Tag: Drama

East of Eden (1955)

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But you must give him some sign, Mr. Trask, some sign that you love him… or he’ll never be a man.  All his life he’ll feel guilty and alone unless you release him.

Director Elia Kazan wanted Marlon Brando for the lead role that went to breakout star James Dean.  In this film, based on John Steinbeck’s novel, Dean plays bitter/tortured teen Caleb (Cal) Trask, who is constantly overshadowed by his sunny/easygoing brother Aron (Richard Davalos).  The boys’ farmer father Adam (Raymond Massey) is deeply religious, reading the Bible aloud each night.  He’s an emotionally closed-off man who admits that he’s “never understood” Cal’s moods/behaviors/desires.

Aron’s girlfriend Abra (Julie Harris) is a pleasant/kind girl who finds Cal frightening at first, then slowly gets to know (and even sympathize) with him.  The setting, early 20th century Salinas valley of California, is “ironic” in this film because of the conflicted people (critic Kenneth Turan noted).  Cal believes Adam only loves Aron.  He (instinctively) finds out about his long absent mother, Kate (Jo Van Fleet).  Adam is described as “kind” and “conscientious” by his friends/neigbbors; Kate is a former “drifter” who is running a “sinful” house (where men drink, gamble, etc.).

East of Eden contains (obvious) biblical themes; Cal and Aron are compared to Cain and Abel at one point.  This film contains universal themes and intruiging characters who don’t always act how you expect; for example, Aron is strongly against fighting (WWI).  Viewers of his time must’ve been surprised by Dean’s performance, but he’s not unlike today’s  teenagers who are trying to prove their worth and and fit in. 

“Garrow’s Law” (Series 1)

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Who’d have thought late 18th century London (just a few years after our American Revolution) would be such an exciting setting for a courtroom drama!?  The cases you see on this TV show are based on real cases of the Georgian era.  The protagonist is a confidant, intelligent, and passionate young man  ahead of his time.  He doesn’t just want to practice the law- he wants to change it (as the system is rigged heavily against defendants).  Hmmm… sounds a bit like the young John Adams!

All lawyers aren’t bad- LOL!  William Garrow, the son of a humble headmaster (principal), didn’t go to Oxford.  He learned at his father’s school, then studied with a mentor (a solicitor) in Billingsgate.  Being ambitious and energetic, he eventually pushed aside paperwork (writing briefs) and became a barrister.  He tried his first case at age 23- unthinkable in our time!  Garrow is the one credited w/ the the phrase “innocent until proven guilty.”  He didn’t play it safe, even in his personal life.

Garrow (Andrew Buchan, who had supporting roles in the newest Jane Eyre and Cranford) is an eager hothead when we first meet him.  His mentor, Mr. Southouse (musical theater and TV veteran Alun Armstrong), cautions him against speaking too boldy in court and losing the sympathy of the (very powerful) judges.  Garrow wants to address the jury, and does on several occasions, though this is frowned upon.

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MP Sir Arthur Hill (Rupert Graves, most recently seen in Sherlock), is impressed by Garrow’s performance in court.  His beautiful, well-read, and opinionated wife, Lady Sarah (Lyndsey Marshal from Rome) is also impressed.  However, at their dinner party, we quickly learn that Garrow’s politics are quite different from Sir Arthur’s.

 

Lady Sarah admires Garrow’s strong convictions (in line with many of her own forward-thinking ideals).  She often observes trials, sitting beside the judge and other notable people.  Lady Sarah even pays for Garrow to help a poor young servant.  Their mutual respect and admiration eventually grows into more (you’ll have to see).  Also, politics and his ambition create a big distance between Arthur and Sarah.

The dialogue on this show is very well-written!  (It sounds fresh, though it’s not modern.)  The production value is very high.  The sets, costumes, and music are all perfect for the period.  Buchan even looks boyishly handsome in a powdered white wig, black robe, and chunky heeled shoes.

