July 16, 1945 is a day many physicists, scientists, and the world will remember in the project known as Trinity where a weapons test was held in the deserts of New Mexico 200 miles south from the Los Alamos area where many of these scientists would create the atomic bomb. A day that was overseen by J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team as they would create a weapon that had the ability to destroy cities and thus create a world of destruction as it would also set a chain of events leading to the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that went on for nearly 50 years but also terror that would engulf the world in how it can destroy itself. The film is about the man who would help create the atomic bomb as Oppenheimer is a man filled with complications as someone who had theories about quantum physics and what it could do while is also someone with political views that leaned towards communism as it would later get him in trouble in the 1950s as he would endure a hearing in the era of McCarthyism.
Christopher Nolan’s screenplay doesn’t follow a traditional narrative as it is largely non-linear as it focuses on Oppenheimer’s early life, working for the Manhattan Project in the 1940s, his chaotic personal life, post-war life, and two hearings in the 1950s that would also involve Lewis Strauss as the latter revolves around Strauss at a Senate confirmation hearing as it relates to the former who is questioned over being a communist. The script also showcases a world in which Oppenheimer would see things as it relates to quantum physics while also going into a world where he becomes part of a social circle in the late 1920s/1930s involving those with communist views including a young woman in Jean Tatlot (Florence Pugh) whom he would have an on-off affair with while later marrying Katherine Puening (Emily Blunt) who would stick by him despite his affair with Tatlot that would end in the early 1940s. Oppenheimer’s work through quantum physics and its theories that included collaborations with Ernest Lawrence (Josh Hartnett) and Edward Teller (Benny Safdie) as it gets the attention of the American military as they learn about stories of the Nazi Germany creating their own nuclear weapon program under the supervision of German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg (Matthias Schweighofer) whom Oppenheimer met in the 1930s in Switzerland.
Working with General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) and his then subordinate in Lt. Kenneth Nichols (Dane DeHaan), Oppenheimer would work with the military as they chose a remote area in the New Mexico deserts that would become Los Alamos as they also recruited many scientists, theorists, and others to create the atomic bomb. Even as there would be other places around the country including a location in Chicago headed by Enrico Fermi (Danny Deferrari) and David L. Hill (Rami Malek) who would have their own ideas as they would meet with Oppenheimer outside of their respective bases. Nolan would also play into Oppenheimer’s own personal issues as it relates to the fallout of his affair with Tatlot and the chaos in his marriage to Katherine as well as the aftermath of World War II as he becomes the advisor for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission headed by Lewis Strauss only for Oppenheimer’s ideas to restrict nuclear weapon development has him at odds with Strauss who has a storyline about his 1959 Senate confirmation hearing.
Nolan’s direction is definitely stylish as it plays into recurring images of water, stars, and fire that play into the mind of Oppenheimer who thinks about the destruction that he’s created. Shot on various locations at New Mexico, California, New Jersey, and bits of Switzerland on 65mm large-format film and IMAX 65mm film in both color and black-and-white film stock. Nolan creates a film that plays into a world that is ever-changing while using its non-linear narrative to move back and forth into stories that relates to Oppenheimer’s life as well as the 1954 security hearing and Strauss’ 1959 Senate confirmation hearing. Notably as Nolan uses a lot of wide and medium shots to cover the vast look of the locations as well some of the hearings with the latter providing a sense of claustrophobia for Oppenheimer’s hearing as it also include these close-ups that add to the drama. There are also elements of surrealism for scenes at Oppenheimer’s hearing that includes him having to talk about his affair with Tatlot as they’re having sex at the hearing with Katherine watching in horror.
Nolan also maintains this sense of drama as it relates to Oppenheimer’s post-war life and the emergence of the Cold War such as a scene at a posh restaurant that is presented in both black-and-white and color as it relates to mood in how it would affect later events. Notably as Oppenheimer also deals with figures such as Boris Pash (Casey Affleck) and William L. Borden (David Dastmalchian) who would try and discredit Oppenheimer in different periods of time as Nolan’s direction would have his camera not show their faces at first or re-show a shot from a different perspective as it plays into the drama. The Trinity sequence of that famed bombing is among one of the key moments in the film as it is about where the camera is as well as those watching from afar where the bomb is about to drop. There is also this tense moment as the countdown occurs as there is a lot of tension but also moments such as Oppenheimer and General Groves having a moment despite their own differences. It all leads to the bomb exploding as it is a key moment in the film but it is followed in this aftermath including a surreal moment in what Oppenheimer realized what he had created.
