Much Ado About Nothing Movie Review
Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves,
Robert Sean Leonard, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Briers, Brian Blessed,
Michael Keaton, Ben Elton
Running Time: 1hr 5mins
Introduction
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If you're studying the Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing, be
sure to watch Kenneth Branagh's interpretation of this play. This film
will provide you with an enhanced understanding of the play. Although,
it is misleading at times, this version of the play will keep you
fully entertained for the full 111 minutes and provide you with extra
knowledge of the play.
Casting
The majority of the cast was well selected, and the actors lived up to
expectations.
Denzel Washington played Don Pedro well. He looked noble and therefore
suited the part of Don Pedro. Kenneth Branagh made a super decision in
casting an African American as Don Pedro. The illegitimacy is more
obvious when one of the princes is 'black' and the other is 'white.'
However, I feel that Keanu Reeves is not suitable to play the part of
Don John. In another version of Much Ado About Nothing, the actor cast
as Don John was much older and less handsome, which made him appear
more of a villain and I feel, for this reason, he succeeded in playing
the role of Don John. I think that Keanu Reeves is inappropriate to
play this role because the audience does not immediately recognise him
as a villain. Keanu Reeves normally plays the part of the hero; the
person that does the good deeds; the one who attracts the women, which
provides him with a false image at the beginning of the play. It's
imp...
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... to the subject of the play, deception. It also
builds on Beatrice's character. Beatrice reads the poem with emotion,
which implies that Beatrice, herself, has once been deceived.
Slow motion is used at the beginning of the play, when the soldiers
are riding up to the villa. This focuses on them and makes their
return seem really significant. The soldiers return as war heroes and
by filming their return in slow motion, it really demonstrates that to
the audience.
When Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato deceive Benedick about Beatrice's
intentions for him, it isn't as serious as it is supposed to be. In
the play, Shakespeare wrote the deception scene to be serious, but in
the film, Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato treat it as a joke. They
shout to each other and smirk a lot, which removes the seriousness of
the scene.
On November 17th approximately 30 people and I congregated to the OSU College of Nursing to watch The Anonymous People, a documentary film about American’s who are living in long-term recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction. The film addressed the stigma related to alcoholics and drug addicts, including their experiences to the track of recovery. Applicable to what we have discussed in class, I was able to understand more into the healthcare stigma and healthcare disparities that people around us deal with daily. The eye opening video provided an example into the lives of people, famous or not, being mistreated and judged due to their life choices. As a group frequently misunderstood, the film tries to teach the audience to a new view
Much Ado About Nothing. The Riverside Shakespeare, 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997. 366-398.
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Don John plays an essential role for nearly all of the trickery and deception in this play. He acts like a catalyst and an instigator for trouble, whose sole aim is to marmalize the love and happiness between Claudio and Hero. Shakespeare uses foreshadowing of Don John’s villainy to display the trickery and deception: ’It better fits my blood to be distained of all than to fashion a carriage to rob love from any, in this, though I cannot be said to be a flattering honest man, it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain. I am trusted with a muzzle and enfranchized with a clog: therefore I have decreed not to sing in my cage. If I had my mouth, I would bite, if I had my liberty, I would do my liking.
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"Much Ado About Nothing: Entire Play." Much Ado About Nothing: Entire Play. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. .
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Throughout, the play, Much Ado About Nothing, the characters within the play constantly degrade Don John to less than a human, because of his illegitimacy. These people treat him inferior to themselves, which in response makes Don John provoke chaos.
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Reelviews review of the film describes the life and vitality of the play as amazing. The majority of this vitality and energy within the play exudes from Thompson and Branaghs sparkling duet. Packed full of passion and charisma they capture the essence of Shakespeare’s original words and deliver a terrific performance onto the silver screen. Between the two they successfully convey the huge amount of chemistry between them onto the screen, undoubtedly leaving any onlooker with a smile on their face. Beatrice and Benedicks developing relationship is such a joy to watch throughout the play. Not only has Branagh successfully kept the comedic value of the original play intact, but also cemented a spectacular romantic one throughout. Word count: 495