In love with Shakespeare

Rating: 10/10 (15 May 2010)

Love. Inspiration. Wit. Beauty. Poetry. Adventure. Tragedy. And above all, passion.
Such is the makeup of Shakespeare in Love, an incredible film written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard and directed by John Madden. This film follows the story of William Shakespeare, a lowly playwright struggling to buy a share in the Chamberlain's Men. Will Shakespeare, as played by the perfectly-cast Joseph Fiennes, is portrayed in a refreshing new way. History's greatest dramatist and most famous playwright is brought to a surprisingly human level, allowing a connection with his audience that most have never felt. The Bard himself, William Shakespeare, poor and with a bad case of writer's block? William Shakespeare, underestimated and relatively undesired as a writer? Incomprehensible. Yet such is Will's lot in life, at least until his patron, Phillip Henslowe, begs him to write a play to help Henslowe out of debt. Will has talked of a play called "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter," and Henslowe demands he finish it. Yet Will has not even begun it, and cannot until he finds his muse, his Aphrodite, his inspiration.
Joseph Fiennes plays the Bard with such aplomb, such passion, such humanity, that he is instantly understandable to even the most Shakespeare-wary audience member. And to die-hard Shakespeare fans such as myself, to see the Bard in action makes it all the more real. The plays, the wit, the writing itself. Fiennes depicts a Shakespeare that no one ever thought of - poor, uninspired - and yet never for one moment do we doubt his zeal for words, for love, and his ability to weave his passion and love right into his words.
Gwyneth Paltrow. Simply saying the name leaves me speechless. Her role as Viola de Lessops, and within the movie, as both Romeo and Juliet, is simply astounding. She won the 1999 Oscar for Best Actress, and there was never any doubt that she would. From her first close-up, her radiant beauty is breathtaking, and her fervor for poetry transfers from her character to her audience. Lady Viola is first seen attending one of Shakespeare's plays, whom she of course reveres. Being a wealthy and beautiful young lady, she immediately attracts the attention of the priggish Lord Wessex (Colin Firth, in a hilarious role as the inept villain), who needs her father's money to pay off his debts. Wessex's attempt at poetry consists of saying it was her eyes that made him decide to marry her - no, it was her lips. Yet, as Viola so aptly says, "All the men at court are without poetry. If they see me they see my father's fortune. I will have poetry in my life. And adventure. And love. Love, above all. Not the art form, postures of love. But love that overthrows life. Unbiddable, ungovernable, like a riot in the heart with nothing to be done come ruin or rapture! Love as there has never been in a play." (Paltrow's delivery of said line is reason enough to see this movie! AMAZING!!!)
Enter Will Shakespeare! A chance meeting at her father's mansion has the two immediately in love (although Viola already loved the persona of Shakespeare, through his plays), and thus a passionate affair ensues. Will is inspired by Viola's beauty and ability to take his words and bring them to life; thus, he begins his play, Romeo and Juliet. The play mirrors the lovers' circumstances â€“ star-crossed lovers forced apart by their society after only a short, passionate time together. Viola longs to be an actor, but as women were barred from the stage, she must act under the disguise of Thomas Kent. She is cast as Romeo in Will's play, and goes through rehearsals until she is discovered as a woman, and the play is closed. At the last minute, Shakespeare is offered a new theater, and the play reopens, however as Viola was playing Romeo, Will must take over the role. Then, after the play has already begun, the boy playing Juliet experiences the voice change of puberty, and Viola must take the stage as Juliet to Will's Romeo. Their passion and love for one another and for beauty and poetry allow them to play their roles as we the modern audience have never seen before. Yet, Viola has already married Wessex, as Queen Elizabeth (the incredible Judi Dench) has commanded of her. So their performance, while it wins a wager Will had made that a play could truly capture the essence of love, mirrors their own lives, and is their farewell to each other. As even a Queen cannot break a lawful marriage, Viola and Shakespeare part, never to see each other again, and Shakespeare immortalizes Viola in his next play, Twelfth Night.
I promise that you have never seen such a beautiful period film, nor one with more passion, nor one with more beautiful words or performances. The costumes, makeup, sets, all are superb and very accurate to Elizabethan England. Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes are completely perfectly cast, and Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth is undeniably astounding. Geoffrey Rush, Tom Wilkinson, Ben Affleck (who manages to be decent AND funny in his small role as Ned Alleyn! Seriously!), Imelda Staunton and Rupert Everett simply excel at their parts, whether they bring comic relief, tension or mere dry humor to the script. See. This. Film. NOW! It is astounding, and it boasts breathtaking beauty in its sets, locations, actors, costumes, script and performances. It doesn't get any better than Shakespeare in Love.