Related News
Mirren stars in Tempest with a twist
Source: Agencies |
September 12, 2010, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
HELEN Mirren stars in a new movie version of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," but it comes with a twist as the Oscar-winning British actress takes on the male role of Prospero and becomes Prospera instead.
The reinterpretation of the play, which celebrates its 400th anniversary this year, was devised by director Julie Taymor, who shot it on the islands of Hawaii.
Some rewriting was necessary to make the character of Prospera work, particularly her back story according to which she becomes the widow and heir to the deceased Duke of Milan.
Like Prospero, she studied the alchemical arts, although as a woman she was forced to do so in secret. When she inherits the dukedom, her treacherous brother Antonio forces her aside by accusing her of witchcraft.
For Mirren, the gender switch changes the relationship between Prospero/Prospera and daughter Miranda, and adds a political dimension to the play with her banishment the direct result of being a woman in a male-dominated court.
"Women have been punished for being in power, for being powerful for many centuries and I thought that was the remarkable thing about making Prospero into Prospera," Mirren told reporters in Venice, where the movie closed the city's film festival yesterday.
"You can bring in that history of female struggle, and certainly in Shakespeare's day and for many centuries before and after women of knowledge were punished for that knowledge," the 65-year-old said.
"We can see now in the extreme fundamentalist states, whatever religion they are, that they want to exclude women from education ... because an educated woman is a dangerous thing."
Mirren said playing a Shakespearean role on screen demanded even greater command of the language than on stage. "I knew that if I wasn't utterly prepared, knowing it inside out, backwards, forwards, every which way, I was lost, because without that you can't think as you act," she said.
"You're just thinking about what the next line is and that had to be coming automatically, especially on film because the great advantage of film is that viewers can see the expression on your face and that really helps them understand what you're saying.
"That was incredibly important - that my face didn't express panic over not remembering my lines. So I learned it and it was the first time in my life I've ever done that."
The reinterpretation of the play, which celebrates its 400th anniversary this year, was devised by director Julie Taymor, who shot it on the islands of Hawaii.
Some rewriting was necessary to make the character of Prospera work, particularly her back story according to which she becomes the widow and heir to the deceased Duke of Milan.
Like Prospero, she studied the alchemical arts, although as a woman she was forced to do so in secret. When she inherits the dukedom, her treacherous brother Antonio forces her aside by accusing her of witchcraft.
For Mirren, the gender switch changes the relationship between Prospero/Prospera and daughter Miranda, and adds a political dimension to the play with her banishment the direct result of being a woman in a male-dominated court.
"Women have been punished for being in power, for being powerful for many centuries and I thought that was the remarkable thing about making Prospero into Prospera," Mirren told reporters in Venice, where the movie closed the city's film festival yesterday.
"You can bring in that history of female struggle, and certainly in Shakespeare's day and for many centuries before and after women of knowledge were punished for that knowledge," the 65-year-old said.
"We can see now in the extreme fundamentalist states, whatever religion they are, that they want to exclude women from education ... because an educated woman is a dangerous thing."
Mirren said playing a Shakespearean role on screen demanded even greater command of the language than on stage. "I knew that if I wasn't utterly prepared, knowing it inside out, backwards, forwards, every which way, I was lost, because without that you can't think as you act," she said.
"You're just thinking about what the next line is and that had to be coming automatically, especially on film because the great advantage of film is that viewers can see the expression on your face and that really helps them understand what you're saying.
"That was incredibly important - that my face didn't express panic over not remembering my lines. So I learned it and it was the first time in my life I've ever done that."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
