Postmodernism first became popular when it was used to describe various forms of art in the 1970's and 1980's. Today, it can be defined through culture and society; with its ideology rebelling against the popular cultural signs and media images which dominate our audiences into how they define themselves as to how they view reality. It is the "breakdown of the distinction between culture and society"; going against "the norm" and creating an entirely different world altogether.
In its world, surfaces and styles become more important; thus creating 'designer ideology’ where images dominate narrative through their deeper level of content and meaning. Postmodernists argue that society are much more interested in consuming images and signs for their own sake, and instead need to look further into their significance and gain the deeper values they may symbolise. Through its diverse and varied style, anything in postmodern culture can be developed, explored, or made into a parody. Yet if popular cultural signs and media images are taking over in defining our sense of reality for us (thus taking over content and meaning); then it is much more difficult to keep a meaningful and deep distinction between art and popular culture.
Does post-modern popular culture refuse to respect the pretensions and distinctiveness of art? Perhaps to a certain extent; it may be seen as disrespectful to lightly mock the visual images in which the majority of society a few centuries ago would have initially relied on for entertainment and communication, being mainly illiterate. If it wasn't for these vital paintings, adverts, and television drama's then we wouldn't even be able to make parodies now in modern day. Rather than disrespecting, post-modern popular culture expresses the art, it explores in the different ways it can be interpreted and presented, and compliments it by taking it to a different level. Nothing is original in post-modern society, only copies (according to Jean Baudrillard), and this is what he calls "simulacra". Only the first product or creation is the most valued, so art shouldn't be seen as disrespected by post-modern culture since it isn't being upstaged- postmodernism isn't trying to compete with the original art.
So how does Matthew Weiner's Emmy suave and sophisticated sixties set "Mad Men" qualify as post-modern? Starting with its opening credits, the audience is shown a sequence of an opaque figure, known as Don Draper, entering an office and dropping his black suitcase to the floor. Following on from this, he too starts to deteriorate as everything around him in his office melts downwards, signifying weakness and surrender. Draper then starts to fall past buildings imprinted with images of women, marriage, work, and families; with the implication of temptation as all these women, styled in a 50/60's fashion, appear lustful in their fishnet tights and red cocktail dresses. These surreal images evoke questions of gender and standards of both the drama and the character; is he faithful? Is he homosexual? What is his role if he is dominated by femininity? (At one point it seems as if he is being kicked by a lady's foot as she elegantly crosses her legs- or perhaps it is a failed attempt to save him?).
Gender and status are two of the main themes in 'Mad Men', reflecting on how men and women were represented in the 1960's and how their genders affected their roles in life. In the opening sequence, Draper is obviously dominated by these images of the different women; they are the sex showing authority as they tower above him and he is too small and powerless to handle any of it. But their smiling, alert faces show that these women are not full of hatred or revenge, but that they are more than happy to be a part of his life and they are eager to please him. They know that he is only using them to strengthen his own position and status, but he still needs them- and from this they obtain their own level of power.
Nonetheless, it still appears as if his whole world is crashing down around Draper, with the solemn sound of the violins contributing to this feel of depression and despair. His garb of a shirt and tie implies that he is a prisoner in his own career, that he cannot escape his hunger for ambition and money and as a result is rejecting his family and the vows and promises he has made. His "falling from the sky" relates to the tragic images of 9/11. According to USA TODAY, over 200 citizens jumped out of their office windows prior-collapse of the World Trade Centre in a desperate attempt to prevent the endurance of a more painful death, despite knowing that they would still be killed if they were to fall 1000 feet from the air. This implies that Draper may well be suffering from his own traumas, and if were to endure any pain at all, he would rather be in control of his own death and inflict the pain on himself instead of being the victim of another person's punishment. In other words, he would rather jump than be pushed.
This imagery of 9/11 is also the indication for 'Mad Men' being set in New York, which is of course was and still is one of the predominant states in America for business and economy. It also relates back to what was known as 'Black Thursday' on October 24th 1929 in Wall Street, New York, where the stock values dropped very quickly and many stockholders lost large amounts of money. 12 million Americans were left jobless with no money as banks, factories and stores closed; and as Will Rogers recalled in his nationally syndicated newspaper column for that day: "When Wall Street took that tail spin, you had to stand in line to get a window to jump out of, and speculators were selling space for bodies in the East River."
As a leading global city famous for its finance and popular culture, New York is a target for conflict and mixed emotions. Draper could represent the city itself, as jumping out of your window in New York could now be associated with desperation and fear of failure. Behind the glamour of Broadway and frenetic atmosphere of Times Square, there will always be the struggle of "bad times", and this refers to Draper's job as creative director of the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency. Does he himself live in a world of propaganda? He obviously has his own affairs and problems, and so it resembles how even the wealthiest and most successful members of society can be vulnerable and deteriorate into poverty; making the audience wonder what this character has done to cause his fall from a high status.
Later into the series, we are given insight into Draper's dark past and how his troubled childhood could have influenced his current infidelity and rejection of family values. We learn how his mother was a prostitute and his father her client, and after his mother died in childbirth, Draper (then known as 'Dick Whitman') was raised by his father and his wife Abigail. Draper suffered years of physical abuse until witnessing his father being killed in a fatal horse accident, and he was thus brought up by Abigail and a man known as "Uncle Mack", whom he states in 'The Gypsy and the Hobo' that he shared a close relationship with, as well as with his half-brother Adam. Draper's bond with men and negative experience of women could be the cause of how he treats both sexes now; exploring in brotherhood to achieve a sense of security and avoiding emotional attachment to his mistresses in fear of being abandoned or betrayed.
Since the drama is set in the 60's, the audience could assume that the treatment of men towards women were because of the era in which it was set; men were seen as the dominant gender and women were placed as second class citizens. Yet Draper's attitude towards women could have originated from his own personal experience, with this also applying to Salvatore Romano; the homosexual Italian-American art director at Sterling Cooper. His sexuality is possibly the reason for his kind and compassionate treatment of the women in the office; he can relate with their needs and probably feels at his most comfortable with them. If the viewer were to look deeper into the character's pasts, they should be able to recognise that there can be reasons- instead of just generalising that all men behave the way they do in 'Mad Men' simply because "it's the sixties".
Draper's urge for identity and escape is shown when he was sent to serve in the Korean War in his twenties; where Don Draper, an engineer, was in charge of building a field hospital and Whitman was to assist him. After Don Draper's death (unknown to Whitman, Draper had gasoline on his trousers and Whitman accidently dropped his lighter- causing Draper to die in the midst of the explosions); Whitman took Draper's identity and returned home to begin his new life with the new identity as Don Draper. This highlights Draper's desperation to shut out his feeble and lonely past, where he was never respected and could have even been ridiculed for his name, 'Dick'. With his new identity, he can become something new and 'better', yet he will always have it on his conscience that he is living a lie. His dark secret is the cause of his mysterious and reserved persona and is the reason why people will never know the real Don Draper.
