Greetings from English Department. We have celebrated San Valentine’s Day by watching one of the most romantic films about the love.
ABOUT THE FILM.........SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
Set in the late 16th century London, the film directed by John Madden portrays a more humanised image of the historical figure of William Shakespeare. The script brings out the human element, all the emotions and problems that go with it.
We can see the beginnings of Shakespeare as a play writer. The first recorded mention is by another playwright, Robert Green, who called him “ an upstart crow” in 1592.
One of the most fascinating things about Shakespeare is that most of his life is a complete mistery. That makes it possible to speculate on a romance as we see on the screen.
The original idea of the film came from writer and producer Marc Normann, who wondered what led Shakespeare to write ROMEO AND JULIET, the play with which he really “ finds his voice” mixing genres: beginning with a love story and comedy which shifts into a tragedy presenting radical new ideas for his time.
It has been awarded with seven oscars including best actress, best script and best film.
The screenplay, written by Marc Normann and Tom Stoppard is one of the film’s main attractions. Both have achieved a very witty and at the same time respectful language full of suggestive word plays, innuendos(1), and double meanings ( three of Shakespeare talents which delighted British audiences at that time).
Most of the characters in the film SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE are real : Chistopher Marlowe a major playwriter of the 16th century author of Dr. Faustus and Edward the Second, Richard Burbage was the son of James, who built London first theater, The Curtain. Philip Henslowe another of the pioneering impresarios who built his theater The Rose on Bankside in 1584 and his censor Master of the Revels, Sir Edmund Tilney.
(1) indirect remark about somebody’s body usually suggesting something rude or mean.