Love's Labour's Lost

[Foxbat]

I thought it might be worth following up on Brian’s thread on Kenneth Branagh in the movies section with a review of his work. I make no apologies here: I am a big fan of his work (well his Shakespearean stuff anyway) and ….big gulp of air….I prefer his Henry V to Olivier’s. There I’ve said it – and I’m sure that there will be a few heads shaking in disagreement. Vive La Diference! But I’m not going to discuss that here. I have another of his productions in mind – the aforementioned and titular Love’s Labour’s Lost.

Why? Because I really believe it’s something a little bit different. Unique? Perhaps. I just don’t have the knowledge of Shakespearean adaptations on film to say yay or nay on that one.

So what have we got? A small European country named Navarre. It is 1939 and war looms on the horizon. A sense of foreboding is transferred to the viewer through the use of Movietone/Pathe style newsreels. We know that the Prince of Navarre and his friends have made a vow to study for 3 years. Part of this vow is to never to become involved with a woman (yes, I know, it seems a little sexist but let’s bear in mind that it was written about four hundred years ago). The spanner which quickly enters the works is that of the arrival of the Princess of France and her handmaidens. This throws our trusty scholars into something of a quandary - which results in the renouncing of the vow.

Much humour and scenarios akin to farce follows this situation. But this is not Branagh’s masterstroke. Oh no. His Piece de Resistance is to amalgamate Shakespeare with the style and music of Irvine Berlin and Cole Porter. It is somewhat disconcerting to listen to the words of Shakespeare and then, suddenly, we are into the lyrics of Let’s Face The Music And Dance. Tap Dancing, Comedy, Big Band Numbers – it’s all here.

I have to say at this point that I’m not a fan of musicals. They are just not my ‘bag’…..and yet….and yet….I love this film. The colours, the sets, the choreography, the choice of songs. It’s just something special, something a little uplifting. But don’t be fooled. It has its dark moments. As we move through the story, the threat of war becomes more and more oppressive – and this, for me, is the real masterstroke – the determination of love to survive the threat of invasion and death. Again the movietone style intermissions show us the characters surviving one of the greatest tragedies that Man can endure –War!

Branagh is Branagh. He is a very accomplished Shakespearean actor. Richard Briars and Geraldine McEwan have become as important to films such as these as the cantilever diamonds have become to the support of the Forth Railway Bridge. But the real surprise for me in this movie was Timothy Spall as Don Armado – definitely Man Of The Match. He injects a comedic talent and provides a wonderful (and hilarious) version of ‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’.

Certainly not for everyone but, if you like a bit of Shakespeare and fancy something a little different then try this one for yourself. You might like it.

[I, Brian]

Okay, I am going to look out for this one.