Nolan’s approach to the hearings as it has all of this drama where Strauss’ aide (Alden Ehrenreich) pieces everything that Strauss had been talking about as it relates to Oppenheimer. Even as it plays into the drama over Oppenheimer’s past as well as Katherine’s past due to her own brief affiliation with communism where the hearing is this chilling moment where Katherine is being grilled by Roger Robb (Jason Clarke) only for things to backfire. Even as it would parallel with Strauss’ hearing where it would play into some surprising revelations into why he and Oppenheimer had a falling out. Its ending plays to a scene as it relates to Oppenheimer meeting Albert Einstein (Tom Conti) that is shown early in the film but its conversation isn’t revealed until the end. It all relates to a quote about Prometheus and what he brought to the world as it alludes to the troubled legacy that Oppenheimer would bring to the world. Overall, Nolan crafts a gripping yet intoxicating film about the man who would bring the world a weapon that would destroy it.
Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for the scenes in Los Alamos and New Mexico including its usage of low-key lighting for the interior scenes at night while the black-and-white footage has a richness that play into the world that Strauss sees. Editor Jennifer Lame does incredible work with the film’s editing as its usage of montages, jump-cuts, and other stylish cut add to the drama as well as the usage of parallel moments in its non-linear narrative as it is a highlight of the film. Production designer Ruth de Jong, with supervising art director Samantha Englender plus set decorators Claire Kaufman, Olivia Peebles, and Adam Willis, does brilliant work with the look of the Los Alamos base including its houses, labs, and the tower where the bomb would drop for the Trinity project as well as the places that the characters lived in including the office where Oppenheimer has his hearing. Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick does excellent work with the costumes that play into the period of the time as well as the suit and Fedora hat that Oppenheimer wears as well as some of the dresses that Katherine and Tatlot would wear.
Prosthetic makeup designer Luisa Abel does terrific work with the makeup effects for a key scene in which Oppenheimer sees a young woman’s skin starting to peel away in a surreal moment as it relates to what Oppenheimer has done. The special effects work of Scott R. Fisher and Laurie Pellard, along with visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson, do amazing work with the visual effects with the usage of practical effects to create the sense of realism in what Oppenheimer sees as well as the explosions in the tests he and his team would create. Sound designer Richard King does remarkable work with the sound in the way certain gadgets would sound as well as the immense explosion of the Trinity bomb as it is a major highlight of the film. The film’s music by Ludwig Goransson is phenomenal for its mixture of eerie orchestral pieces as well as some electronic-based bits as it plays into the dramatic suspense and tension that looms into the film as well as the sense of dread as Goransson’s score is a major highlight of the film.
The casting by John Papsidera is marvelous as it features some notable small roles and appearances from Flora Nolan as the young woman Oppenheimer sees at an event following the Trinity project whose skin gets peeled by the bomb, Danny Deferrari as the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi who works in Chicago, James Remar as the then-Secretary of War in the 1940s in Henry Stimson, Emma Dumont as Oppenheimer’s sister-in-law Jackie, Macon Blair as Oppenheimer’s lawyer during the security hearings in Lloyd K. Garrison, Matthias Schweighofer as the German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg whom Oppenheimer meets in the 1930s, Jack Cutmore-Scott as Security Officer Lyall Johnson, James Urbaniak as the philosopher Kurt Godel whom Oppenheimer would meet in Switzerland, James D’Arcy as the experimental physicist Patrick Blackett whom Oppenheimer studied from at Cambridge back in 1926, Hap Lawrence as U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, Louise Lombard as Teller’s lover Ruth Tolman, Josh Zuckerman as one of Oppenheimer’s first students in Giovanni Rossi Lomanitz, and Gary Oldman in a superb one-scene appearance as U.S. President Harry S. Truman.