Buchan played clergyman St. John Rivers, Jane’s buttoned-up (and very emotionally repressed) cousin/suitor, in the 2006 BBC version of Jane Eyre.

In Cranford and Return to Cranford, Buchan played carpenter/family man Jem Hearne.

NOTE: Do NOT read further unless you want to know details from S1 eps.

Episode 1

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You will learn that the law is not a game for gentleman. -Garrow to Silvester (an Oxford-educated prosecutor)

Garrow has been buried in paperwork, but gets a case at the Old Bailey in Ep 1. Everything was rigged against the defendant, as Southouse explains after giving Garrow the brief the night before the trial. He can’t visit his client in jail. He won’t be given a copy of the indictment. He won’t get to hear re: the evidence the prosecution has against his client. (Yikes, we’ve come a LONG way!)

The prisoner in the dark has too long been left to rot for want of counsel. -Garrow says to Sir Arthur Hill, a minister at Parliament

You lack manners. You were too angry and you lost control. -Southouse says to a disenchanted Garrow after his loss

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The second case Garrow gets is thanks to Lady Sarah, who insists that her involvement be kept a secret, b/c it’d be like “an infidelity” in the eyes of her more conservative husband. A young unmarried washerwoman, Elizabeth Jarvis, has been accused of “infanticide” (though she insists her baby was stillborn). Garrow and Lady Sarah interview the defendant in Newgate Prison (VERY unusual), then have an independent doctor (“surgeon”) examine Elizabeth, then the body of her deceased child.

How can it be an improvement in my court where I play a lesser part? -Judge Bullard says (bemused) to Lady Sarah during lunch break from court

Episode 2

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By now, Garrow has some claim to fame, and he likes getting the approval (since his parents are deceased). He (hesitantly) takes on the VERY unpopular case of a young man accused of cutting beautiful young gentlewomen in broad daylight. The defendant’s doting mother insists her son could never do such things, though he loves drinking, pros, and runs through money. The media refers to him as “The Monster,” and in time, so do the public. BUT just b/c a defendant is unlikeable doesn’t mean he’s guilty!

Episode 3

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This ep focuses a BIT more on Garrow’s petsonal life; we see that he has more to learn still (though in court, he has a way w/ juries). When he thinks Silvester insulted Lady Sarah (who Garrow is in love w/), he challenges his nemesis to a duel. Mr. Southouse is bewildered, thinking Garrow is crazy and needs to bow out. But Garrow’s hot-headed/stubborn side wins over!

The main case Garrow handles is that of a noted “thief-taker” (bounty hunter to us modern folk) who could be using less clever/scared thieves to commit bigger crimes for his gain.

Episode 4

We are of like minds, you and I. -Garrow says to Lady Sarah

Sir Arthur tells Garrow his good news, which could mean that Lady Sarah could be lost to him forever. She insists that she won’t leave her husband.

The crux of this ep centers on the case of a businessman/husband/father to 3 young children, Joseph Hamer. He has been imprisoned in Newgate for 3 mos. ONLY for gathering w/ those who think like him and exercising free speech. His wife, Mary, impresses Southouse and Garrow w/ her convinction and strength; she wants the BEST defense for the man she loves. There has been NO charge (reminds one of Guantanamo cases) yet, BUT Garrow will take the case.

Your case, Joseph, is played out in the shadow of the guillotine. They [the aristocracy] fear you. -Garrow puts things into context when he meets his defendant

Late one night, Joseph is dragged from his cell to a meeting w/ ministers of Parliament (incl. Sir Arthur). They grill the humble shoemaker w/ questions, BUT he asks for actual charges. Lady Sarah wonders what’s all the noise-the jailers and heavy shackles disturbed her quiet. She meets Joseph in the hall, and realizes that her husband MAY be on the wrong side of justice. Finally, Joseph gets his day in court, BUT the charge is “high treason” (so he could be hanged)!

