He may not be handsome - he has no lips. But boy is Branagh wonderful. I think the first movie of his I ever saw was Henry V. At the time I didn't get it, but I loved the rendition of Non Nobis at the end of the movie. After viewing it a few more times I began to get it.
Three things make it a great movie in my mind, the battle (which was very realistic and I think inspired many period battle scenes that came after it), Non Nobis, and Branagh's presentation of the St Crispen's day speech. I would go to battle after hearing Branagh rally the troops in that fashion.
I still enjoy his movie Dead Again. I saw Hamlet twice in the theater. Did you know you cannot by it on DVD?
I know some scorned his handling of Love's Labour's Lost but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Friday night, we watched As You Like It. It is still with me. It is good when a movie sticks with you.
Someday I will have to write about Shakespeare and the incredible ability of his writing to stretch credulity but still be among the most captivating works in the English Language.
But not tonight. I would love to hear what you think of Branagh or Shakespeare.
I am a big fan of Kenneth Branaugh. I was devastated when I found out that he and Emma Thompson divorced (and I am not one to follow celebrity divorces and all that.) He actually looks a lot like my husband from the nose down. :) No lips and all, and now that he has the extra bit of chin he REALLY looks like him. I never even realized before. I still LOVE Much Ado About Nothing (I taped it off WQED way back and still watch it occasionally.) I didn't know As You Like It was out. (I don't keep up very well). Must see!
ReplyDeleteI didn't write about it but I felt the same way. I am not a big follower of star happenings - most of what I know I know is gleaned from headlines at the magazine rack near the checkout lines but I too was very disappointed when they separated.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't know about the movie either...it has been out for awhile. My husband brings cds to listen to at work and he was listening to Love's Labors Lost recently and decided to Google Branagh and see if he had any movies that we had missed.
When he found As You Like It he put it at the top of our Netflix queue without telling me.
I like Kenneth Branaugh.
ReplyDeleteI have tried to like Shakespeare, I really truly have, but I don't.
Much of what I have SEEN I've enjoyed greatly, but whenever I try to read it, I just do not like it.
Thankfully, I was able instill a love of him in my oldest son.
He is a PERFECT Hamlet!
ReplyDeleteUm, I know NOTHING about actors at all. So unfortunuatly, I cannot comment too much except to say that I know the name.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading Shakespeare in High School, but that was only because I had the rest of the class and the teacher to tell me what was going on! :)
Actually, I think what ruined it for me was reading aloud the Charles Lamb (i think that's the name) story book version.
ReplyDeleteThe same stories that caused my son to love it.
Weird.