The Hollow Crown a Delightful Shakespeare Presentation
by
Kristin Battestella
In
2012, the BBC Two and later PBS presented this ambitious four part
television adaptation of William Shakespeare's histories Richard
II, Henry IV Part I, Henry IV Part II, and
Henry V collectively
called The Hollow Crown. Though
seemingly overwhelming, these telemovies help make The Bard more
accessible and relatable to the masses with fine characters, charming
performances, and classic storytelling.
Richard II – BAFTA winner Ben Whishaw (Skyfall), Patrick
Stewart (X-Men), Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful), David
Morrissey (The Walking Dead), David Suchet (Poirot), James
Purefoy (The Following) and
more impressive players anchor this first telefilm alongside
colorful draped fabrics, regal armor, and medieval chorales setting
the 14th century mood. Despite great historical
locations, coastal scenery, horses, and jousts, the design still
feels somewhat stage-like or fittingly small scale – our ensemble
sits ready to speak in open stone halls rightfully situated not for
royal splendor but rather what's being said. Fortunately, the
delivery here is smooth and dramatic without hefty, preachy
dictation. This court tension just happens to be in old speaketh, and
we're not merely watching a play being read aloud the way so many
stateside high schoolers erroneously experience Shakespeare. Of
course, it does help to know the history at work – Gloucester,
Bolingbroke, Plantagenets, ambiguous effemininity. Subtitles are
necessary, and scholars may enjoy having a hand held copy handy to
compare text. At two and a half hours, there are perhaps some
unnecessary to and fro scenes where folks only move to go and talk
somewhere different. Arty, overly fancy transition shots; incredibly
dark, difficult to see scenes; and distorted, up close camerawork
symbolizing the askew mentalities at work make for some tough visuals
on top of already difficult and often confusing Shakespearean
dialogue. Ironically, thanks to the sophisticated accents and pretty
pentameter, this treasonous spearhead is quite pleasant just
listening to it! Richard is petty, unlikable, pretentious, out of
touch, juvenile, and, well, Kardashian. Understandably
the audience expects his downfall yet we can't look away as he
questions his kingship, grows conflicted by his actions, and realizes
mistakes made in a messianic fall from grace. This is not an easy
part to play, but Whishaw embodies the misunderstood boy and
undiagnosed but somehow poetic madness. We don't want to choose sides
in this comeuppance even as we look for the neutral historical end –
after all, both Richard and the future Henry IV do some despicable
stuff. There's sympathy, humanity, and a perfectly bittersweet glory
in this usurp.
Henry IV Part I – Jeremy Irons (Reversal of Fortune),
Simon Russell Beale (Penny Dreadful), Tom Hiddleston (The
Avengers), Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Julie
Walters (Billy
Elliot),
and Maxine Peake (Silk)
get Episode 2 of The Hollow Crown off
to a bustling, ye olde start with medieval markets, lively
music, crowded pubs, and drunken good times. Though candlelit
charming with wooden sets and a rustic mood, the interiors can be
somewhat dark to see. Fortunately, those impoverished designs
fittingly contrast the cold, bleak, echoing, stone court full of
depressing somber and arguments – a higher up but not as fun place.
Again it helps to know the history in the interim from Richard II
– Hotspur, Northumberland, Scottish rifts – and the intercut but
separate storylines may seem confusing or uneven if one is unfamiliar
with the mix of serious court intrigue and cheeky Boar's Head Inn. It
takes half the two hour time for the plots to come together, however
its dynamite when they do. While Joe Armstrong's (Robin Hood)
Percy revolts and Harry Lloyd's (Game of Thrones) pretentiousness
aren't as exciting as they should be, Dockery keeps their
dilemma interesting. Ironically, although everything is set in motion
because of him, we don't see Irons as the titular king very much. He
mumbles somewhat as well but his voice carries the proper weight on
the king's shoulders low gravitas– uneasy lies the head that wears
the crown and all that. Hiddleston's longer blonde hair isn't my
favorite look, either, but he is distractingly pretty as the red
leather bound, rakish about town Prince Hal. This is an indulgent
viewing for fans just as much as scholars can delight in his rolling
off the tongue delivery. He's relishing the role and why not? We so
often treat Shakespeare with dread, but these are happy drunken
antics well balanced with bawdy fun, serious voiceover soliloquies,
and proving one's worth. Hiddleston also does a great impression of
Irons, and BAFTA winner Beale is a wonderful Falstaff – a fool not
quite ready to leave his selfish ways but lovable even when crude or
up to no good. With so many multi-layered characters arcs and
performances to follow into Part II, this definitely takes
more than one viewing. As fine as we expect Bill's words to be, the
between the lines are delightful alongside the small scale but
cinematic filming and action-centric Shrewsbury finale.
