Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing in movie form is currently playing at the Mariemont Theatre on Cincinnati’s eastside.
I have seen the play, at Cincinnati Shakespeare, as a farce, with doors opening and closing, lots of movement and laughter.
Not much like this film, which was very interesting. Sort of 1930s clothes, but set in a mansion and in a wealthy neighborhood in perhaps Britain, with modern day cars. Shakespeare’s original language is used throughout.
I saw much more the sadness, the class differences, the roles of the women, the sexism. Even Hero’s father is ready to believe the tripe about her soiled virtue. And of course the whole virtue thing is all about the patriarchy anyway.
Benedick and Beatrice were much more fun, not loving each other, and then loving each other. But surely the very bright Beatrice would be better off running the country than running the household, which will likely be her job once she’s married. The glass ceiling was even thicker and harder at that point.
Be that as it may – I actually ‘got’ the play this time, in all it’s varied intensities. And it was really fun, as well.