In roles as members of the team that helped Oppenheimer in creating the bomb include Michael Angarano as Robert Serber, Devon Bostick as Seth Neddemeyer, Olli Haaskivi as Edward Condon, Alex Wolff as a former student of Oppenheimer in Luis Walter Alvarez, Harrison Gilbertson as Philip Morrison, Jack Quaid as Richard Feynman, Josh Peck as Kenneth Bainbridge who would push the button for the Trinity bomb explosion, Gustaf Skarsgard as German-American physics theorist Hans Bethe, Christopher Denham as Klaus Fuchs who would later revealed to be a spy for the Soviet Union, and Olivia Thirlby as the lone woman in the team in Lilli Hornig who would play a key part in the development of the Trinity Project as they’re all fantastic in their roles with Angarano, Peck, Wolff, and Thirlby being the major standouts.
Other notable key small roles include Matthew Modine as Vannevar Bush who helps create the Manhattan Project, David Krumholtz as Oppenheimer’s friend Isidor Isaac Rabi who is also a physicist who is worried about the moral implications in creating the bomb, Dylan Arnold as Oppenheimer’s younger brother Frank who would help find the site for Los Alamos, Jefferson Hall as Haakon Chevalier as a friend of Oppenheimer with ties to communism, Tony Goldwyn as Gordon Gray as the head judge at Oppenheimer’s hearing, David Dastmalchian as William L. Borden as a government official who would write a letter to the FBI accusing Oppenheimer to be a spy for the Soviet Union, Dane DeHaan as General Groves’ subordinate Kenneth Nichols who would also try to discredit Oppenheimer in the 1950s, and Alden Ehrenreich as Strauss’ senate aide who accompanies Strauss during the hearing while trying to piece together Strauss’ relationship with Oppenheimer.
Tom Conti is excellent as Albert Einstein as the famed physicist/scientist whom Oppenheimer goes to advice over calculations as he would later meet Einstein years later in the 1950s as he laments over what Oppenheimer has created. Jason Clarke is superb as Roger Robb as a prosecutor at Oppenheimer’s hearing who is intent on bringing Oppenheimer and his associates down while Josh Hartnett is fantastic as Ernest Lawrence as a colleague at Berkeley who is aware of what Oppenheimer is creating though the two would later fall out for a time. Benny Safdie is brilliant as Edward Teller as the famed theoretical physicist who is a key figure that collaborates with Oppenheimer as well as coming up with the idea of the hydrogen bomb despite Oppenheimer’s views on nuclear weapons. Kenneth Branagh is amazing in his small role as Niels Bohr as the Danish physicist who is fascinated by Oppenheimer’s theories as he would be a mentor while also getting a look into Oppenheimer’s work.
Rami Malek and Casey Affleck are great in their performances in their respective small roles as physicist David L. Hill and Colonel Boris Pash with the former who worked in Chicago as he would later play a key role at Strauss’ hearing while the latter is a military official who tries to discredit Oppenheimer. Florence Pugh is incredible as Jean Tatlot as Oppenheimer’s lover in the 1930s who had communist views as they would have an unusual relationship only for things to disintegrate following his marriage to Katherine as their affair would later get troubling. Emily Blunt is marvelous as Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer as Oppenheimer’s wife who deals with her husband’s role and his affair as well as the things said about him where Blunt has a great moment upon being confronted by Robb at her husband’s security hearing as she destroyed him. Matt Damon is remarkable as General Leslie Groves as a military official who works with Oppenheimer despite their own differences as he sees the potential of what they’re creating as he also knows what is at stake during World War II.
Robert Downey Jr. is phenomenal as Lewis Strauss as the head at U.S. Atomic Energy Commission who would bring Oppenheimer as an advisor only to feel humiliated by Oppenheimer as he would have a falling out with Oppenheimer as he would later have a Senate confirmation hearing where he would talk about his issues with Oppenheimer as Downey shows restraint in his performance but also a lot of complexities into the character. Finally, there’s Cillian Murphy in a tremendous performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer as the famed theorist physicist who is called the Father of the Atomic Bomb as he is man that is filled with complications as he tries to figure out how to create something only to realize that he has created a chain of events that would trouble him. Murphy’s performance is filled with a lot of restraint but also anguish into a man who deals with a legacy that would haunt him as it is a career-defining performance from Murphy.
