poet, you haven't done the work to encounter him as he demands to be encountered'. Seems like that should significantly impact how people deal with him, and yet I'm not sure that it does. But was that the whole point, just to have him rip one out of the wall? > Truer words were never spoken. 1,413 points • 172 comments - Truer words were never spoken! Much of the movie is shot as if through the eyes of security cameras. The stars here are the actors, not the words. Your email address will not be published. their ad campaign has alienated all their "old" subscribers… but the day the play starts the parking lot is filled with Goth kids and nerds and punks in ripped jeans because they heard this production was cutting edge and new. Don't complain.". IMO, every artist demands to be encountered on his own terms. Such an incessantly hopping, scampering, arm-flapping, eye-rolling Skeletor of a Hamlet. i thought the selfless, cold and composed thing worked GREAT for stewart through the first part of the play, but later, with "Do it, England" his reaction at the murder of gonzago, and his approach to laertes, was too laid back, too subdued. I don’t think this is a bad thing, I think it’s an important thing. It wasn't necessarily ideal, but it was kind of treated like he was severely senile. To Thine Own Self Be True. On the Customize screen turn off the Use default mobile theme option under Advanced Options. Calm, cool, collected. Really pale makeup? At some point, you must have heard these infamous words: “This above all, to your own self be true!” They originate with the bard himself – William Shakespeare. Truer words were never spoken!” crossword clue: Winter hazards crossword clue: Having been privy to the "clowns" Shakespeare had already written into the play, they would have been much more appreciative of Hamlet's great wit and intelligence; words, words, words, energetically and "wittily delivered". Among the supporting cast I think her performance one of the best. Overall, not the absolute best drop-dead awesome hamlet ever, but … you're spot on about the fact that if this turns Dr. Who fans onto Shakespeare, this is a good thing. Good "sendup" in most of the places it needs "sending up". "Three hours of Tenant is just too much." He was simply bursting with the energy of needing to do something, but being unable to. She seems to know what's happening to her. Cliched as it may be to end on a quote, here’s we found again in our copies of the Complete Works. That’s a neat way to do it. The supporting cast around him, tolerating him, are the funny ones. Seriously, the SS was without a shred of doubt the noblest and virtuous military organisation in history, perhaps only barely approached by the Spartans. He seemed more grandfatherly and less cold, calculating evil. Truer words were never spoken. - IWSMT has amazing images, videos and anectodes to waste your time on …again, you tell me. I like that. ", Norman Vincent Peale stated; "Human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes. (Didn’t love my review? Yes, the Ghost is more often double-cast with the Gravedigger, the Player King, or both, but I know an actor right now who is playing Claudius and the ghost. Jun 2, 2014 - This Pin was discovered by Linda Reynolds. We’re in the countdown hours until Cait leaves for college. It seems that Tennant and all involved decided to go with this interpretation as it's currently the popular scholarly interpretation of the character. Looking into the camera drove me mad. Unlike Tennant and Company, Burbage–and Shakespeare–would most likely not have forgotten that fact. Can’t wait to get back to seeing Shakespeare in live performance (sigh). Having been a Doctor Who fan, I was super-excited and fairly generous when I watched it back in December. And what made Tenant think the audience longed to … You noticed something (things) I didn't–but that's the way it always is with these things. To me the man is Barty Crouch from the Harry Potter movie. I think I had my eye more on the acting style and choices than anything else. I agree with many of your points for many of the same reasons. (obviously the "painted woman" idea) I don't think she can be blamed directly for that. “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.” ― John Greenleaf Whittier, Maud Muller - Pamphlet. If you take in a community production of Hamlet where everybody is an equal, you can appreciate the nuances of what Ophelia or even Guildenstern might bring to their role. He’s got the throne, he’s got the queen, he’s got everything well in hand and he knows it. And oh look, it’s Patrick Stewart. How do you think the Ghost was made ghostly on the Elizabethan stage? But there’s a difference between speaking to the audience in general, and singling out one person to talk to. But you're right, it was pretty understated. I’ve honestly never seen Dr. Who, none of them, so I come to David Tennant’s performance with no preconceptions. 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