The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 17.0670 Tuesday, 18 July 2006
[1] From: John Crowley <
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Date: Friday, 14 Jul 2006 17:43:19 -0400
Subj: Brando's Hamlet
[2] From: Brian Willis <
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Date: Saturday, 15 Jul 2006 05:55:40 -0700 (PDT)
Subj: Re: SHK 17.0654 Depp, Brando, and Hamlet
[3] From: Charles Weinstein <
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Date: Saturday, 15 Jul 2006 10:35:12 -0400
Subj: Depp, etc.
[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: John Crowley <
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Date: Friday, 14 Jul 2006 17:43:19 -0400
Subject: Brando's Hamlet
>However, he lost
>much of his ability to captivate in roles that required an accent.
This is the standard criticism of Brando -- that he slurred, mumbled
etc. All you need to do is look at his Antony to see how wrong this is:
it may be the most convincing Shakespeare performance by an American
on film. His Hamlet on film is among the imaginary movies I regret most
not having. As for accents, look at some of his other performances and
notice how delicate and subtle is his care to reproduce accented (i. e.,
nonstandard American) accents: the Texan in "The Chase" or the
immigrant Italian in "The Godfather"; or the British imperialist in
"Burn!" or another Brit in "Mutiny on the Bounty". The mumble is one of
those myths that can take over an actor or writer or any public figure
that sticks in the public mind and can never be rooted out. It must
have irritated him hugely.
[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Brian Willis <
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Date: Saturday, 15 Jul 2006 05:55:40 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: 17.0654 Depp, Brando, and Hamlet
Comment: Re: SHK 17.0654 Depp, Brando, and Hamlet
Mike Shapiro writes: "However, he lost much of his ability to captivate
in roles that required an accent."
Does playing Hamlet require an accent? Danish? English? Why can't he
just enunciate clearly like he did in Mankiewicz's Caesar?
Interestingly enough, Brando is being projected here as a "tough-guy"
Hamlet, when the elements that astonish me most about his acting is his
remarkably intelligent and sensitive side. Even Stanley Kowlaski could
be sensitive to Stella, in an animalistic way, although only after being
threatened with losing her. And, in one of my very favorite films of all
time "On the Waterfront", the choices that affect me most are his
handling of the doves, the way he projects character through his
handling of Eva Marie Saint's glove while wooing her, the look of
wounded disappointment on his face as he pushes away Rod Steiger's gun
in the "contenda" scene, a gesture that surprised Steiger in that final
take (see the special features on the DVD). For all of the projections
of who Marlon was, and the image of Brando as initial sex symbol turned
into tough guy and later whacko, Marlon was a piercingly intelligent,
sensitive and compassionate human being and actor. Sounds like a great
Hamlet to me. We all know he was capable of the rage that Hamlet can
display. He also had whole sections of Shakespeare memorized that he
could recite at will, pulling out a Richard II quote in one of those few
interviews he actually gave. He would have been surprisingly good I think.
Johnny Depp reminds me of Marlon in many ways. Perhaps his role choices
are more quixotic than most of Marlon's (although, anybody seen
"Candy"?), but Johnny has that chameleonic quality and dedication that
could make him a surprisingly good Hamlet. My only question is: can he
handle the lines? If he can, I would love to see it, onstage or on film.
Brian Willis
[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Charles Weinstein <
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Date: Saturday, 15 Jul 2006 10:35:12 -0400
Subject: Depp, etc.
Would Johnny Depp make a good Hamlet? Well, that depends. Can he speak
the 400 year-old language with fluency, naturalness, ease,
understanding, wit, subtlety, nuance, freshness, liveliness and truth?
Or would he speak it as incompetently as DiCaprio, Pacino, Hawke, Reeves
and Jack Lemmon? As stiltedly as Kevin Kline, as monotonously as
Campbell Scott, or as uncomprehendingly as Mel Gibson? As callowly as
Branagh, as turgidly as Beale, or as inconsequentially as Antony Sher?
Could he touch the shoes of Olivier and Gielgud; or, at a somewhat lower
level, McKellen, Jacobi, Howard and Redgrave (Michael) at their best?
Once we know the answers to those questions, maybe we could hazard a guess.
--Charles Weinstein
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