Oppenheimer is an outstanding film from Christopher Nolan that features a spectacular leading performance from Cillian Murphy. Along with its ensemble cast, immense technical work, a screenplay that explores a man’s troubled life and what he created, and Ludwig Goransson’s eerie music score. It is a film that is unlike many bio-pics as it focuses more on exploring the legacy of a man who would create a weapon for the world to destroy itself and the morality he would endure for his part in that creation. In the end, Oppenheimer is a magnificent film from Christopher Nolan.
Christopher Nolan Films: Following (1998 film) - Memento - Insomnia (2002 film) - Batman Begins - The Prestige - The Dark Knight - Inception - The Dark Knight Rises - Interstellar - Dunkirk - Tenet - The Auteurs #13: Christopher Nolan
© thevoid99 2023
Based on the books The Seed and the Sower and The Night of the New Moon by Sir Laurens van der Post, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is the story of a British POW who defies the Japanese while being their captor while another British officer tries to mediate between the two sides. Directed by Nagisa Oshima and screenplay by Oshima and Paul Mayersberg, the film is a look into life in a Japanese prison camp during World War II as well as how some cope with being in prison as some deal with their own guilt as it relates to the pain they’re suffering in camp. Starring David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takeshi Kitano, Jack Thompson, Johnny Okhura, Alistair Browning, and James Malcolm. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is a riveting and haunting film from Nagisa Oshima.
Set in 1942 at a Japanese prisoner of war camp, the film revolves around a new prisoner who would defy the orders of his captors leading to some intrigue and terror while another British officer tries to smooth things between both the British prisoners and the Japanese guards. It’s a film that play into a clash of cultures and ideals between two different factions as a few of them try to understand one another. The film’s screenplay by Nagisa Oshima and Paul Mayersberg opens with life at the camp where the British lieutenant colonel Lawrence (Tom Conti) confers with Sergeant Hara (Takeshi Kitano) about an incident involving a Dutch soldier and a Korean soldier as the latter tries to commit hara-kiri but fails as Lawrence is still new to the concept of hara-kiri. Upon the arrival of Major Jack Celliers (David Bowie) to the camp having been on trial by the Japanese war council as he is a rebellious figure who has caught the eye of POW camp’s commandant Captain Yonoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto) whom he sees as an equal.
The screenplay explore the dynamics of these four men at the camp with Lawrence and Sgt. Hara both being men who try to create a dialogue between both the British and Japanese while there are these two extremes in Celliers and Captain Yonoi with the latter seemingly having a fixation on the former. The script showcases the world of the camp as well as some of the labor the prisoners have to endure as the prisoners’ representative Captain Hicksley (Jack Thompson) has a hard time trying to deal with the Japanese despite being one of their captors. Upon viewing an act of seppuku which makes Lawrence and Captain Hicksley uneasy, things do intensify with Lawrence and Celliers getting into trouble over some misunderstandings as the latter admits to his own demons as some believe that Celliers is a demon that is trying to haunt Captain Yonoi.
Oshima’s direction has elements of style as it play into the life inside a POW camp. Shot mainly in Indonesia with some scenes shot in Cook Island and parts of Auckland, New Zealand, Oshima recreates the world of the Japanese prison camp where the prisoners don’t live in great conditions though Lawrence is given a bit of special privilege due to his friendship with Sgt. Hara. There are some unique compositions in the wide and medium shots that include a scene of Captain Yonoi doing a sword fight with another officer as a way to hold on to the ideas of the samurai. It’s a scene that showcases Japanese culture as it is foreign to the likes of Lawrence and Celliers as the former does become frustrated following a scene where Sgt. Hara is doing a traditional prayer with Captain Yonoi watching.