Atonement (2008)

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Ah, young love!  There’s nothing like it if it’s done well (in film), but it doesn’t always end happily.  I went to see this film in the theater when it first came out; it stayed on my mind for some time.  I saw it again recently, and gained more appreciation for it.

Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) are two young people in their early 20s who are spending a hot summer day on a gorgeous estate.  She is the old man’s daughter; he is the housekeeper’s son.  They both attended Cambridge- he w/ the money and blessings of Mr. Tallis.  Soon, Robbie plans to go to med school.  Cecilia is restless- waiting for something to happen.

The film starts slow, but it doesn’t take too long to see that Robbie and Cecilia are suppressing their intense attraction to each other.  Cecilia’s precocious 12 y.o. sister, Briony (Saoirse Ronan), has a huge crush on Robbie.  In the past, she has written many stories, bound them in leather, and presented them to Robbie as gifts.  He looks on Briony as a good friend, calling her “pal.”  (Briony is the central character in the story; she’s also the storyteller.)

Briony misunderstands several events througout the day and evening.  In no time, everything is shattered for the couple.  Being a sheltered and judgmental child, Briony doesn’t realize the impact of her words/actions.  Robbie is yanked off to jail; Cecilia leaves the family.  In time, he’s sent to fight in France; she becomes a nurse.

The first section of this film is particularly appealing to the eye.  We see beautiful flowers, streams, and lots of sunlight.  At dinner, Cecilia is a vision in a flowing green gown.  Director Joe Wright refers to this portion as “the time before the fall” (before WWII, before the lovers are separated).

This film really sets a mood.  At times, it may seem a bit too slow to some viewers.  There was great chemistry between Keira and James, and they look amazing together!  I enjoyed how Romola Garai (who plays the young adult Briony) did a lot w/ very little dialogue.  The supporting characters all fit their parts; Benedict Cumberbatch was creepy (in a subtle way) as the chocolate millionaire, Paul Marshall.

The adult Briony (played by Vanessa Redgrave) atones for her terrible mistake by giving the lovers a happy ending in her novel.  She creates an almost too good hero in Robbie.  Atonement made me think of all the young people (from many nations) who died b/c of the events of WWII. They never got the chance to fulfill their potential, have relationships, and grow old.

“Anna Karenina” (BBC – 2000)

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Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Sometimes fine actors just don’t have chemistry w/ each other!  This is the main problem in the 2000 BBC miniseries based on Leo Tolstoy’s well-known, tragic love story.  Helen McCrory (in the title role) and Kevin McKidd (who plays Count Vronsky) don’t generate much heat, which is a crucial part of the story.  She is an especially good actor w/ a great voice and onscreen presence.  Her few scenes w/ the little boy who played her son were touching.

In the 1997 version (w/ Sean Bean and Sophie Marceau), the leads not only look good together, but actually look like they are in love.  Though that film has its own flaws, it has much more passion in it.

The director in the miniseries made some odd choices.  Sometimes a handheld camera is not needed, but it’s used anyway.  There are too many close-ups and not enough light.  In the ’97 version, when Anna and Vronsky first meet, you can see their mutual attraction.  But in this version, the crucial moment becomes ho-hum.  Anna just looks at Vronsky for a moment through her veil- a lost opportunity for the director.  Their first dance is much more romantic/dramatic in the’97 version.  (It reminded me of Scarlett and Rhett’s first dance in Gone with the Wind.)

The actors who rise to the occasion in the miniseries are Douglas Henshall (Constantine Levin) and Paloma Baeza (Princess Kitty).  Henshall, whose real Scottish accent pops out in a few scenes, is the long-haired/bearded gentleman farmer w/ a past.  He thinks too much and worries if he’ll ever win over Kitty, who is innocent and young.  Baeza’s character starts out as a silly girl w/ a crush on the dashing Vronsky.  In time, Kitty learns about love and blossoms into a mature/sensitive wife.

 No one may build their happiness on another’s pain.

