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Monday, 26 October 2009

  • Review for the new BBC Production of Emma

    Being the Austenite that I am, I'm shocked that I just discovered this site but am glad to have done so, especially after just viewing the new BBC production of Emma.

    I try to be open-minded when it comes to new adaptations.  I know that there will be changes, that some lines will be left out, that some license will be taken (sadly) with the characters.  But at least with Austen, I feel secure in knowing that the basic story-line will never and CAN never change.

    But herein lies my biggest problem with the whole of this production.
    In spite of all the doings and happening of Highbury and the angst and struggles of it's inhabitants, out of all of Jane Austen's novels, I feel that Emma is the one most clearly and most importantly focused on class and class relations.  Its almost as though Austen, in writing Emma, was working out just how she felt about High Class and Low Class and the divides between them, because sometimes, when re-reading Emma, it feels she is saddened at the separation, and at other times Austen seems to feel that class separation is necessary and important.  Whatever the read provides as a moral, Emma cannot escape being a novel about Society.

    This new production, in its attempt to modernize and "pep up" the story and its characters, did not, I feel, capture this struggle.  Harriet's character is almost non-existent, and her relationship with Emma, such a tense point in the book, seems over-looked in this story.  Part I dealt with it a little, but that aspect of the story soon seemed abandoned.  And Harriet seemed less like the simple girl with no good example of society and behavior--indeed, it was this production's Emma who seemed the girlish, childish, immature creature.

    Granted, in some ways, this new look on her character was nice; Emma's over-confidence and zealous behavior seems here more attributed to her age and self-ignorance.  But again, Emma being a novel about society, the main heroine of the tale is a LADY.  I never once felt that Romola's Emma was a lady.  She was crass, loud, jittery, and un-composed.  I do not think Emma can never smile or joke or laugh, but she must always be an example of "GOOD BREEDING."  The disparity created between Emma and Harriet in this version seems almost opposite of what it should be.  Emma seems destined to add animation to Harriet and yet take in none of Harriet's apparent composure.

    However, I think this Emma may have been more tolerable had she been paired with a different Knightley (Richard Armitage or otherwise).  While I feel Emma very unlikable, I do not think that had anything to do with her acting talent.  That was the way Walsh wrote this Emma, and that was how she was directed to be.  JML's Knightley, however, I could not stand, and I feel it has very little to do with the writing and direction, and more to do with the actor's fit for the role.

    Knightley is a GENTLEMAN.  He is meant to be the prime example of all that is right and good about English men.  Quite a load for any actor to bear, but then again so is Mr. Darcy.  I knew I would not like JML's Knightley when he raised his voice repeatedly to Emma in argument in the first Episode.  This happens several times later as well, and so when he finally declares to her "Badly done, Emma!  Badly done indeed!" in the fourth Episode, all the weight of Knightley's appropriate disapproval of Emma's actions is missing.  Indeed, the scene at Box Hill was hardly jarring, as Emma's line to Miss Bates is said in what is clearly jest.

    Perhaps these liberties would be more excusable had I felt any real chemistry between the two leads, but I did not.  They had their moments, but they were brief, and left me altogether aware that I was watching this story because I loved Austen and wanted to see a new adaptation, not because I actually cared about its two main characters.  Especially tragic were the proposal scene and the very last, added scene at the sea.  The proposal was... lackluster.  And the seascape showed Emma's excitement and wonder... and Knightley's... what?  Apparent boredom?  He did not look at his wife to see her happiness, he did not hold her closer.  (Not that those things would have been best, but there was absolutely something lacking.)

    Also, I find it very hard to believe JML's Knightley because there seemed a great lack of passion in his character.  Austen never wrote dispassionate men, and even sensible Mr. Knightley can be aroused to action and intense emotion when dealing with Emma (hint: see Box Hill; proposal, etc. etc.)

    There were aspects of this production I liked.  I liked how the story felt as if it were taking place on a day to day basis.  So often costume dramas feel distant from its viewer, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."  This seemed as if it were happening right here, right now.  And part of that is due to the modernization of body language--however, I draw the line at F. Churchill laying his head in Emma's lap, or Emma lounging on a sofa, arm sprawled across its top.

    And enjoyed a deeper look into Jane Fairfax's character.  So often she is tucked away behind her reserve that we miss what's really happening inside.  That being said, all of Jane's worry was a little on the nose.  She practically spelled out her situation to Emma so often, and you wonder why Emma doesn't catch on.

    I liked that F. Churchill was shown to be improper and occasionally unkind, but I feel they were too villainous with his character, and infinitely prefer the BBC's 1996 Churchill (indeed, he is my favorite part of that production).

