Film and Shakespeare

There is more to Shakespeare comedy than meets the eye. Discuss how well you think the comedy ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ translates from text to screen.

Over the years Shakespeare has ventured many different stories in order to perform them in view of a live audience. One of his many wonderful plays which appeared to be successful would be ‘Much ado about nothing’, a romantic comedy which was written about 1598/99. In the majority of Shakespeare’s comedy’s, he would take a serious issue and simply laugh at it. It would appear to be a simple misunderstanding rather than an issue to the audience, therefore they would be content in their viewing.

The pattern of Shakespeare comedy’s appeared to be of one action triggering a sequence of events and almost misleading the story in another direction. It was a genre, which needed full interpretation of it’s meaning and therefore meanings were repeated through the play in order to keep the audience in understanding. Characters within the plays were often presented in a way in which society would accept, however gradually throughout the play it was Shakespeare’s routine to let they’re masks slip just to catch a glimpse o

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The music changes to a dull but cautious tone and the character stands separate from the others dressed in black. The second verse of the poem ‘sigh no more ditties, sigh no ……. Character and dialogue were naturalistic. Slow motion footage, mood and overhead shots were used throughout the movie.

Further more Benedict and Beatrice, at first, appear to have a light hearted confrontation, but even through there argument the comic factor is emphasised by there own enjoyment of the situation.

In addition Kenneth Branagh uses traditional costume for a modern day play, this is believed to have worked very well as it allows the text and tradition of Shakespeare’s work to stay alive in a modern day film. The play was set in Messina with panoramic shots of the house and surrounding countryside. The pause used in between Don John’s meeting with Leonato and the girls was very effective and added intense to Don John’s character. The opening scene starts with a wistful song but is read as a poem by Beatrice “Sigh no more ladies, sigh no more………hey nonny nonny. ” Just through the reading of the poem Branagh chooses to set the scene for the viewer. The Italian setting created a viable context for the passions aroused by Don John’s plot. This love attraction is not seen in the way that Branagh shows the instant love in Hero and claudio’s eye contact, but does however appear to show an enjoyment for both of these stubborn but passionate characters. Branagh uses the setting and the costume together to equal a classic Shakespearean atmosphere which was intended when ‘Much ado about nothing’ was written.

Kenneth Branagh’s film released in 1993, exploiting any previous visual possibilities.

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Approximate Word count = 816
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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