Carol

Member: Rank 5
because it's a murder mystery, and the reveal is so unpredictable
I know Elliott, but so's Hamlet, really. The firs time you see it you don't know who's done what or whether there has been a murder, although it's been around a bit so the spoilers are well and truly out there. Same for Orient Express, I suppose.
 

Elliot Thomas

Member: Rank 3
I know Elliott, but so's Hamlet, really. The firs time you see it you don't know who's done what or whether there has been a murder, although it's been around a bit so the spoilers are well and truly out there. Same for Orient Express, I suppose.
Hmmm, I suppose. Hopefully they'll put a fresh spin on it and it's not starchy Oscar-bait.
 

Carol

Member: Rank 5
@Elliot Thomas
I'm banking on that for 2 reasons -
1. Dame Judi never did anything starchy in her life and I don't think she's about to start now
2. David Suchet's Orient Express was so different to the 70s film that the fact it had the same "who" what done it didn't matter - did you see that one?
 

chainsaw_metal1

Member: Rank 8
I have much to search for now. I have seen Tennant's version (I recorded it off of PBS), and loved him in the role. I also liked Sir Patrick as Claudius. Well acted, and the idea behind it was brilliant.

I have long wanted to stage my own take on the play, where it's set in feudal Japan. Alas, I don't know that it would transpose well. But Kurosawa did a take on King Leer, so maybe...
 

Carol

Member: Rank 5
set in feudal Japan.
A very long time ago there was a Japanese festival in the City of London, which included a kabuki version of Hamlet. Turns out the traditional Japanese translation of the play takes a few liberties with Shakespeare's actual plot.
The visual spectacle was amazing - exaggerated kimonos a-go-go, musicians giving it their all, black-clad stage managers flitting around, adjusting sleeves and trains, passing fans and being generally "invisible" (the REAL ninjas)... all male cast, featuring a very versatile actor playing Hamlet, doubling Laertes, trebling Ophelia.
(This works, because in feudal samurai Japanese thinking, a mere girl wouldn't give lip to her royal boyfriend OR brother, so they never shared any scenes)
Gertrude (a sturdy bloke, could go a few rounds with Brian Blessed any time), matt white face makeup and more mascara than a love-sick panda, threw me into total confusion near the end by uttering a speech of many lines, many, MANY lines (nothing like it in Shakespeare where the queen is a bint of modest utterance). Turns out in the classical Japanese translation they were using, Gertrude done the murder and was confessing at length. (No respectable samurai prince would dream of poisoning his brother when lopping bits off with serious cutlery is the preferred option.)
The friend I went with and I gave ourselves over to hearty kebabs and Strong Drink till late at night to recover from all this.
Feudal Japan has a lot to answer for.
 

Elliot Thomas

Member: Rank 3
@Elliot Thomas
I'm banking on that for 2 reasons -
1. Dame Judi never did anything starchy in her life and I don't think she's about to start now
2. David Suchet's Orient Express was so different to the 70s film that the fact it had the same "who" what done it didn't matter - did you see that one?
I don't really watch much TV or any TV movies (apart from a few of the outstanding shows). I just stick to film. Have to draw the line somewhere!!:emoji_nerd:
 

chainsaw_metal1

Member: Rank 8
A very long time ago there was a Japanese festival in the City of London, which included a kabuki version of Hamlet. Turns out the traditional Japanese translation of the play takes a few liberties with Shakespeare's actual plot.
The visual spectacle was amazing - exaggerated kimonos a-go-go, musicians giving it their all, black-clad stage managers flitting around, adjusting sleeves and trains, passing fans and being generally "invisible" (the REAL ninjas)... all male cast, featuring a very versatile actor playing Hamlet, doubling Laertes, trebling Ophelia.
(This works, because in feudal samurai Japanese thinking, a mere girl wouldn't give lip to her royal boyfriend OR brother, so they never shared any scenes)
Gertrude (a sturdy bloke, could go a few rounds with Brian Blessed any time), matt white face makeup and more mascara than a love-sick panda, threw me into total confusion near the end by uttering a speech of many lines, many, MANY lines (nothing like it in Shakespeare where the queen is a bint of modest utterance). Turns out in the classical Japanese translation they were using, Gertrude done the murder and was confessing at length. (No respectable samurai prince would dream of poisoning his brother when lopping bits off with serious cutlery is the preferred option.)
The friend I went with and I gave ourselves over to hearty kebabs and Strong Drink till late at night to recover from all this.
Feudal Japan has a lot to answer for.
Oh, how I wish I had seen this! It sounds incredible! And as for strong drink, I imagine the mix of Shakespeare and Japan would be a caustic blend where mead is made with sake. Which may or may not be either drunk or used as a cleanser.
 
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