Henry IV Part II – Unlike the cashing in of unnecessarily divided
blockbusters, this historical second half was filmed by returning
director Richard Eyre (Notes on a Scandal) back to back with
its predecessor, utilizing the same locales and cast with choice
additions such as Ian Glen (Game of Thrones). Unfortunately,
other new and seemingly unimportant secondary characters
aren't properly introduced alongside the thin and increasingly somber
source material. The pace drags in the middle, growing boring or
feeling overlong when the interesting journeys and people we care
about are offscreen. The music still creates a quaint atmosphere,
however congested arguing on top of the jigs can be frustrating to
discern for the non Bard versed. Thankfully, the melancholy court,
Latin prayers, and whispering political asides accent the medieval
mood. This is a darker picture, with blue hues for castle ills and a
tainted yellow patina for Eastcheap before uplifting music, pomp
ceremony, and fresh reds and golds reset the tone for Henry V.
Jeremy Irons looks increasingly
sickly with bleak soliloquies and tender, wise dimension for
his sons adding reflection amid his failing health. It's depressing
how the separate storylines all sink low despite battle victory and
would be elevations, but nonetheless, the intertwined and reversed
fates beautifully reveal themselves. Though raised up, Falstaff
sticks to his old tricks, using his chance for a clean start for more
foolish thinking – like presuming he would be the right hand man
for fun and games under King Hal. We can't hate Falstaff thanks to
bittersweet ponderings and tender scenes with Maxine Peake as Doll
Tearsheet, but he's both too old to right himself and too set in his
crooked ways. Prince Hal's so called friends all tail him for their
own best interests, but he has to make the big decision to grow up
and put away his trouble making pals. We know the history and strife,
yet it's still wonderful to see Hal pondering with Henry IV,
realizing Falstaff for what he really is, and accepting the right
path between his two flawed father figures. Hiddleston appears a half
hour in to Part II as the
shirtless and charming Hal, however, he seems to have less
screen time until his confrontation with Falstaff halfway through –
his red leather jacket appears briefly in Hal's only Boar's Head
scene before gradual outfit changes suggest the regal velvets to come
for the brilliant finale. This final act forgives any sagging with
its fathers and sons, deathbed vigils, and tearful men becoming noble
kings. There's no time to mourn when the torch is passed, nor is it
any easier when the crown goes from one head to the next instead of
being built on battlefield legacies. There's a nice behind the scenes
feature on this disc discussing both Henry IV parts,
and though uneven, this episode does what it sets out to do in making
us eager to see what happens to its successor.
Henry V – These final two hours plus of The Hollow Crown make
some eponymous changes – from a subdued St. Crispin's Day
moment and skipped battlefield carnage to omitted side plots and
excised humor. While the music, costuming, Latin funerary, blue for
France flair, and red for England palette are charming, the saturated
screen is often too dark to see. Up close, congested, slow motion
fighting also intentionally hides the small scale production, and at
times oft theatre director Thea Sharrock seems to play it safe by not
fully utilizing the camera or making any political or warfare
statements as this material is ripe to do. The action is also slow to
start, with almost twenty minutes of courtiers chirping the pros and
cons in each king's ears about Edward the Black Prince and claims
upon France before the build to Agincourt and a final romantic but
short lived French alliance. The ensemble does well, but the new
players aren't properly introduced, creating little endearment beyond
the Harry we know and love. The now top billed Tom Hiddleston looks
different as Henry V, aged with a goatee, darker hair, and in the
field grit. Although he's not an over the top big battle commander,
Hiddleston has a gravitas both with words and on horseback. Harry can
be personal, soft spoken, and religious whilst also not backing down
from leading from the front despite internal fears, lovely prayers,
and serious soliloquies. This king is humble and in arms with his
men, honest and full of grace but certainly capable of the bombastic
and unmerciful. The private battle speeches fit this characterization
and keep the focus on the individual before the spectacle as a good
play should. Shakespeare perhaps glorified the past but this Henry is
a man first and a hero second. This episode wisely stays with Henry
most of the time, reducing Pistol, Nym, Bardolph and unnecessary
humor. Lambert Wilson (Timeline) is comparatively somber as
the King of France, and despite only a few scenes, Melanie Thierry
(Babylon A.D.) is immediately enchanting in what could be an
awkward courtship. The French lessons are not translated on screen,
which may annoy some, however this softened, continental appeal adds
to the stage-like mood where Sharrock directs best. I hate to say it
as it would be inaccurate to not have the imaginative, descriptive
Chorus as narrated by John Hurt (Alien), but
if you can see the ships and scenery, you don't need the voiceover,
and the characters could have just said the transitions themselves.
Fortunately, the script is the thing here, with famous lines and
history turned drama discussed in several behind the scenes bonus
features. Granted there are production flaws and questionable
direction at times. However, this is a great, easy to get behind
story, and the condensed plots and reduce battle focus make for a
classroom friendly viewing or scholarly discussion.
No comments:
Post a Comment