Oshima’s close-ups add to this intrigue between Captain Yonoi and Celliers as both men are both hiding some source of guilt as the former isn’t willing to show his feelings as he is consumed with shame. Celliers’ guilt would be unveiled in an extended flashback sequence as it relates to his own actions towards his little brother (James Malcolm). Oshima also play into this element of homosexual tendencies as it relates to the Dutch and Korean soldiers in the film’s opening scene but also within Captain Yonoi as it creates a lot of dramatic ambiguity into Celliers’ action during its climax. Its third act that does relate to the event of Christmas is more about action and its consequences as it is followed by a somber aftermath in the ending that takes place a year after World War II ended. Especially in light of the sense of inhumanity of war and how a few was able to try to bring some humanity back into themselves. Overall, Oshima crafts a rapturous yet evocative film about a culture clash and exploration of shame at a Japanese POW camp.
Cinematographer Toichiro Narushima does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of filters for a few nighttime exterior scenes at the camp along with some naturalistic imagery for the daytime scenes as well as a vibrantly-rich look for a dream sequence in the film. Editor Tomoyo Oshima does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into some of the dramatic tension that occurs within the film. Production designer Jusho Toda and art director Andrew Sanders do amazing work with the look of the prison camps as well as the places where the Japanese officers stay at including the room where Captain Yonoi practices his sword work.
Special effects supervisor Kevin Chisnall does nice work with the special effects as it is mainly for a shot for the film’s climax. Sound recordist Mike Westgate does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the camp as well as the sparse and natural sounds that occur within the film. The film’s music by Ryuichi Sakamoto is incredible for its mixtures of traditional Japanese string music, orchestral flourishes, and electronic textures as it add a lot of dramatic flair to the film while Sakamoto also contributes to the film’s theme song Forbidden Colours with David Sylvain while additional music include traditional choir pieces and Christmas songs.
The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles from Hideo Murota as a camp commandant who appears late in the film, Chris Broun as the twelve-year old Celliers, Kan Mikami as one of Captain Yonoi’s aides in Lt. Ito, Tamio Ishikura as a prosecutor in Celliers’ trial, Ryunosuke Kaneda as the trial judge in Col. Fujimura, Alistair Browning as the Dutch prisoner, Johnny Okhura as the Korean prisoner, and James Malcolm as Celliers’ younger brother whom he would become a victim of an event that played into Celliers’ guilt. Jack Thompson is fantastic as Group Captain Hicksley as the POW camp representative for the Allies who isn’t fond of being captured or having to answer to the Japanese but does try to hold on to some idea of civility but also stand his own ground on what he feels is right.
Takeshi Kitano is excellent as Sgt. Hara as a POW camp leader who handles punishments and such yet is a more reasonable man due to his growing friendship with Lawrence as well as being someone that cares about tradition as well as understanding the ideas of Western culture. Ryuichi Sakamoto is brilliant as Captain Yonoi as the POW camp commandant who is charged with overseeing the camp as he takes an interest in Celliers while trying to hide his own guilt and shame over an incident that occurred years ago as it is a chilling performance filled with anger and regret. Tom Conti is amazing as Lt. Colonel John Lawrence as a British officer who is trying to be civil with the Japanese as he befriends Sgt. Hara while having concerns for their own ideas including the concept of hara-kiri yet is amazed by their ideas of honor. Finally, there’s David Bowie in a phenomenal performance as Major Jack Celliers as a British officer captured by the Japanese as he tries to defy their orders and punishments while is consumed with guilt over his past as it a performance filled with humor and defiance as well as a sensitivity where Bowie gives a performance for the ages.
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is a tremendous film from Nagisa Oshima that features great performances from David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Takeshi Kitano. Along with its gorgeous visuals, Sakamoto’s evocative score, and exploration of cultural clashes in a prison camp. It is a film that explore different cultures, intrigue, guilt, and shame in a prison camp where four men are at the center of this emotional turmoil that is happening around them. In the end, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is an outstanding film from Nagisa Oshima.