    And I liked the look at their childhood's.  And I liked the examination of the things Emma was missing out on while staying at home.  I never felt she regretted being with her father at all, but it was nice to see Emma dealing with never leaving Highbury.

    However, all in all, I feel so underwhelmed at this production.  I watched an Emma with no sophistication, a Knightley I disliked, and a seeming mislaying of the issues of Society.  I understand the want to modernize a tale, but a line must be drawn before Emma becomes Clueless.  This is still a story of people living in the 19th Century.  Once those rules are established, we then get the privilege to go in and unwind the people behind the actions, to realize that the people in this world are no different than we are, though they may live by different rules.  That is, after-all, what makes Austen so timeless.

Wednesday, 09 September 2009

  • Memories! (Answers now up!)

    Do you guys remember when we used to use the hell outta this thing?  I've been going back through memories.  Got all the way through my 19th birthday, which is pretty impressive.  I think I've had this thing since I was 17.  Crazy.

    Anyway--I found a fun game or two that I want to play again with you all!  I don't know how many/how none of you frequent or even check your xanga's anymore, but you have been challenged too:

    ANSWERS POSTED.

    GAME NO. 1:
    Step 1: Put your MP3 player or whatever on random.
    Step 2: Post the first line (....) from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song.
    Step 3: Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from.
    Step 4: Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly.
    Step 5: Looking them up on Google or any other search engine is CHEATING!

    Remember this?  Ok, good luck!

    1.  You can have me dye my pale skin!  You can beat me, I'll love you while I bruise... Sweet Valium High, Charlotte Sometimes

    2.  No more questions, please.  No more tests.  Comes the day you say 'what for?'... please: No more. No More, Into the Woods (the Chip Zein version!)

    3.  A strangled smile fell from your face.  It kills me that I hurt you this way.  The worst part is that I didn't even know... now there's a million reasons for you to go... Whatever it Takes, Lifehouse

    4.  Something's up with Jack!  Something's up with Jack! (the technical name for this is:) Jack's Obsession, The Nightmare Before Christmas

    5.  Photographs of the best time you had, windows smudged by the speed, Leaving home with our bags from Iron Street, as morning turned into California... Yes, it is DCfC, Song for Kelly Huckaby

    6.  You been acting awful tough lately!  Smokin' a lot of cigarettes lately!  But inside... you're just a little Baby!  Oh!  It's okay to say you got a weak spot--you don't always have to be on top.  Better to be hated than loved loved loved for what you're not...  I Am Not a Robot, Marina and the Diamonds

    7.  Sometimes you walk by the good ones cause you're trying too hard, too hard to see them... and sometimes you don't find the right lines cause you're trying too hard, too hard to hear them...  All Time Love, Will Young

    8.  "I can't wait forever," is all that you said before you stood up.  But you won't disappoint me, I can do that myself, but I'm glad that you've come...  Leave, Glen Hansard (from the OST for Once)

    9.  This is the way you left me, I'm not pretending!  No hope, no love, no glory, no happy ending! Happy Ending, Mika

    10.  You say Yes!  I say No!  You say Stop!  And I say Go, Go, Go!  (Oh no!) - Hello, Goodbye, The Beatles :)

    11.  Many nights we prayed with no proof anyone could hear, in our hearts a hopeful song we barely understood... When You Believe, The Prince of Egypt (unbelievably gorgeous soundtrack)

    12.  Tony Stark makes you feel, he's a cool exec with a heart of steal! Iron Man, Jack Urbont

    13.  I'm on the rocky road, heading down off the mountain slope, as my steps echo (echo) louder than before... When the Night Feels My Song, Bedouin Soundclash

    14.  All this feels strange and untrue, and I won't waste a minute without you... Open Your Eyes, Snow Patrol

    15.  Like a flower, waiting to bloom!  (and I think that's all I'm giving on that one.  Too easy.) You'll kick yourself... Turn Me On, Norah Jones

    16.  (Oooo...)  Join us, leave your field to flower, join us, leave your cheese to sour... Join us, come and waste an hour or two...!  Magic To Do, Pippin

    17.  I walked down to the ocean, after waking from a nightmare, no moon, no pale reflection....  Black Mirror, Arcade Fire

    18.  Follow through, make your dreams come true, don't give up the fight!  You will be alright!  Cause there's no one like you in the universe..!  Invincible, Muse

    19.  Sugar-Pie Honey-Bunch!  You know that I love you!  I can't help myself--I love you and nobody else! Sugar Pie Honey Bunch!, The Temptations (C'est une chanson classique, non?)