Parodies of ‘Mad Men’ have ranged from The Simpsons to Sesame Street, which proves that the drama has a deep resonance and appeals to a wide range of audiences' if viewers want to relate it with popular cartoons and kids comedies. On YouTube, The Simpsons parody of the opening sequence to ‘Mad Men’ has 381, 982 views (2/1/10), only approximately 5,000 views less than the original sequence (435, 917). Plus, this first post of the ‘Mad Men’ original sequence on YouTube was published on 20/07/07, whereas The Simpsons parody was published on 28/10/08- over a year later, and indicating that if both sequences were published on YouTube at the same time, then The Simpsons would have probably achieved more views and prove more popular.
In the parody, Homer Simpson seems to mock Don Draper of his serious and grave entrance as he drops down a lunchbox with a doughnut in it instead of a briefcase, falls down towards the ground imprinted with an elderly lady, and is left holding a lollypop at the end as he leans his arm across the chair in the classic pose. The parody invites interesting possibilities of what Homer Simpson would be like if he was the next Don Draper, and Sesame Street does the same in its opening as the puppet playing Draper falls after slipping on a banana skin.
This parody is actually a short scene showing all three puppets sitting around a table in their suits and hats, exaggerating the character’s bold personalities and inflated ego’s by repeatedly slamming their hands down on the tables, nodding their heads, and revealing their idea of ‘advertising’ (three adverts are shown of a bear and a pot of honey). The puppets cleverly show how the two characters are inferior of the puppet playing Draper, as they eagerly agree with whatever decision he makes. They also use cliché quotes such as “where’s the advert that’s going to grab us with happiness” and “well it’s been an emotional rollercoaster” and manage to educate as well as entertain. The parody appeals to young children because of the puppets and teaches them the simple techniques of advertising; what is on a poster that makes audiences “mad”, “sad”, and “happy”.
‘Mad Men’s’ opening sequence is a pastiche of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” (1958), where the trailer shows the main character, dressed in a familiar smart suit and hat, afraid of heights: “a man possessed by the paralysing vertigo that made him afraid of high place”. Again, there is the wealthy and successful man terrified of becoming too superior and living in fear of separating himself from humanity and the enjoyment of life. The female in the trailer is also in awe of him and he takes complete control of her, clutching her to his chest and being the one to solve her problems. Only Don Draper can’t solve his wife’s problems or meet her needs, and he can’t prevent himself from becoming too involved in his craving for success.
It is at the end of the opening credits when the rapid pace of the music becomes more relaxed, that Draper transforms his outstretched falling pose into sitting down and casually leaning his arm up against a chair; revealing that even in times of danger he will somehow manage to regain his strength and power. His daring and intrepid character makes intertextual references to the opening sequences of James Bond; he too appears polished and clean-cut as he strolls onto the screen in a black and white suit, and at first it seems as if he is the one who is about to be shot through the point-of-view angle of the sniper. But the audience is tricked into thinking Bond will be the one to be killed when he suddenly turns to the side and shoots the sniper himself, and the similar colours used in the opening of 'Mad Men', black, white, and red; are also used in the opening sequences of James Bond; symbolising intelligence, mystery, and audacious confidence. The colours can also resemble the main colours of newspapers, referring back to advertising and how the characters in 'Mad Men' will always have their own private stories behind their image in the agency.
Tuesday 20 October 2009
Tuesday 13 October 2009
How Steven Spielberg Creates Suspense in the First Two Scenes of "Jaws"
The film Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg in 1975, features various techniques to create suspense and fear throughout the whole film. This is done using different types of camera shots and movement, music, and mis-en-scene. The two scenes I will be using as examples are the first opening sequence and the 5th scene.
In the opening sequence, the music begins very quiet and slow. The camera moves through the water, wading through the weeds- a point of view shot- as the music continues to play. This creates suspense and tension since we cannot see the shark, and the connotation within the point of view camera movement can make the audience feel that they’re in the water; possibly swimming away from the shark themselves.
The music becomes louder and bolder, creating the illusion that something is about to happen next. However, the scene switches to a beach party instead of going straight into the attack immediately. This leaves the audience in suspense as we have to wait and see for when the shark does attack.
The camera slowly moves along the people at the beach; known as a pan camera movement. There is a large fire in the middle, this indicates something dangerous as fire symbolises fear and emergency and panic. However, this symbol contrasts with the general mood of the beach party, as the mouth organ is being played; people are talking, drinking, and looking relaxed. This particular scene does not imply or hint that a shark attack is about to happen (partly because of the fire, as well as being the symbol for danger, it also creates warmth and passion- which is not found in the sea, where of course the attack takes place). So when the attack does happen, it is slightly unexpected. Despite expecting an attack at the start of the film, since it was involving the sea.
During the beach party, the camera pulls back to show a wide shot of the sea. The audience can hear noises in the background, and a tracking camera movement is used as a boy runs after a girl. There is no sound as the girl is swimming. Then the camera shows the point of view movement of the shark through the water and the bold music begins to play. This shot is almost a replica to the opening sequence. Since nothing happened during the beginning, the audience may feel that the attack will occur the second time round.
A low angle is shown of the girl slightly kicking her legs in the water. The camera slowly zooms in, and this shows the audience how close the shark is to getting the girl. The attack takes place; the girl thrashes around in the water screaming which creates a mood of fear and panic. There are also pauses in the attack, and this may be because the audience can savour it since it doesn’t happen all in one go in a matter of seconds. Again, the audience cannot see the shark attacking the girl, so we are left with our imagination to conjure up an image of this blood-thirsty predator.
The scene ends with a still camera shot of the sea. I think this creates a great deal of suspense since the peaceful and calm atmosphere is a contrast to the vicious attack moments before. The audience doesn’t know whether the shark is suddenly going to rise out of the water, or if the boy will swim out into the sea and therefore become killed himself; and this can create tension.
In the 5th scene, which is my second example, the scene takes place on a crowded beach. The camera uses a tracking shot of a young boy as he ambles up to his mother and pleads her to let him have another 10 minutes in the sea. The camera then follows him as he goes to get his lilo and this can create suspense since the audience isn’t sure whether the boy will be the shark’s next victim. In some ways, it seems it, because of the emphasis of “letting him go back in the sea” and the fact that his swim shorts are red (red being the colour that attracts sharks as well as being symbolic for danger, fear, and blood). However, some may argue that a young boy being killed by a shark is quite excessive and unnecessary for a film. So the audience is left in anticipation to see what happens.
A character in the film, named Brody, is also at the beach. He watches the different people and seems agitated.
The audience is introduced to different possibilities of the shark’s next victim. This can create suspense since we don’t know who it will be. First, there is the man throwing sticks in the water for his dog to catch- both the man and his dog are possible victims since they are near the sea and it may be that the man has to go in the water himself just in case his dog needs helping.
There is also the large lady floating in the water. Brody spots a black shiny shape swimming towards the woman; and then we realise that it’s just the top of an old man’s swim hat as he swims through the water. The camera shot is level with the water and large lady, so it may make the audience feel that they’re in the sea too.
