SHAKESPEARE IN FILMS sample essay

In this paper I would like to speak about genius of Shakespeare’s plays’ reflected in the films of twentieth century by two directors, who from the viewpoints of many critics have interpreted his ideas in best ways: an American producer Orson Welles, and an outstanding persona of the movie industry, the legend of Japanese cinema, Akira Kurosawa. I will discuss two movies cut by Welles: “Chimes at Midnight” and “Macbeth”, and a movie named “The Throne of Blood” by Akira Kurosawa. Both directors lived and worked during the same epoch. In spite of the fact that, from my viewpoint, life of Kurosawa, as a producer was more successful, then of Orson, their works are deservedly keeping the places of the best ones ever cut on the basis of Shakespeare’s plays.

Speaking about the works of these prominent people, I cannot leave out mentioning from time to time some facts concerning their lives, which certainly were influencing their career. Orson Welles was born on May 15, 1915 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA. His parents divorced when he was four years old, and by the time he reached age of twelve, both of them already died. Certainly, Welles’ childhood was not a piece of cake, but the difficulties that appeared in his life definitely have carved out his character. Having observed his father’s problems caused by alcohol, Orson obviously realized that the proper path to choose in life is the opposite from dad’s one.

Since early age Welles was good in literature, especially Shakespeare. He was very fond of theatre and gradually achieved his goals. Orson became both an actor and a movie director with the company named RKO. His first film “Citizen Kane” brought him and his company major success. Unfortunately, with his second movie Orson caused the company to run into major budget and production problems. Soon after that his theatre was expelled from the RKO. Since then his career never fully recovered, given that the trust for him was shaken.

Nevertheless, even with limited budgets that Welles could gather, he managed to create one of the major masterpieces based on Shakespeare, named “Chimes at Midnight”. This was the last of three movies (two others were Othello (1952) and Macbeth(1948)), which he cut based on Shakespeare, however, according to reviews of different critiques and responses of spectators, the best one out of them. For this film Welles was compared to Akira Kurosawa, and put among the best directors who had ever put Shakespeare on a big screen.

In this film, Welles himself plays Falstaff, one of the most exciting characters who appeared in five Shakespeare’s plays. About this character Orson spoke as of “perhaps the only purely good character Shakespeare ever wrote.” In this movie Orson masterly coped to interweave all five stories by Shakespeare, where we meet this character, to create a full story of Falstaff. No need to mention that the role was performed delightfully. In spite of the limited budget, the director managed to draw Sir John Gielgud as Henry IV, Jeanne Moreau as Doll Tearsheet, and Sir Ralph Richardson as a narrator in the movie. As a result, the world has received one of the best screen versions of Shakespeare’s talent.

Speaking about the first movie, “Macbeth”, which Welles made based on William Shakespeare, I cannot say that it was as successful as “Chimes of Midnight”. It was cut in 1948 with an extremely limited budget. Due to this fact, the scenery was not as splendid as would be desired by spectators. This film received a lot of criticism for it [scenery]. Welles had put “Macbeth” in the environment of harsh, barbaric, primitive rock-strewn landscape. From the film it sometimes seems that the characters live in caves. Film also got a lot of criticism for the style of costumes: the times which they belong to, as well as cultures, which they might come from are rather mixed up. This puts out the idea of what time-period the director actually desired to show.

When comparing “Macbeth” to Chimes at Midnight” and keeping in mind situation that Orson Welles was exposed to, it is quite easy to figure that first one was lacking many things, that were available for the last one. However this fact only proves a significant talent of a director, who was forced to make his way through difficulties on his own.

