On Shakespeare and SCAdian what-have-you
So, my sister and I just watched Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet, y'know, with Leonardo DiCaprio in it and all that. And yeah, he's really pretty silly, but my sister and I were have a conversation about scariness among the Montagues and Capulets. She said that the Capulets seem to be more violent and scary than the Montagues, and while I agree that the Capulets and Tybalt especially are more violent, in the original play, the Montagues are very nearly as terrifying as the Capulets. Tybalt is the worst of the lot, but Romeo's father was bad in his day, because he tries to join the young men fighting. Romeo, pre-Rosaline and then Juliet, was probably about near Tybalt's level of insanity, because anything Romeo throws himself into, he commits everything he has. Mercutio and Romeo's friendship means that they probably both went at things, and Mercutio was probably about Romeo's equal or better at everything. Benvolio isn't too smart, but he's tough and probably just under Romeo's level. And the first scene, the biting of the thumb, while interestingly played in Luhrmann's version, I thought wasn't the original intent. I think that the Montague retainers are mocking the Capulets in cool dignity, not in scared bravado. Well, at least as much cool dignity as two of the characters for the pit can have. Still, they mock the Capulets into action, and are willing to enter into violence with the entry of Benvolio. Well, I just realised that the entire first scene of Luhrmann's version is the mirror image of the real version. Which means that this is a stupid discussion. Ah well, at least I find this entertaining... In other R&J news, I find the need of all directors to include that sex scene kinda annoying. Sure, they're married and it's appropriate, but it's their night, not the audience's. To include it transforms something good into something voyeuristic. I guess I'm just a bit old-fashioned like that.
And to change the subject entirely, I also recently saw the recent Pride and Prejudice. Now, having seen most, if not all, of THE Pride and Prejudice, I was entertained by certain aspects of the newer version. Ultimately, my sister and I decided that the more recent version has better cinematography, while the older captures the details better. Still, the newer captured the feeling fairly well. Coren, you'll appreciate this: Jane Bennett is played by an actress by the name of "Rosamund Pike." I think that they should do another Chaucer story for a movie and cast her in it. Oh, and Kiera Knightley is one of the few actresses who I will call truly attractive, mostly because I think she's really beautiful, and I generally won't call someone I don't know attractive if there's not some feature that particularly attracts me. (It's the smile.) Oh, Natalie Portman is another..
And in yet another drastic change of subject, I've been getting back into the proper mode of physical abuse that Medieval style combat is. I've been going to my local SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) fight practices, and getting badly bruised, and this past weekend I went to Quest, which was fun. I've been beaten upon by loads of people and now have lovely matching bruises of a deep purple on each leg. Mmmm boy! But the tournament at Quest went well, because even though I fought six squires, I won twice. And a lot of the fights that I lost, the squires were impressed by how I did fight. And later, in Hurling, I really tore up the pitch. It's the joys of being young, in reasonably good shape, moderately fast, and practicing once a week or so. Hopefully, by the time Pennsic rolls around, I'll be able to sprint for the length of a match.
Lastly, I love Edward Lear/Edmund Gorey/Tim Burtonesque Victorian Gothic noir weirdness. Oh, and really horrible black humour. Go watch Kind Hearts and Coronets if you want to know what I mean.
And to change the subject entirely, I also recently saw the recent Pride and Prejudice. Now, having seen most, if not all, of THE Pride and Prejudice, I was entertained by certain aspects of the newer version. Ultimately, my sister and I decided that the more recent version has better cinematography, while the older captures the details better. Still, the newer captured the feeling fairly well. Coren, you'll appreciate this: Jane Bennett is played by an actress by the name of "Rosamund Pike." I think that they should do another Chaucer story for a movie and cast her in it. Oh, and Kiera Knightley is one of the few actresses who I will call truly attractive, mostly because I think she's really beautiful, and I generally won't call someone I don't know attractive if there's not some feature that particularly attracts me. (It's the smile.) Oh, Natalie Portman is another..
And in yet another drastic change of subject, I've been getting back into the proper mode of physical abuse that Medieval style combat is. I've been going to my local SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) fight practices, and getting badly bruised, and this past weekend I went to Quest, which was fun. I've been beaten upon by loads of people and now have lovely matching bruises of a deep purple on each leg. Mmmm boy! But the tournament at Quest went well, because even though I fought six squires, I won twice. And a lot of the fights that I lost, the squires were impressed by how I did fight. And later, in Hurling, I really tore up the pitch. It's the joys of being young, in reasonably good shape, moderately fast, and practicing once a week or so. Hopefully, by the time Pennsic rolls around, I'll be able to sprint for the length of a match.
Lastly, I love Edward Lear/Edmund Gorey/Tim Burtonesque Victorian Gothic noir weirdness. Oh, and really horrible black humour. Go watch Kind Hearts and Coronets if you want to know what I mean.