Then, Brody sees a young woman screaming and splashing about in the water. He stands up, ready for action, and then realises it was her boyfriend lifting her up from the water. These two false alarms create suspense for the audience since they expect the attack to happen and it doesn’t. So when the build-up to the real attack occurs, some may not believe it will really happen- which may bring a shock for when it actually does.
A tracking shot is used as the boy rushes into the water with his yellow lilo, and the man calls for his dog. This implies that something fearful is about to happen since his dog has gone missing. This creates suspense since the audience does not know why and how the dog is gone; and whether he’ll return or not.
A low angle is used as the boy’s legs kick under the water, as the girl did in the beginning of the film. The attack is seen in the distance and the long shot indicates that the people on the beach are too far away to save the boy. A general panic occurs as people rush out of the water and again, we do not see the shark and are left with our own interpretation. During this, Brody realises what is happening and the camera quickly zooms in on his terrified face. The zooming-in camera shot signifies the attack as powerful and large, coming towards him; which of course reflects back on what the actual shark itself is like.
After the attack is over, a strange sense of calm settles. The yellow lilo washes up on the shore, soaked with diluted blood. A high angle is used, and I find this interesting since it means the audience is looking down on what is left of the boy; and most people would say we look down when we are mourning (looking down at a grave at a funeral, for example).
The colour yellow is used as the symbolic colour for danger and warning throughout the scene. The man who owns the dog is wearing yellow shorts, and his dog (so it seems) has been attacked by the shark. The boy was floating on a yellow lilo, and he became the shark’s second victim. This contrasts with the typical colour for danger (red or black) and it is normally the colour for happiness and sunshine. So already the audience can sense a tone of difference portrayed in this film.
In the opening sequence, the music begins very quiet and slow. The camera moves through the water, wading through the weeds- a point of view shot- as the music continues to play. This creates suspense and tension since we cannot see the shark, and the connotation within the point of view camera movement can make the audience feel that they’re in the water; possibly swimming away from the shark themselves.
The music becomes louder and bolder, creating the illusion that something is about to happen next. However, the scene switches to a beach party instead of going straight into the attack immediately. This leaves the audience in suspense as we have to wait and see for when the shark does attack.
The camera slowly moves along the people at the beach; known as a pan camera movement. There is a large fire in the middle, this indicates something dangerous as fire symbolises fear and emergency and panic. However, this symbol contrasts with the general mood of the beach party, as the mouth organ is being played; people are talking, drinking, and looking relaxed. This particular scene does not imply or hint that a shark attack is about to happen (partly because of the fire, as well as being the symbol for danger, it also creates warmth and passion- which is not found in the sea, where of course the attack takes place). So when the attack does happen, it is slightly unexpected. Despite expecting an attack at the start of the film, since it was involving the sea.
During the beach party, the camera pulls back to show a wide shot of the sea. The audience can hear noises in the background, and a tracking camera movement is used as a boy runs after a girl. There is no sound as the girl is swimming. Then the camera shows the point of view movement of the shark through the water and the bold music begins to play. This shot is almost a replica to the opening sequence. Since nothing happened during the beginning, the audience may feel that the attack will occur the second time round.
A low angle is shown of the girl slightly kicking her legs in the water. The camera slowly zooms in, and this shows the audience how close the shark is to getting the girl. The attack takes place; the girl thrashes around in the water screaming which creates a mood of fear and panic. There are also pauses in the attack, and this may be because the audience can savour it since it doesn’t happen all in one go in a matter of seconds. Again, the audience cannot see the shark attacking the girl, so we are left with our imagination to conjure up an image of this blood-thirsty predator.
The scene ends with a still camera shot of the sea. I think this creates a great deal of suspense since the peaceful and calm atmosphere is a contrast to the vicious attack moments before. The audience doesn’t know whether the shark is suddenly going to rise out of the water, or if the boy will swim out into the sea and therefore become killed himself; and this can create tension.
In the 5th scene, which is my second example, the scene takes place on a crowded beach. The camera uses a tracking shot of a young boy as he ambles up to his mother and pleads her to let him have another 10 minutes in the sea. The camera then follows him as he goes to get his lilo and this can create suspense since the audience isn’t sure whether the boy will be the shark’s next victim. In some ways, it seems it, because of the emphasis of “letting him go back in the sea” and the fact that his swim shorts are red (red being the colour that attracts sharks as well as being symbolic for danger, fear, and blood). However, some may argue that a young boy being killed by a shark is quite excessive and unnecessary for a film. So the audience is left in anticipation to see what happens.
A character in the film, named Brody, is also at the beach. He watches the different people and seems agitated.
The audience is introduced to different possibilities of the shark’s next victim. This can create suspense since we don’t know who it will be. First, there is the man throwing sticks in the water for his dog to catch- both the man and his dog are possible victims since they are near the sea and it may be that the man has to go in the water himself just in case his dog needs helping.
There is also the large lady floating in the water. Brody spots a black shiny shape swimming towards the woman; and then we realise that it’s just the top of an old man’s swim hat as he swims through the water. The camera shot is level with the water and large lady, so it may make the audience feel that they’re in the sea too.
Then, Brody sees a young woman screaming and splashing about in the water. He stands up, ready for action, and then realises it was her boyfriend lifting her up from the water. These two false alarms create suspense for the audience since they expect the attack to happen and it doesn’t. So when the build-up to the real attack occurs, some may not believe it will really happen- which may bring a shock for when it actually does.
A tracking shot is used as the boy rushes into the water with his yellow lilo, and the man calls for his dog. This implies that something fearful is about to happen since his dog has gone missing. This creates suspense since the audience does not know why and how the dog is gone; and whether he’ll return or not.
A low angle is used as the boy’s legs kick under the water, as the girl did in the beginning of the film. The attack is seen in the distance and the long shot indicates that the people on the beach are too far away to save the boy. A general panic occurs as people rush out of the water and again, we do not see the shark and are left with our own interpretation. During this, Brody realises what is happening and the camera quickly zooms in on his terrified face. The zooming-in camera shot signifies the attack as powerful and large, coming towards him; which of course reflects back on what the actual shark itself is like.
After the attack is over, a strange sense of calm settles. The yellow lilo washes up on the shore, soaked with diluted blood. A high angle is used, and I find this interesting since it means the audience is looking down on what is left of the boy; and most people would say we look down when we are mourning (looking down at a grave at a funeral, for example).
The colour yellow is used as the symbolic colour for danger and warning throughout the scene. The man who owns the dog is wearing yellow shorts, and his dog (so it seems) has been attacked by the shark. The boy was floating on a yellow lilo, and he became the shark’s second victim. This contrasts with the typical colour for danger (red or black) and it is normally the colour for happiness and sunshine. So already the audience can sense a tone of difference portrayed in this film.