Furthermore, like in “Chimes at Midnight”, Welles plays a major part himself. Macbeth, performed by him seems to be very realistic. The consequence is reinforced due to the characteristic innocent face of Orson. This allowed him to achieve innocence and vulnerability, which is often left out about Macbeth by other producers. Unfortunately, simultaneously with the brilliant performance of Macbeth’s character, the nature and temperament of Lady Macbeth, presented by Jeanette Nolan was shown quite ineffective. Many were blaming it on her lack of experience on the stage. She was a radio actress and that was her first experience on the screen. Nolan was not a bad actress, yet in this film she was criticized for the lack of presence, which great Lady Macbeth definitely requires. Janette just did not transmit arch-manipulator of Shakespeare's Lady. Frankly speaking, even though this film definitely does deserve a place among fabulous screenings of Shakespeare, still from my viewpoint, the greatest screen variation of “Macbeth” was “The Throne of Blood” by Akira Kurosawa.

First of all I would like to give a brief overview of Kurosawa’s outstanding persona. Akira Kurosawa was born on March 23rd, 1910 in Tokyo. His father was a principal of a junior high school, and his mother came from the merchant Japanese family. After graduation from high school in 1928, in future worldwide famous movie director, wanted to become an artist and submitted the exam to enter an art school, but failed. However, during next several years, Akira’s paintings were accepted for different exhibitions.

The major step in his life Kurosawa made in 1936, when he applied for recruiting an assistant director of PCL and entered PCL. His first job was as the 3rd assistant director. However, talent and diligence made their job, and in 1943 he directed the first movie, "Sugata Sanshiro". After fourteen years of work, in 1957, the movie “Throne of Blood”, based on Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” was released. Kurosawa’s approach to it was totally different from the one of Welles. He moved the action from Scotland to feudal Japan, changed names, and added some features to the characters, leaving the plot unchanged. As a result, Akira created the best movie ever made on the basis of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”.

Stand in character for Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the movie, is Washizu (played by Toshiro Mifune), Lady Macbeth is represented by Lady Asaji (performed by Isuzu Yamada), the reflection of King Duncan is seen in the character of Kurosawa’s Miki. The name of the movie “the Throne of Blood” speaks for itself. As well as in Shakespeare’s work, in the movie we find that the manipulations of Lady Asaji toward her husband (as well as the ones on Lady Macbeth in the play), lead him toward the murder. Certainly, that is true that the movie makes more sense if the spectator is aware of the content of Shakespeare’s play. In this case it is easier to see the parallel of the betrayal, the paranoia, the madness and all the scheming that is taking part in the movie.

The feelings of the main characters are quite the same, even though we find some differences in behavior lines of some of them. For example, if Lady Macbeth is unhidden violent, Lady Washizu communicates her terrible desires in a thoroughly calculated, almost peaceful manner, with unflinching equanimity, which horrifies even more. As far as feelings of Macbeth and Washizu throughout the actions, there is a brilliant description of fear and inner conflict that Macbeth in the play, and further Washizu in the movie are experiencing because of the murders that they have committed in the name of their vainglory and blind struggle for power. Both characters are feeling guilt for the blood that is on their hands, which they are unable to wash away.

Yet, ever since the cinema was invented, people called movie directors were attempting to put their best effort into immortalizing most prominent pieces of world’s literature through the movies. Certainly it is always difficult to guess what would a genius, like Homer or Shakespeare propose to portray their thoughts the way that they meant it, however the effort should always be appreciated and valued, even if our own perception of the original masterpiece is different from the solution that was suggested by one or other director. I consider, that it should always be remembered that as the diamond reflects light in a million of colors, each great conception can be viewed from million of perspectives.

Works Cited:

1. Leibowitz, Gabe. “SPOILERS ABOUND!” Cinema Center. 2003. Aug. 3, 2005 retrieved from: http://www.ecinemacenter.com/throneofblood.html.

2. Brooke, Michael. “Macbeth” DVDTIMES. Aug. 3, 2005 retrieved from: http://dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=4635.

3. Anderson, Jeffery M. “Chimes at Midnight” Splice Do Online. Aug. 3, 2005 retrieved from: http://www.splicedonline.com/95andbefore/chimes_dvd.htm.
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