    20.  It was a beautiful day--the sun beat down, I had the radio on, I was drivin'...  Running Down a Dream, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

    Rock on guys!  You can do it!

Friday, 21 August 2009

Wednesday, 15 July 2009

  • The Half-Blood Review.

    Just got back from the latest Harry Potter flick and, as always, have a review to give you.  Be warned, of course, that this review is filled with spoilers for both film and book, so if you don't want to know anything about either of them, then I advise you to graze the web elsewhere.  Otherwise, proceed into the realm that is my nerd-dom.

    Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

    Its one of the best books in the series.  It has the tightest plot, it is structured securely, and it features a level of characterization that takes our friends, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, to a new level of intimacy.  That being said, one would assume that the film would be equally as gripping.
    In truth, about a third of the way through the film, I intended to come on here and say 'The film is GREAT.' This quickly proceeded to 'good,' and then proceeded to '...I'm honestly not sure what this film is.'

    I can tell you that it is beautiful.  Absolutely gorgeous.  The coloring, the landscapes, the camera angles and shots--exquisite.  A 'Gothic' feel was described to me, and that's very true.  This film is darker not only in picture but in its presence as well.  The characters, everything in fact, has a mature feeling to it.  And that includes acting.  All of them, and I actually MEAN all of them this time, including Emma Watson, have leaped milestones.  They've all got better grips on themselves and their own presences on camera.  That being said, there is still work to be done, but there are moments of genuine hilarity in both Harry and Ron, and Tom Felton's Draco is a wonderful piece of intricate work.  As for the previously mentioned Emma Watson, all I can say is 'wow'.  Not because she was stunningly amazingly oh-my-god the best actress ever, but because of how natural she became in this film.  There were touches, in fact, of the Hermione I knew and loved from the books, insecurities and all (because as we all know, Hermione is NOT the girl-power pink-wearing freak we see in the films, but a beautifully real woman with flaws).  As for my OTP, Ron and Hermione, God, I was so pleasantly pleased with all of it (except that last scene, though I'll get to it later).  As always, Rupert and Emma have glorious chemistry, but that's not really what shines in this.  Emma just did an amazing job pining for Ron.  In the book, of course, Ron loves Hermione but desperately wants to make her jealous; not so in this film, although it does seem clear that he's just not quite sure HOW he feels about her.  So on that issue, I suppose I ought to be well pleased, especially considering that this was written by Steve Kloves (who I will again get to later).

    As for the other couple in the film, it is very clearly established that THAT's who you're supposed to root for, and that THAT's who's going to end up together.  But Harry and Ginny... just didn't work for me.  Bonnie Wright, who is a very calm, gentle person by nature, brought that to the character and none of Ginny's ferocity and vivaciousness, which of course is what catches Harry's eye in the book.  In the film, I found myself going along with the H/G story because that's just what I was supposed to do.  'Here's this, veiwer, you should buy it!  It's awesome!'  'Hmm, ok... it tastes kinda funny though...'  Several forced moments of 'chemsitry' later...
    I'm being harsh, I suppose, but the whole feeling of Harry and Ginny, though, was not one of soulmates.  Instead, we were given Kloves' typical 'let's write a romantic moment' bit, where he creates something contrived for the characters instead of actually pulling from the book itself.  (For further examples of this, see his other work with Ron and Hermione in Sorceror's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, and Goblet of Fire.)  I hope that, when the average viewer leaves this film, they understand and want Harry and Ginny to be together, but I doubt that.

    And see, that's where this all becomes an issue for me.  If these movies are done for everyone, then why are some of the most crucial moments of character and plot development glazed over?  This makes it seem as though the movies are made only for those who have already read the books.  But then, if THAT is the case, then why are our beloved works given to men like Steve Kloves?

    And here's the beef with him: I honestly did not feel that it was as much of a Kloves work until the very end.  Ron was given a wonderful amount of canon moments, and Hermione was given an equal amount of canon moments, which has never EVER been Kloves' trend.  But then, the very last scene of the film, after Dumbledore has died, we see Harry and Hermione at the top of the astronomy tower... with Ron hovering in the background.  He has not one word of dialogue to contribute, even though this scene lasts about five minutes.  To me, it seems clear that Kloves wrote a Harry and Hermione scene, and David Yates, the director, was the one who insisted Ron be there.  It put a nasty finish on the whole film.