Nine Horses- Billy Collins
“For my birthday, my wife gave me nine horse heads”. The bizarre and direct opening of Billy Collins’ “Nine Horses” instantly prepares the reader for what one assumes are encouraging themes of eccentricity, originality, and wit. It is only upon reaching the third line of the first stanza where the modest implication of death and restriction is noted: “ghostly photographs on squares of black marble, nine squares set in one large square.” The assonance of the ‘gho’ and ‘pho’ introduce a tone of supernaturalism since these sounds are often associated with ghosts; with the nine horse heads, metaphorically speaking, ‘trapped’ behind the frames of the photographs, constrained of freedom and held against a colour often related to loss and grief.
A key theme of weakness is revealed where the first person mentions the sculpture is “so heavy that the artist himself volunteered to hang it”; with senses of primitiveness and hostility used within the choice of hard materials and cold colours: “from a wood beam against a white stone wall”. The first stanza reveals how disconnected the horses are to any warmth or understanding, and it is this poignancy grown from their alienation which haunts the entire poem.
The imagery of colour is used in a various number of ways, such as symbolising the energy and life of the horses and representing what is good and evil in the poem. “Pale heads of horses in profile” shows the sheer weakness and fragility of the horses, but also suggests that their photographs were taken when they were dead, adding to the poem’s developing feel of voyeurism. The following line, “as if a flashcube had caught them walking in the night” introduces the theme of spying through the use of the word “caught”, with the pathetic fallacy of the night representing darkness and horror.
This feel of intimidation leads onto the third stanza, referring to the two lines: “pale horse heads that overlook my reading chair” and “the photographer standing over them.” Repetition is used on the paleness of the horses to emphasise their lack of spirit and vitality, with the looming of their heads above him creating an eerie and unsettling image. The characterization of the photographer is callous and dominant, as he looks down on the horses and invades their personal space. He is also seen as villainous, “his black car parked by the stable door”, which refers back to the use of colour signifying him as dark, mysterious, and evil character. Through their suffering and humiliation, “the mouths so agape they could be dead”, the horses may have come back to haunt the protagonist of the poem in a possible act of revenge, eerily watching over him with “eyes so hollow they must be weeping.”
Our eyes are often known as ‘the windows to our souls’, so if the horses are baring no expression in their eyes then this implies that their own souls are indeed empty; linking back to the tone of absence and the horse’s isolation from all that is humane.
The poem’s free-verse pattern reflects the surprisingly casual tone of the protagonist in the beginning. They do not seem to be seriously horrified by the gift their wife has bought them, nor are they overwhelmed with gratitude. Instead they appear to be sympathetic and full of sorrow: “it hardly matters, such sadness is gathered here.” The sixth stanza pinpoints the horses’ lack of freedom: “so far from the pasture”, and their distance from the comforting faces of saviours: “the face of St. Bartholomew, the face of St. Agnes.”
A focus is brought on the horses through the common use of enjambments, since each time they are mentioned a new separate line begins. It is as if they are given a title, the horses are entitled to an authority that they lacked when they were powerlessly lying on the ground whilst the photographer took pictures.
The horses fail to show strength in identity and individuality since they all appear to look the same: “nine white horses, or one horse the camera has multiplied by nine”, which also introduces a feel of not knowing what the real truth is. The horses are represented as worthless in the opening line to the seventh stanza: “odd team of horses pulling nothing”, meaning that their work is not needed indeed futile.
However, the horses take on a more powerful role within the next several stanzas as the protagonist places themselves as their inferior. After emotive impressions of vulnerability the horses become “gods”, disapproving of the protagonist’s lifestyle: “look down on these daily proceedings”. The reader is given an insight to how the protagonist lives, and it soon becomes evident that their life is as impassive and haunting as the faces of the horses themselves: “look down upon this table and these glasses, the furled napkins, the evening wedding of the knife and fork”.
The setting appears to be ordered and controlled, with personification used with the knife and fork to represent how the protagonist and his wife live, since romantic imagery is used from the words “evening wedding”. It is expected for a knife and fork to be placed together, as it is expected for a husband to love his wife, with the connotations of these two cold and sharp objects representing bitterness and brutality in their marriage. The whole image suggests that their relationship is ritualistic and based on impression, and from this the horses show their displeasure so that the humans “may rejoice in the error of our ways.”
As the poem was written in the one year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, this line relates to the corrupt nature of humans and how society has lost its connection with one another. Since they are animals, the horses know nothing of the powerful emotions which trigger humans to act in the barbaric way they do, and in a sense they are therefore the stronger species. It is already implied that the horses are more patient than humans: “your gentle forbearance”, and through their simple and pure minds they could easily teach humans lessons in morality and integrity.
Besides this, the general presence of horses can also create feelings of unease due to their large builds and effortless ability to seriously harm or kill. The poem seems to capture a tone of apparition through the morbid imagery of the horse heads alone, with this representation dating back to the iconic scene in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” (1972) where character Jack Woltz wakes up to find the executed head of his racehorse in his bed.
The imagery of a séance is used in the lines “look down on this ring of candles flickering under your pale heads” which connects with the ghost imagery and again gives the horses the superiority of looking down on the humans.
The last three lines conclude the positions of the humans and the horses: “be the bridle that keeps us from straying from each other, be the cinch that fastens us to the belly of each day, as it gallops away, hooves sparking into the night”. The humans are locked together, incapable of expressing true emotions or feelings, whilst the horses, no longer on earth, are given full reign in the beauty of freedom.
A key theme of weakness is revealed where the first person mentions the sculpture is “so heavy that the artist himself volunteered to hang it”; with senses of primitiveness and hostility used within the choice of hard materials and cold colours: “from a wood beam against a white stone wall”. The first stanza reveals how disconnected the horses are to any warmth or understanding, and it is this poignancy grown from their alienation which haunts the entire poem.
The imagery of colour is used in a various number of ways, such as symbolising the energy and life of the horses and representing what is good and evil in the poem. “Pale heads of horses in profile” shows the sheer weakness and fragility of the horses, but also suggests that their photographs were taken when they were dead, adding to the poem’s developing feel of voyeurism. The following line, “as if a flashcube had caught them walking in the night” introduces the theme of spying through the use of the word “caught”, with the pathetic fallacy of the night representing darkness and horror.
This feel of intimidation leads onto the third stanza, referring to the two lines: “pale horse heads that overlook my reading chair” and “the photographer standing over them.” Repetition is used on the paleness of the horses to emphasise their lack of spirit and vitality, with the looming of their heads above him creating an eerie and unsettling image. The characterization of the photographer is callous and dominant, as he looks down on the horses and invades their personal space. He is also seen as villainous, “his black car parked by the stable door”, which refers back to the use of colour signifying him as dark, mysterious, and evil character. Through their suffering and humiliation, “the mouths so agape they could be dead”, the horses may have come back to haunt the protagonist of the poem in a possible act of revenge, eerily watching over him with “eyes so hollow they must be weeping.”
Our eyes are often known as ‘the windows to our souls’, so if the horses are baring no expression in their eyes then this implies that their own souls are indeed empty; linking back to the tone of absence and the horse’s isolation from all that is humane.
