LOVE’S LABOURS LOST
UK, 1999, 94 minutes, Colour.
Kenneth Branagh, Nathan Lane, Adrian Lester, Matthew Lillard, Natascha Mc Elhone, Alessandra Nuvola, Alicia Silverstone, Timothy Spall, Richard Briers, Richard Clifford, Carman Ejogo, Daniel Hill, Geraldine Mc Ewan, Emily Mortimer, Stefania Rocca, Jimmy Yuill.
Directed by Kenneth Branagh.
Love’s Labours Lost is not one of the best known or best liked of Shakespeare’s plays. Branagh has pared the text to a bare minimum – and added a lot of his own material. He has used the device of setting the play in the 1930s, before the outbreak of World War Two and then continuing through the war to the post-war period. To this purpose he uses the device of using newsreel style to comment on the behaviour of the central characters, to advance the plot, to illustrate them with a slightly comic and ironic touch. This actually works quite well and is used right throughout the film to introduce the characters, their vow to keep away from women and study for three years, the arrival of the women at the court, their treatment, the devices used to change their plan with their oath, the outbreak of World War Two, war heroics and the aftermath.
He also makes it the equivalent of a 1930s musical using the following songs: ‘Charleston’, ‘I Won’t Dance’, ‘I Get a Kick Out of You’, ‘Anything Fancy’, ‘Just the Way You Look Tonight’, ‘Dancing Cheek to Cheek’, ‘Let’s Face the Music and Dance’, ‘ There’s No Business Like Show Business’ and ‘They Can’t Take That Away From Me’. The main actors are not singers or dancers but carry off the pastiche of the Rogers- Astaire style musical quite well – with a touch of the Busby Berkeleys. Timothy Spaull is outstanding especially with his song, Cole Porter’s ‘I Get a Kick Out of You’.
Kenneth Branagh is older than the other leads. They are played by Alessandra Nuvola, Adrian Lester and, surprisingly given all his thrillers and Scooby Doo-type films, Matthew Lillard. Lillard is not quite persuasive. Alicia Silverstone is the surprising lead as the Princess of France and is supported well by Natascha Mc Elhone, Emily Mortimer and Carmen Ejogo. There is amusing support given by Geraldine Mc Ewan and Richard Briers. Nathan Lane is very amusing as Costard and gets the big number, ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’.
Branagh started directing film versions of Shakespeare with his 1989 Henry V. He followed it up with Much Ado About Nothing in 1993 and his four-hour Hamlet in 1996. 2006 saw his As You Like It.
1.Kenneth Branagh and his love for Shakespeare, bringing Shakespeare to the screen? Working with the text, abbreviating it? Themes of creativity, words and images?
2.The text itself, Shakespeare’s poetry? Sufficient to introduce the characters, the situation of the study, the oath? Falling in love, breaking the oath? Romance? The wry tone to the film – with such characters as Costard and with Timothy Spaull’s Don Armado?
3.The text itself, the verse, the images, the characters – and the 30s songs tying in with Shakespeare’s text?
4.The use of newsreel clips and styles, the happy chappie kind of commentary, the rhetorical questions, the irony? The visuals, the black and white photography? 1939, the king and his oath, the men, laughing, trying to live up to their vow? The later sequences of the women’s arriving, the party? The editorial wit of the commentary? Recreating the 30s?
5.The war experience, the black and white photography, the collage, aerial battles, the nurses, the overview, the personal stories, the invasion, imprisonment, heroics, the victory and the enjoyment of the liberation of France?
6.The range of songs, the choice, the composers, the insertion of the songs, the dances, the Rogers-Astaire? style, the Busby Berkeley style? The capacity of the cast to sing and dance? The sensuous song at the party? What did they add to the story? Don Armado’s song, Costard?
7.The strength of the cast, their acting abilities, singing and dancing, acrobatics? The American twang given to the film?
8.The credibility of the basic plot: the king, the oath, the discussions, the eager students, Berowne and his hesitation, his joining in? The strictness of the oath? The realisation how strict it was? Their attempts to study, philosophy and discussion? The assistance of Holofernea and Nathaniel? The arrival of the princess and her entourage? Receiving them, the decision to leave them outside? The photos, in the library and their catching each other breaking their vow? The change? The wooing? The dances, the party, the tricks and the changing identities with the masks? All ending well? The news of the death of the King of France?
9.The King of Navarre as a character, the touch of farce in the presentation of a monarch? The other men, their personalities? Berowne and his more melancholy tone, his age and experience over the others?
10.Holofernea, her being a tutor, the song-and-dance routines, her pipe? Sir Nathaniel, the cleric? Their age, chatter, wooing? Singing? Their participation in the war effort?
11.Costard, Nathan Lane’s style, comic, magician? Prison, mixing up the letters? The jokes, redeeming himself? ‘There’s No Business Like Show Business’?
12.Don Armado, his look, dress, voice, accent? His dull assistant? The police? His wooing? Maria, tall, her disdain? The song and the farcical aspects of Dull and the injuries, falling out of the plane etc? His relationship with Maria, her pregnancy? The war, prisoner – and the birth of the baby?
13.Maria and the jests, sexy style, the letter and the mistake, reporting to the king? Her relationship with Don Armado, the baby?
14.The princess, her personality, leadership? The other three women? The visit, in the camp, attraction, love? The deceit with the masks? The dance? The news of the death of the king? Nursing for the war effort?
15.Boyet, his role, the chaperon, overhearing conversations, rectifying everything?
16.Shakespeare and the romantic ending with all’s well that ends well?