    And I know I have David Yates to thank for a film that, once again like Order of the Phoenix, felt VERY Potter.  He orchestrated a BEAUTIFUL film, but it is shockingly different from film five.  While Order was filled with action and movement, Prince is filled with... long... dialogue... long... scenes... long... everything.
    The film is just LONG.  And some of the editing strikes me as odd and off, partly because of acting comfort level and partly because someone just dropped the ball.  To me it seems apparent that the real reason the Weasley house (the Burrow) is attacked mid-film (and then subsequently dropped afterward because it wasn't in the book and no one DID react to it in the book because, oh yeah, it wasn't there) is because the film was so damn SLOW up till then.  A huge, firey, dramatic attack is NESSECARY to keep the audience from falling asleep.

    All of this is mildly refreshing, and mildly frustrating, all at the same time.  I say mildly, because this film rarely instigated me to react strongly (with the exception of the very last scene).  The most brilliant points of it are the comedy scenes.  Rupert and Dan have absolutely glorious friendship moments--from a squabble over a book to an awkwardly hilarious discussion about Ginny and Hermione's skin being lovely, they really brought moments of light into a very dark, slow film.

    But I hesitate to complain too much about the pacing.  For once it was nice to be able to sit back and watch a Potter film like it was a mystery (only bad thing being, of course, is that I already know how the mystery ends up).  I still have the horrid memory of the five to ten minute long dragon chase scene in Goblet of Fire which was unnecessary and a waste of time to add action to something that didn't need it.  Here, anything added served a purpose.  I'm just not sure it was enough.

    On the whole...
    I still cannot decide how well I liked it.  It was certainly the most beautiful, best acted, and best directed film of the series.  It was also the most tedious, and, I fear to say, the least important of the films made, even though so many important discoveries happen in the book!  But by the end of this film, you're left feeling like you were stuck in one large loop.  And it has raised my hopes for the last two films.  I think that, given more time, perhaps Kloves and Yates and team themselves together to create something truly wonderful.

    I do not give it a negative.  I do not give it a positive.  It was OK, which is all, I suppose, it really needed to be.

Monday, 11 May 2009

  • I am not good enough for anything, or for anyone.  I will fail.  I will not find a job, and I will not be happy.  I have wasted four years at a university and will continue to waste my years because I can't succeed.  Why the hell would I?  Where the fuck am I supposed to go to?  Just what the fuck have you prepared me for, other than panic, mass-depression, hysteria, and doubt.  I have never felt so goddamn alone in my life.

    I WANT IT GODDAMNIT.  I want and I will NEVER have it.  I am NEVER going to be good enough.  I am NEVER going to meet the right people, or smile in just the right way.  I will NEVER walk through a mall and have someone from God send down an angel's path of nonresistance.  I am not going to win.  How can I?  What have I to offer?  Who the fuck am I, now, at the end of my path, at the end of all my youth's grand plans.

    I have never felt so old.

    So please.  Don't ask me what I'm going to do.  Don't offer your suggestions or your grand highway maps for life.  I cannot listen, though I should.  I am trapped behind clouds, behind despair and fear.  I cannot see any light.  There is no light.

    I am no one in a vast sea of everyone; everyone means something to someone else.  Everyone has their place.  Everyone has a vision.
    I have an endpoint, but no road--no--I HAD an endpoint, and I HAVE a cliff.

    Where the hell do I jump?
    I don't think I can.  I don't know how.

    God DAMN IT.  I DON'T KNOW HOW.  I don't know HOW godamnit godamnit God DAMN IT.

    Oh God, Running away!  Let's do it!  Free from the ties that bind!... No burdens to bear, out there in the yonder...

    Tell me I can do it.  Tell me I can FUCKING do it, and don't lie.  Can you fucking do that?  Can you look me in the eye and say, You absolutely can do anything and everything you want to do, and believe it?  I don't think I have ever heard that ONCE. Not ONCE.  Oh, no, maybe once, from Levar Burton across a television screen smiling behind a stack of books and a rainbow.  Oh happy blissful optimistic youth!  You can be and do anything you want to do!  Now the cynicism of age and reality has weighed me down.  I cannot fly.  I cannot jump.  I cannot believe in myself, and why should I?  I am unpretty, untalented, and unworthy.

    I am unworthy.
    God help me, I am unworthy.

redreh_esila

  • Visit redreh_esila's Xanga Site
    • State: Texas
    • Birthday: 5/23/1987
    • Gender: Female
    • Member Since: 7/13/2004

About Me

  • Like Disco Lemonade... {{{....well I haven't got it all figured out quite yet but; even if it takes my whole life; to get to where I need to be; and if I should fall to the bottom of the end; I'll be one step back to you and; trying; to find my way; trying; to find my way....}}}

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