The poem’s free-verse pattern reflects the surprisingly casual tone of the protagonist in the beginning. They do not seem to be seriously horrified by the gift their wife has bought them, nor are they overwhelmed with gratitude. Instead they appear to be sympathetic and full of sorrow: “it hardly matters, such sadness is gathered here.” The sixth stanza pinpoints the horses’ lack of freedom: “so far from the pasture”, and their distance from the comforting faces of saviours: “the face of St. Bartholomew, the face of St. Agnes.”
A focus is brought on the horses through the common use of enjambments, since each time they are mentioned a new separate line begins. It is as if they are given a title, the horses are entitled to an authority that they lacked when they were powerlessly lying on the ground whilst the photographer took pictures.
The horses fail to show strength in identity and individuality since they all appear to look the same: “nine white horses, or one horse the camera has multiplied by nine”, which also introduces a feel of not knowing what the real truth is. The horses are represented as worthless in the opening line to the seventh stanza: “odd team of horses pulling nothing”, meaning that their work is not needed indeed futile.
However, the horses take on a more powerful role within the next several stanzas as the protagonist places themselves as their inferior. After emotive impressions of vulnerability the horses become “gods”, disapproving of the protagonist’s lifestyle: “look down on these daily proceedings”. The reader is given an insight to how the protagonist lives, and it soon becomes evident that their life is as impassive and haunting as the faces of the horses themselves: “look down upon this table and these glasses, the furled napkins, the evening wedding of the knife and fork”.
The setting appears to be ordered and controlled, with personification used with the knife and fork to represent how the protagonist and his wife live, since romantic imagery is used from the words “evening wedding”. It is expected for a knife and fork to be placed together, as it is expected for a husband to love his wife, with the connotations of these two cold and sharp objects representing bitterness and brutality in their marriage. The whole image suggests that their relationship is ritualistic and based on impression, and from this the horses show their displeasure so that the humans “may rejoice in the error of our ways.”
As the poem was written in the one year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, this line relates to the corrupt nature of humans and how society has lost its connection with one another. Since they are animals, the horses know nothing of the powerful emotions which trigger humans to act in the barbaric way they do, and in a sense they are therefore the stronger species. It is already implied that the horses are more patient than humans: “your gentle forbearance”, and through their simple and pure minds they could easily teach humans lessons in morality and integrity.
Besides this, the general presence of horses can also create feelings of unease due to their large builds and effortless ability to seriously harm or kill. The poem seems to capture a tone of apparition through the morbid imagery of the horse heads alone, with this representation dating back to the iconic scene in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” (1972) where character Jack Woltz wakes up to find the executed head of his racehorse in his bed.
The imagery of a séance is used in the lines “look down on this ring of candles flickering under your pale heads” which connects with the ghost imagery and again gives the horses the superiority of looking down on the humans.
The last three lines conclude the positions of the humans and the horses: “be the bridle that keeps us from straying from each other, be the cinch that fastens us to the belly of each day, as it gallops away, hooves sparking into the night”. The humans are locked together, incapable of expressing true emotions or feelings, whilst the horses, no longer on earth, are given full reign in the beauty of freedom.
Carol Ann Duffy's "Salome"- Language, Form, Structure, Themes
“I’d done it before (and doubtless I’ll do it again, sooner or later)”. In Carol Ann Duffy’s sinister “Salome”, the themes of power, callousness, and threat are indicated within the opening line to the unsuspecting reader. The protagonist instantly shows the most supremacy and dominance through the use of the first person and the fact that only they know what they mean when referring to “done it before”. The brackets in the second line give a conversational and almost careless tone, as if the narrator were breaking off in their introduction to tell the reader something else; with the words “sooner or later” introducing the poem’s main theme of chilling suspense and threat.
Following on from the conversational theme, the protagonist moves on to reveal the setting: “woke up with a head on the pillow beside me”, which implies that these two people have slept together, and that it was possibly a one night stand: “-whose?- what did it matter?”. While these two rhetorical questions contribute to the theme of the protagonist calmly conversing with the reader, the questions can also be interpreted as this person’s possible insanity and their incapability to complete a full sentence without breaking off or going on a different track; an indication of their unsteady and complicated character.
It is in the seventh line of the first stanza where Duffy uses important choices of words to give descriptions different meanings and allowing the reader to draw up their own interpretations, introducing the theme of ambiguity. For instance, on first reading “the reddish beard”, the reader may think that the man’s natural hair colour is simply auburn or red where of course towards the end of the poem they learn that it is actually blood. This links with the description of his dark hair: “rather matted”, where it is common for most people’s hair to be matted when they first wake in the morning, only his hair is matted possibly due to the blood or sweat caused by his likely fear.
Towards the end of the first stanza, the protagonist refers back to what they did with the man: “and a beautiful crimson mouth that obviously knew how to flatter… which I kissed…” Again, the “beautiful crimson mouth” can relate back to the blood imagery, with the use of the ellipses showing the person wistfully thinking about the past events; creating a nostalgic tone as their mind goes back in time. The ellipses also represent their thoughts slowing down after become rushed and frantic through the enjambments and frequent use of semi-colons and commas with no full-stops to represent pause. As well as this, the ellipses could also have been used to set a calm and paced tone, contrasting with the brutal sounds of the previous assonances used: matter, matted, lighter, laughter.
Duffy sets the bitter theme of chill and cold in the oxymoron: “colder than pewter. Strange. What was his name? Peter?” Being a metal, the pewter represents the man as something hard, cold, and stiff; linking with the ambiguous theme since he is dead and so therefore he would be cold. The person’s pause is shown through the full-stop after the word “strange” and refers back to the un-nerving and disturbing tone as it shows them considering what has happened and taking their time as they think.
The story of “Salome” goes back in time to Christian mythology where Salome was the daughter of Herodias and the stepdaughter of Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee in Palestine. St. John the Baptist condemned the marriage as he saw it as incestuous since Herod was the half-brother of Herodias’ previous husband (Philip); causing Herod to imprison John but fearing to have him killed because John was so popular. Salome was then pressured by her mother to ‘seduce’ Herod by performing a dance before him and then, (at her mother’s request), demanding John’s head on a platter, and Herod did so.
The Religious imagery is shown in the beginning of the second stanza: “Simon? Andrew? John?” where all these names are the names of Saints, John relating to John the Baptist, whilst proving the woman’s sheer calculating and menacing character as she condemns what are represented as “good” men. Going by the story, the reader can now assume the protagonist is probably a woman- although it is possible the person can be a homosexual man, it is unlikely.
Duffy gives the reader a hint to the woman’s personality in the line: “I knew I’d feel better for tea, dry toast, no butter”, where through this it is implied that her life is dry and un-flavoured and that she herself cannot be buttered up. The reference to a Victorian theme is shown in the next line: “so rang for the maid” and again shows the woman’s authority and power as she doesn’t even have to communicate with the maid.
