What a mess. I was afraid from the previews that Eyre had gotten the idea that Dogma-era films should be black on black and had tried his best to apply the grim principles as he understood them. Well, welcome to darkness, everyone!
Eyre went chopchopchop with the text so that not one of the glorious speeches of Hotspur is intact, not one of Falstaff's or anybody else's. Jeremy Irons, who should NEVER have spoken about his art, blathered on about their cutting out "verbiage." Good God, man, when it's Hotspur it's not verbiage, it's character revealing itself through magnificent words. And even Falstaff's speeches just might have a certain momentum building in them.
You don't know anyone's character in the Eyre production because no one is allowed to articulate a thought all the way. Snipshipship, every third line cut, then a lump cut, then a half line cut, then a while with every second line cut. The idea is that Shakespeare is a wordy fellow who always says everything three times and who benefits from stringent hacking. After all, it's just "verbiage," as Jeremy says. Actors should not talk about their craft, it's always been said, and Irons makes you think the saying is right.
You can have no feeling for Hotspur in this production.
Think about it: if you don't lament Hotsput's death the production is a failure.
There's no joy in hearing any speech in this production.
I remembered the Age of Kings production from 50-some years ago. The young man playing Hotspur was splendid. Later, he wasted himself in films like Doctor No, but he had that glorious time as Hotspur, and in the Age of Kings he even got to play his part in Richard II, from which he was cut in the newest version, the companion to the Eyre H4 Part I. I bought the Age of Kings set a couple of years ago and watched again. It's wonderful, just as I remembered it, and Kate does not have to pummel her husband there and the little finger business is just as powerful and endearing as I remembered it.
What a disaster Richard Eyre has made of Part I. What do you bet that Part II, a lesser play, will be still greater a disaster? But I will watch.
The Richard II last week was on the whole fine, better than fine. Maybe Henry V will be OK.
But what a disappointment last night!
Eyre went chopchopchop with the text so that not one of the glorious speeches of Hotspur is intact, not one of Falstaff's or anybody else's. Jeremy Irons, who should NEVER have spoken about his art, blathered on about their cutting out "verbiage." Good God, man, when it's Hotspur it's not verbiage, it's character revealing itself through magnificent words. And even Falstaff's speeches just might have a certain momentum building in them.
You don't know anyone's character in the Eyre production because no one is allowed to articulate a thought all the way. Snipshipship, every third line cut, then a lump cut, then a half line cut, then a while with every second line cut. The idea is that Shakespeare is a wordy fellow who always says everything three times and who benefits from stringent hacking. After all, it's just "verbiage," as Jeremy says. Actors should not talk about their craft, it's always been said, and Irons makes you think the saying is right.
You can have no feeling for Hotspur in this production.
Think about it: if you don't lament Hotsput's death the production is a failure.
There's no joy in hearing any speech in this production.
I remembered the Age of Kings production from 50-some years ago. The young man playing Hotspur was splendid. Later, he wasted himself in films like Doctor No, but he had that glorious time as Hotspur, and in the Age of Kings he even got to play his part in Richard II, from which he was cut in the newest version, the companion to the Eyre H4 Part I. I bought the Age of Kings set a couple of years ago and watched again. It's wonderful, just as I remembered it, and Kate does not have to pummel her husband there and the little finger business is just as powerful and endearing as I remembered it.
What a disaster Richard Eyre has made of Part I. What do you bet that Part II, a lesser play, will be still greater a disaster? But I will watch.
The Richard II last week was on the whole fine, better than fine. Maybe Henry V will be OK.
But what a disappointment last night!
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