Hatrack River Forum: A Midsummer Night's Dream

This is topic A Midsummer Night's Dream in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by docmagik (Member # 1131) on :

Okay, I rented this, figuring from the descriptions that it was something of a prerequisite for Magic Street.

I enjoyed it--particularly the last third. I'm a fan of Mr. Noodle and that guy from ALF, and thought they pulled off the bit parts great.

What I don't get, and why I'm looking for help from Hatrack, is what the last third of the movie had to do with the first two thirds? How does the final bit of the film--a comi-tragic parody of Romeo and Juliet--have to do, thematically and story-wise, with the first two thirds?

Is it just meant to underscore that, even though everything turned out happy for our heros, everything's really still up to the whims of fate, so they should enjoy it while they've got it, and count themselves blessed they ever had it?

Or is there something else?

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

"How does the final bit of the film--a comi-tragic parody of Romeo and Juliet--have to do, thematically and story-wise, with the first two thirds?"

It's not really a parody of Romeo and Juliet, per se. [Smile]

Um....Before I continue, you're aware that it's actually a Shakespearean play, right? I feel like a dork even asking, but....

Posted by docmagik (Member # 1131) on :

Tom, I thought you knew me better than that.

It's the spelling, right?

Posted by docmagik (Member # 1131) on :

I just realized that what I should have replied was:

"Nuh-uh! They didn't even have bicycles in Shakespeare's time!"

Alas, it is too late.

Posted by ReikoDemosthenes (Member # 6218) on :

I always understood that bit about Piramus (sp?) and Thisby to be Shakespeare mocking his own play...and justly so, IMO

Posted by docmagik (Member # 1131) on :

Okay, I promise this will be the only bump.

Tom, were you going to continue?

Anybody else?

I'm genuinely curious.

Posted by kwsni (Member # 1831) on :

I kind of think of the play(and the players) as Shakespeare's hint to the audience that these things shouldn't be taken so seriously. So we know that it's ok to laugh at it.

I dunno. Midsummer is a love story(five of them, actually, if you count Bottom) and maybe that play is just his way of wrapping things up. We get to see love in various forms, from unrequited love, to serene comfort in each other's company, to anger. I think Pyrimus and Thisbe just fills in one more category, forbidden love.
Plus it's funny.

Ni!

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

My cat's named Oberon. Does that count for anything? [Dont Know]

Posted by Exploding Monkey (Member # 7612) on :

quote:
Originally posted by docmagik:
I'm a fan of Mr. Noodle

I met him about a year before he passed away. He was taking the same flight from LAX to NY that we were. My daughter was super exicted to meet him. Very nice man. He died much too young.

Posted by docmagik (Member # 1131) on :

Okay, I said I'd never bump this again, but since we got talking Shakespeare on the other side, I'm giving this one last bump.

Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :

Which Mr. Noodle? The original Mr. Noodle was a genius. Mr. Noodle's brother, Mr. Noodle, was a travesty.

Posted by docmagik (Member # 1131) on :

It's the original Mr. Noodle, Bill Irwin, that was in this movie. Exploding Monkey met Mr. Noodle's brother, Mr. Noodle, Michael Jeter. I enjoyed them both as Mr. Noodle and try to reserve my contempt for Mr. Noodle's sister, Miss Noodle.

Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :

If you are talkiing about the Shakespeare play, the mechanicals are basically comic relief.

I don't know nothin' 'bout no Noodles.

Posted by Celaeno (Member # 8562) on :

I always thought of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet as parodies of each other.

Oh, man. I got to see A Midsummer Night's Dream in Stratford by the Royal Shakespeare Company and it was probably the best thing I've ever seen on stage. They did a fantastic job with it. I was too apprehensive to see the movie, though. That came out, what, eight years ago? Ever since I played Hermia in the school production, I've been partial to the play and I didn't want to see it ruined.

Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :

Film of Shakespeare lack ALL the charm of the plays, they're -usually- sad retellings of the story by incompetent actors, with directors who attempt to interject sorry little revisions and humour help where it is never needed. I've never liked a shakespeare movie that wasn't an honest "stage-film," where there was no added character of the egoist director.

Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :

I've never seen it in film...but I have seen the play a couple of times.

The closest I have come to seeing it on film is in the movie get over it. [Smile]