The structure of the maid’s work is set out in what would be her rhythm as she’s working: “her innocent clatter, her clearing of clutter, her regional platter.” The end sounds “er” give a brutal and sudden sound and are also onomatopoeia’s as they match the sounds that the maid would be making. The theme of identity loss is noted in the second stanza, where the woman misses out “I” in sentences where it is needed: “so rang for the maid” and “where just what needed”. This can mean she either doesn’t want to sound like she has to do something in order to get what she wants, and therefore keeping control of her powerful image; or simply because she may be losing this power as the truth is starting to unravel.
Sex and impurity are the main themes for stanza three, where the woman is represented as dirty: “I needed to clean up my act”, where the line: “cut out the booze and the fags and the sex” indicate her life as meaningless and insufficient as these are slang words and fail to produce class or real pleasure in their meaning. The structure of the line is continuous and set out like a routine, and then stops abruptly with the “yes.”, as she pauses to consider a new lifestyle.
“It was time to turf out the blighter” refers back to the theme of power as the man is seen as a customer with the woman appearing in complete control, with anthropomorphism used in the line “the beater or biter, who’d come like a lamb to the slaughter to Salome’s bed”. Finally, the woman is given some identity, in which she refers herself to Salome with the power of seduction and lust to defeat what is portrayed as her feeble and naïve prey.
The format of the fourth and final stanza is structured differently compared with the previous stanzas. There is no specific format in the stanzas as they are set out carelessly with no real direction or rhyming scheme, representing the woman’s causal approach to what she did. But the fourth stanza is set out in the format of a quatrain, with the indication of insanity as suggested in the beginning: “I saw my eyes glitter”. The line “I flung back the sticky red sheets” indicate her as a proud chef or waiter presenting what they have produced in a proud flourish, with the possibility that what she has done to the man happened the night before, “sticky”, as blood is sticky when it’s clotting, so the reader knows it’s old. The third line of the stanza shows that the woman has not changed as she was in the beginning, as she still breaks off whilst in the middle of concluding her murder, and presenting the final theme of menacing satisfaction: “and there, like I said- and ain’t life a bitch- was his head on a platter”.
Following on from the conversational theme, the protagonist moves on to reveal the setting: “woke up with a head on the pillow beside me”, which implies that these two people have slept together, and that it was possibly a one night stand: “-whose?- what did it matter?”. While these two rhetorical questions contribute to the theme of the protagonist calmly conversing with the reader, the questions can also be interpreted as this person’s possible insanity and their incapability to complete a full sentence without breaking off or going on a different track; an indication of their unsteady and complicated character.
It is in the seventh line of the first stanza where Duffy uses important choices of words to give descriptions different meanings and allowing the reader to draw up their own interpretations, introducing the theme of ambiguity. For instance, on first reading “the reddish beard”, the reader may think that the man’s natural hair colour is simply auburn or red where of course towards the end of the poem they learn that it is actually blood. This links with the description of his dark hair: “rather matted”, where it is common for most people’s hair to be matted when they first wake in the morning, only his hair is matted possibly due to the blood or sweat caused by his likely fear.
Towards the end of the first stanza, the protagonist refers back to what they did with the man: “and a beautiful crimson mouth that obviously knew how to flatter… which I kissed…” Again, the “beautiful crimson mouth” can relate back to the blood imagery, with the use of the ellipses showing the person wistfully thinking about the past events; creating a nostalgic tone as their mind goes back in time. The ellipses also represent their thoughts slowing down after become rushed and frantic through the enjambments and frequent use of semi-colons and commas with no full-stops to represent pause. As well as this, the ellipses could also have been used to set a calm and paced tone, contrasting with the brutal sounds of the previous assonances used: matter, matted, lighter, laughter.
Duffy sets the bitter theme of chill and cold in the oxymoron: “colder than pewter. Strange. What was his name? Peter?” Being a metal, the pewter represents the man as something hard, cold, and stiff; linking with the ambiguous theme since he is dead and so therefore he would be cold. The person’s pause is shown through the full-stop after the word “strange” and refers back to the un-nerving and disturbing tone as it shows them considering what has happened and taking their time as they think.
The story of “Salome” goes back in time to Christian mythology where Salome was the daughter of Herodias and the stepdaughter of Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee in Palestine. St. John the Baptist condemned the marriage as he saw it as incestuous since Herod was the half-brother of Herodias’ previous husband (Philip); causing Herod to imprison John but fearing to have him killed because John was so popular. Salome was then pressured by her mother to ‘seduce’ Herod by performing a dance before him and then, (at her mother’s request), demanding John’s head on a platter, and Herod did so.
The Religious imagery is shown in the beginning of the second stanza: “Simon? Andrew? John?” where all these names are the names of Saints, John relating to John the Baptist, whilst proving the woman’s sheer calculating and menacing character as she condemns what are represented as “good” men. Going by the story, the reader can now assume the protagonist is probably a woman- although it is possible the person can be a homosexual man, it is unlikely.
Duffy gives the reader a hint to the woman’s personality in the line: “I knew I’d feel better for tea, dry toast, no butter”, where through this it is implied that her life is dry and un-flavoured and that she herself cannot be buttered up. The reference to a Victorian theme is shown in the next line: “so rang for the maid” and again shows the woman’s authority and power as she doesn’t even have to communicate with the maid.
The structure of the maid’s work is set out in what would be her rhythm as she’s working: “her innocent clatter, her clearing of clutter, her regional platter.” The end sounds “er” give a brutal and sudden sound and are also onomatopoeia’s as they match the sounds that the maid would be making. The theme of identity loss is noted in the second stanza, where the woman misses out “I” in sentences where it is needed: “so rang for the maid” and “where just what needed”. This can mean she either doesn’t want to sound like she has to do something in order to get what she wants, and therefore keeping control of her powerful image; or simply because she may be losing this power as the truth is starting to unravel.
Sex and impurity are the main themes for stanza three, where the woman is represented as dirty: “I needed to clean up my act”, where the line: “cut out the booze and the fags and the sex” indicate her life as meaningless and insufficient as these are slang words and fail to produce class or real pleasure in their meaning. The structure of the line is continuous and set out like a routine, and then stops abruptly with the “yes.”, as she pauses to consider a new lifestyle.
“It was time to turf out the blighter” refers back to the theme of power as the man is seen as a customer with the woman appearing in complete control, with anthropomorphism used in the line “the beater or biter, who’d come like a lamb to the slaughter to Salome’s bed”. Finally, the woman is given some identity, in which she refers herself to Salome with the power of seduction and lust to defeat what is portrayed as her feeble and naïve prey.
The format of the fourth and final stanza is structured differently compared with the previous stanzas. There is no specific format in the stanzas as they are set out carelessly with no real direction or rhyming scheme, representing the woman’s causal approach to what she did. But the fourth stanza is set out in the format of a quatrain, with the indication of insanity as suggested in the beginning: “I saw my eyes glitter”. The line “I flung back the sticky red sheets” indicate her as a proud chef or waiter presenting what they have produced in a proud flourish, with the possibility that what she has done to the man happened the night before, “sticky”, as blood is sticky when it’s clotting, so the reader knows it’s old. The third line of the stanza shows that the woman has not changed as she was in the beginning, as she still breaks off whilst in the middle of concluding her murder, and presenting the final theme of menacing satisfaction: “and there, like I said- and ain’t life a bitch- was his head on a platter”.