Anna’s philandering brother Stiva (played by Mark Strong) and his wife Dolly(played by Amanda Root) both get some nice lines.  “I love him, but I don’t respect him,” Dolly admits toward the end of the film.  She tolerates her husband’s affairs (just as many Russian nobles did at that time).

Anna and Vronsky’s love affair is atypical for their circle.  They truly are in love, not just fooling around b/c of lust or boredom.  Stephen Dillane (who plays Karenin) won’t give Anna a divorce, so she and Vronsky can’t marry.  Anna is forbidden to see her 8 y.o. son and becomes a social outcast.  Vronsky can’t give his baby daughter his name w/o that divorce.

Every time I tried to display my innermost desires – a wish to be morally good – I met with contempt and scorn, and as soon as I gave in to base desires I was praised and encouraged.  –Leo Tolstoy wrote two years after publication of Anna Karenina

After Levin meets Anna, he tell her brother that he liked her b/c “she’s so honest.”  Anna eventually spirals downward, turning to alcohol and opium.  She accuses Vronsky of betraying her w/ a younger woman.  Vronsky goes off to take care of some business for his mother.  But Anna is so paranoid and desperate by this point that she throws herself under a train.

“Wuthering Heights” (PBS – 1998)

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Robert Cavanah said: …It occurred to me that he was simply a man made of the simplest drives and needs and wants, and they were all summed up in three words – love of Cathy.  I never played him as a villain, just a man of enormous capacity for love, who had it all slapped back in his face.

This version of Wuthering Heights was made for British TV, then shown on Masterpiece Theatre (PBS) in the US.  The Northern accent used by the actors suits the story.  Unfortunately, the Earnshaw home is a humble cottage, not a gothic house.  This was no doubt due to budget limitations.  As several others mentioned, this film gives us chunks of dialogue straight from the novel.  Very cool!

The anti-hero protagonist, Heathcliff, is played by Scottish character actor Robert Cavanagh.  He’s not handsome, but has a great voice and strong screen  presence.   There are a couple of scenes where he gets very rough with wife Isabella Linton, but overall, this Heathcliff is not a complete monster.  He’s very much a product of his difficult past.

The actor who does justice to Heathcliff’s vulnerable/confused side is Ralph Fiennes.  Great acting is in the eyes, as Barbara Stanwyck said, and it’s all there w/ Fiennes!  He’s accessible in some ways, but still mysterious.  Olivier was very strong in the 1939 version, but a bit too much of a gentleman in some scenes.

My 20s were torture. I found men terrifying. I didn’t know how to relate to them and, because of that, there was no way I could have stood on a stage and asked people to look at me. I just wasn’t comfortable in my skin.  -Orla Brady

I really liked this Cathy, who is played by Irish actress Orla Brady.  Her unusually beautiful face doesn’t detract from her fine acting.  I was especially impressed when she showed Cathy’s strong/willful side.  Of course, no one can top La Binoche in the 1992 version!

The love between the doomed pair is portrayed in a more earthy (perhaps lustful) manner, not all pie in the sky.  Some viewers seemed to like it; others wanted more innocence/romance.  Speaking of innocence…  The younger generation are portrayed very well by Sarah Smart and Matthew Macfadyen.  (Yes, that’s a youthful Matthew as Hareton Earnshaw.  And he’s holding a puppy.  Awww…)

I think it would be awesome to have another version of this story w/ age-appropriate actors.  (This was done successfully by Franco Zeffirelli in the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet.)  The younger Heathcliff and Cathy would have to be around 6-8 y.o. and the older ones 16-18 y.o.  If the lovers are teens, things will make more sense to viewers.  After all, it’s a odd to see 25-35 y.o. actors running through the moors, crying all night, and becoming furious at the slightest matter.

The latest BBC version was quite good, thanks mostly to Tom Hardy, who is a very intriguing actor.  He has a mystery about him, like Fiennes.  Heathcliff should be dangerous w/o alienating the audience completely.

Click below to see a cute vid w/ Macfadyen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3HNt7S2A0Q