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Why is this message board so unoccupied?

posted 15 years ago by balthazar_bee
4 replies | jump to latest

This film is a terrifying masterpiece. It may be unblinkingly harsh, but it deserves more love.

I made the mistake of watching it when I was bone-tired last weekend. I awoke in terror as Gloucester's eyes were put out. Eee.

Been listening to the most recent audio recording of the late Paul Scofield's Lear lately (the one with Branagh as the Fool), and it's well worth checking out as well. Just the way he exclaims, "Reason not the neeeeeeeeeeed!" is enough to drop my jaw.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] balthazar_bee 15 years ago

Unfortunately Cordelia doesn't make much of an impression with most of her lines cut. You don't really understand her reasoning for refusing to flatter her father.

I guess that's a fair point. I felt Cordelia's removed lines actually made her character a bit more sympathetic, since her crime is silence anyway. Also, most of us are so familiar with the play anyway that we understand issues of motivation and interior conflict without hearing about them directly. This might be considered a cheat, and I'm sure Brook would hate people to think he used cultural familiarity with the play as a crutch for his film, but that's the way it played for me.

[–] bradjanet 14 years ago

The photography is superb, the approach by director Brook, like all his work, is never less than interesting and Irene Worth's Goneril is terrific ... that said, I can't stand Scofield's Lear ... many praise this actor for his cool restraint ... I find him limited, irritating and dull in just about everything I've seen him in.

But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.

[–] bradjanet 14 years ago

PS: I will make exceptions for his roles in "A Delicate Balance"and "Martin Chuzzlewit", which were particularly suited to him.

But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.