England People Very Nice Review
“Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo?” declared a young Juliet Capulet, gazing out into the night sky from her bedroom window; her devotion and love poignantly evident as she yearned for a sighting of her newly-found sweetheart. It’s one of the most famous love scenes in English Literature, let alone the overall play by William Shakespeare. Yet Lucy Cuthbertson’s version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ takes on a much more challenging and somewhat more thought- provoking approach compared with the original. Think gang crime. Think teenage stabbings. Think heart-rending suicides. Where council estates separated rivals, hoodies on BMX’s circled the star-crossed lovers and longing hearts were as heavy as the hoop earrings.
So why adapt a play set in the 14th century and apply it to modern day? The audience of the Greenwich Theatre were certainly welcomed to grim and familiar scenes of rushing teenagers in tracksuits, whizzing BMX bikes, screams, physical abuse, and panic; whilst a memorial fence laced with flowers and photographs stood still and observant in the background. I for one were certainly hooked on this gripping and frantic opening, ignorant to the fact that this wasn’t the only source of difference and originality to be used in the play.
By modernising ‘Romeo and Juliet’ through costume, setting, and actions; Lucy Cuthbertson opened the eyes of teenagers to what is happening on our streets today. The whole performance succeeded to be a transfixing lesson (minus the classroom and lecturing teacher) and revealed to the audience how much danger these weapons and gangs can bring. Throughout the performance, no point was hidden or made unclear; otherwise, what would be the point? The real way to attract the attention of an audience is to be brutally obvious, so it is right there in front of them. Whether they like it or not, the message is getting through because they can’t drift off or draw up their own conclusions or interpretations.
For example, in the beginning of the performance, the stage was a concoction of youths punching and kicking teenagers of the similar age to the ground. At one point, Romeo and Juliet undressed at either side of the stage whilst getting ready for their wedding. Towards the end of the performance, a dismal and painfully manifest scene was created as the two lovers were zipped up in body bags and placed in the centre of the stage; following on from their heart-rending suicides.
One of the most effective points of the play for me was at the end, where we were shown the behaviour and reactions of the other characters regarding the tragic death of Romeo and Juliet. As in modern day, police officers arrived at the scene and the parents of the lovers broke down uncontrollably on discovering the tragedy. Because the performance was relevant to a 2009 South-Eastern London audience and the characters and actions were realistic and applied to modern day; I did not expect police tape to be wound round the stage during the scene of discovering the deaths, separating the actors and audience. Whereas some may say this was used to contribute to the dramatic scene, I felt that this caused the audience to become too closed off from what was happening.
The use of music also made a large impact on the performance. The traditional soundtrack of violins for this Shakespearean performance was demolished, and replaced with modern-day music to suit the theme and attract the members of the audience. It also contributed to the tension and emotions building up between the characters. For example, several times during the beginning of the performance; part of the song ‘4 Minutes’ by Madonna and Justin Timberlake was played as several of the characters prepared and got ready to go to the party held by the Capulet family. This increased the suspense as the song was about time and it was only a matter of short time before Romeo and Juliet would first meet.
Most of the relationships were believable, particularly Romeo and Juliet as between them there was a strong feel of chemistry and attraction that carried on throughout the performance until the very end. I didn’t especially believe the relationship between Romeo and Benvolio however, as Benvolio at times seemed to be in a completely different world; even in the beginning of the play he was on his own before getting attacked by a gang.
Overall, I felt the performance succeeded in bringing out a unique “voice”; that being a dramatic lesson in the danger of weapons and gangs, and showing how situations during Shakespearean time can still be easily applied to modern day. At the end of the play, the statement “put down your weapons” appeared on the screen in the back, acting like a reminder to the audience of the real intentions of this performance, and hopefully creating a large impact on their future lives.
So why adapt a play set in the 14th century and apply it to modern day? The audience of the Greenwich Theatre were certainly welcomed to grim and familiar scenes of rushing teenagers in tracksuits, whizzing BMX bikes, screams, physical abuse, and panic; whilst a memorial fence laced with flowers and photographs stood still and observant in the background. I for one were certainly hooked on this gripping and frantic opening, ignorant to the fact that this wasn’t the only source of difference and originality to be used in the play.
By modernising ‘Romeo and Juliet’ through costume, setting, and actions; Lucy Cuthbertson opened the eyes of teenagers to what is happening on our streets today. The whole performance succeeded to be a transfixing lesson (minus the classroom and lecturing teacher) and revealed to the audience how much danger these weapons and gangs can bring. Throughout the performance, no point was hidden or made unclear; otherwise, what would be the point? The real way to attract the attention of an audience is to be brutally obvious, so it is right there in front of them. Whether they like it or not, the message is getting through because they can’t drift off or draw up their own conclusions or interpretations.
For example, in the beginning of the performance, the stage was a concoction of youths punching and kicking teenagers of the similar age to the ground. At one point, Romeo and Juliet undressed at either side of the stage whilst getting ready for their wedding. Towards the end of the performance, a dismal and painfully manifest scene was created as the two lovers were zipped up in body bags and placed in the centre of the stage; following on from their heart-rending suicides.
One of the most effective points of the play for me was at the end, where we were shown the behaviour and reactions of the other characters regarding the tragic death of Romeo and Juliet. As in modern day, police officers arrived at the scene and the parents of the lovers broke down uncontrollably on discovering the tragedy. Because the performance was relevant to a 2009 South-Eastern London audience and the characters and actions were realistic and applied to modern day; I did not expect police tape to be wound round the stage during the scene of discovering the deaths, separating the actors and audience. Whereas some may say this was used to contribute to the dramatic scene, I felt that this caused the audience to become too closed off from what was happening.
The use of music also made a large impact on the performance. The traditional soundtrack of violins for this Shakespearean performance was demolished, and replaced with modern-day music to suit the theme and attract the members of the audience. It also contributed to the tension and emotions building up between the characters. For example, several times during the beginning of the performance; part of the song ‘4 Minutes’ by Madonna and Justin Timberlake was played as several of the characters prepared and got ready to go to the party held by the Capulet family. This increased the suspense as the song was about time and it was only a matter of short time before Romeo and Juliet would first meet.
Most of the relationships were believable, particularly Romeo and Juliet as between them there was a strong feel of chemistry and attraction that carried on throughout the performance until the very end. I didn’t especially believe the relationship between Romeo and Benvolio however, as Benvolio at times seemed to be in a completely different world; even in the beginning of the play he was on his own before getting attacked by a gang.
Overall, I felt the performance succeeded in bringing out a unique “voice”; that being a dramatic lesson in the danger of weapons and gangs, and showing how situations during Shakespearean time can still be easily applied to modern day. At the end of the play, the statement “put down your weapons” appeared on the screen in the back, acting like a reminder to the audience of the real intentions of this performance, and hopefully creating a large impact on their future lives.
Romeo and Juliet Review
“Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo?” declared a young Juliet Capulet, gazing out into the night sky from her bedroom window; her devotion and love poignantly evident as she yearned for a sighting of her newly-found sweetheart. It’s one of the most famous love scenes in English Literature, let alone the overall play by William Shakespeare. Yet Lucy Cuthbertson’s version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ takes on a much more challenging and somewhat more thought- provoking approach compared with the original. Think gang crime. Think teenage stabbings. Think heart-rending suicides. Where council estates separated rivals, hoodies on BMX’s circled the star-crossed lovers and longing hearts were as heavy as the hoop earrings.
So why adapt a play set in the 14th century and apply it to modern day? The audience of the Greenwich Theatre were certainly welcomed to grim and familiar scenes of rushing teenagers in tracksuits, whizzing BMX bikes, screams, physical abuse, and panic; whilst a memorial fence laced with flowers and photographs stood still and observant in the background. I for one were certainly hooked on this gripping and frantic opening, ignorant to the fact that this wasn’t the only source of difference and originality to be used in the play.
By modernising ‘Romeo and Juliet’ through costume, setting, and actions; Lucy Cuthbertson opened the eyes of teenagers to what is happening on our streets today. The whole performance succeeded to be a transfixing lesson (minus the classroom and lecturing teacher) and revealed to the audience how much danger these weapons and gangs can bring. Throughout the performance, no point was hidden or made unclear; otherwise, what would be the point? The real way to attract the attention of an audience is to be brutally obvious, so it is right there in front of them. Whether they like it or not, the message is getting through because they can’t drift off or draw up their own conclusions or interpretations.
For example, in the beginning of the performance, the stage was a concoction of youths punching and kicking teenagers of the similar age to the ground. At one point, Romeo and Juliet undressed at either side of the stage whilst getting ready for their wedding. Towards the end of the performance, a dismal and painfully manifest scene was created as the two lovers were zipped up in body bags and placed in the centre of the stage; following on from their heart-rending suicides.
One of the most effective points of the play for me was at the end, where we were shown the behaviour and reactions of the other characters regarding the tragic death of Romeo and Juliet. As in modern day, police officers arrived at the scene and the parents of the lovers broke down uncontrollably on discovering the tragedy. Because the performance was relevant to a 2009 South-Eastern London audience and the characters and actions were realistic and applied to modern day; I did not expect police tape to be wound round the stage during the scene of discovering the deaths, separating the actors and audience. Whereas some may say this was used to contribute to the dramatic scene, I felt that this caused the audience to become too closed off from what was happening.
The use of music also made a large impact on the performance. The traditional soundtrack of violins for this Shakespearean performance was demolished, and replaced with modern-day music to suit the theme and attract the members of the audience. It also contributed to the tension and emotions building up between the characters. For example, several times during the beginning of the performance; part of the song ‘4 Minutes’ by Madonna and Justin Timberlake was played as several of the characters prepared and got ready to go to the party held by the Capulet family. This increased the suspense as the song was about time and it was only a matter of short time before Romeo and Juliet would first meet.
Most of the relationships were believable, particularly Romeo and Juliet as between them there was a strong feel of chemistry and attraction that carried on throughout the performance until the very end. I didn’t especially believe the relationship between Romeo and Benvolio however, as Benvolio at times seemed to be in a completely different world; even in the beginning of the play he was on his own before getting attacked by a gang.
Overall, I felt the performance succeeded in bringing out a unique “voice”; that being a dramatic lesson in the danger of weapons and gangs, and showing how situations during Shakespearean time can still be easily applied to modern day. At the end of the play, the statement “put down your weapons” appeared on the screen in the back, acting like a reminder to the audience of the real intentions of this performance, and hopefully creating a large impact on their future lives.
So why adapt a play set in the 14th century and apply it to modern day? The audience of the Greenwich Theatre were certainly welcomed to grim and familiar scenes of rushing teenagers in tracksuits, whizzing BMX bikes, screams, physical abuse, and panic; whilst a memorial fence laced with flowers and photographs stood still and observant in the background. I for one were certainly hooked on this gripping and frantic opening, ignorant to the fact that this wasn’t the only source of difference and originality to be used in the play.
By modernising ‘Romeo and Juliet’ through costume, setting, and actions; Lucy Cuthbertson opened the eyes of teenagers to what is happening on our streets today. The whole performance succeeded to be a transfixing lesson (minus the classroom and lecturing teacher) and revealed to the audience how much danger these weapons and gangs can bring. Throughout the performance, no point was hidden or made unclear; otherwise, what would be the point? The real way to attract the attention of an audience is to be brutally obvious, so it is right there in front of them. Whether they like it or not, the message is getting through because they can’t drift off or draw up their own conclusions or interpretations.
For example, in the beginning of the performance, the stage was a concoction of youths punching and kicking teenagers of the similar age to the ground. At one point, Romeo and Juliet undressed at either side of the stage whilst getting ready for their wedding. Towards the end of the performance, a dismal and painfully manifest scene was created as the two lovers were zipped up in body bags and placed in the centre of the stage; following on from their heart-rending suicides.
One of the most effective points of the play for me was at the end, where we were shown the behaviour and reactions of the other characters regarding the tragic death of Romeo and Juliet. As in modern day, police officers arrived at the scene and the parents of the lovers broke down uncontrollably on discovering the tragedy. Because the performance was relevant to a 2009 South-Eastern London audience and the characters and actions were realistic and applied to modern day; I did not expect police tape to be wound round the stage during the scene of discovering the deaths, separating the actors and audience. Whereas some may say this was used to contribute to the dramatic scene, I felt that this caused the audience to become too closed off from what was happening.
The use of music also made a large impact on the performance. The traditional soundtrack of violins for this Shakespearean performance was demolished, and replaced with modern-day music to suit the theme and attract the members of the audience. It also contributed to the tension and emotions building up between the characters. For example, several times during the beginning of the performance; part of the song ‘4 Minutes’ by Madonna and Justin Timberlake was played as several of the characters prepared and got ready to go to the party held by the Capulet family. This increased the suspense as the song was about time and it was only a matter of short time before Romeo and Juliet would first meet.
Most of the relationships were believable, particularly Romeo and Juliet as between them there was a strong feel of chemistry and attraction that carried on throughout the performance until the very end. I didn’t especially believe the relationship between Romeo and Benvolio however, as Benvolio at times seemed to be in a completely different world; even in the beginning of the play he was on his own before getting attacked by a gang.
Overall, I felt the performance succeeded in bringing out a unique “voice”; that being a dramatic lesson in the danger of weapons and gangs, and showing how situations during Shakespearean time can still be easily applied to modern day. At the end of the play, the statement “put down your weapons” appeared on the screen in the back, acting like a reminder to the audience of the real intentions of this performance, and hopefully creating a large impact on their future lives.
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