Nagisa Oshima Films: (Tomorrow’s Sun) - (A Street of Love and Hope) - (Cruel Story of Youth) - (The Sun’s Burial) - (Night and Fog in Japan) - (The Catch) - (The Rebel) - (A Small Child’s First Adventure) - (It’s Me Here, Bellett) - (The Pleasures of the Flesh) - (Yunbogi’s Diary) - (Violence at High Noon) - (Tales of the Ninja/Band of Ninja) - (Sing a Song of Sex (A Treatsie on Japanese Bawdy Songs)) - (Double Suicide: Japanese Summer) - (Death by Hanging) - (Three Resurrected Drunkards) - (Diary of a Shinjuku Thief) - (Boy (1969 film)) - (Man Who Left His Will on Film) - (The Ceremony (1971 film)) - (Dear Summer Sister) – In the Realm of the Senses - Empire of Passion - (Max, Mon Amour) - (Taboo (1999 film))
© thevoid99 2020
Based on the play by William Shakespeare, The Tempest is the story of a duchess who has been exiled to a remote island with her daughter as she seeks revenge through magic as well as uncover the conspiracy by those who betrayed her. Written for the screen and directed by Julie Taymor, the film is a different take of the Shakespeare play where the Prospero character is changed from a man to a woman as she is played by Helen Mirren. Also starring Russell Brand, Felicity Jones, Djimon Hounsou, Ben Whishaw, Reeve Carney, Tom Conti, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming, David Strathairn, and Alfred Molina. The Tempest is a grand and stylish film from Julie Taymor.
Set in a remote island, the film plays into an exiled duchess who is seeking revenge through magic against those who usurped her as she hopes to reclaim what is hers as well as what her daughter is supposed to have. Much of it plays to Prospera’s thirst for vengeance as she had been wronged by many that includes the King of Naples Alonso (David Strathairn) and her own brother Antonio (Chris Cooper) as the latter was the mastermind for her exile. For 12 years, Prospera and her daughter Miranda (Felicity Jones) remain on this island as Prospera learns that Alonso’s ship is on route towards the island with his party as she sees this as an opportunity to exact her revenge. While she gets help from her spirit Ariel (Ben Whishaw), she deals with circumstances that are beyond her control once Miranda encounters Alonso’s son Ferdinand (Reeve Carney).
The film’s screenplay does retain much of the dialogue that Shakespeare wrote while Julie Taymor does create new interpretations in order to play into this drama about betrayal, conspiracies, and redemption. Even as Prospera is dealing with the betrayal from her brother as she was supposed to be in power as well as Miranda. Through a shipwreck that Prospera would cause from her magical powers, the survivors in Alonso, Antonio, Alonso’s brother Sebastian (Alan Cumming), and Alonso’s counselor Gonzalo (Tom Conti) go on a journey to find Ferdinand who was shipwrecked on another part of the island. There’s also another subplot involving a disgruntled slave of Prospera in Caliban (Djimon Hounsou) who would conspire with two of Alonso’s servants in Stephano (Alfred Molina) and Trinculo) into overthrowing Prospera. It all plays into people trying to get something while underestimating this duchess who finds herself dealing with not just her thirst for revenge but also for the future of her own daughter.
Taymor’s direction is definitely ambitious in terms of its visual scale while she would shoot the film entirely on islands in Hawaii and Lanai to play into its rugged look as well as its different settings such as woods and blacks sands. While Taymor’s use of wide shots are very prevalent, she does maintain a sense of intimacy in terms of the presentation of the performances. Notably in the use of close-ups and medium shots along with some inspiring usage of low-angles to play into the location where the actors use it as a stage and more. Taymor’s approach to directing actors doesn’t just have them recite Shakespeare but also in allowing the actors to create their own interpretations to those roles where there’s a looseness in the direction that is quite engaging to watch. Overall, Taymor creates a very thrilling and evocative film about a duchess seeking revenge from those who betrayed her.
Cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of lights for some of the interiors along with some of the nighttime exteriors as well as some colorful scenes set in the forests. Editor Francoise Bonnot does brilliant work with the editing with its usage of fast-cuts, dissolves, and other elements of style to play into the looseness of the film and its offbeat rhythm. Production designer Mark Friedberg and set decorator Alyssa Winter do amazing work with the look of Prospera‘s home and her workshop where she would create her own spells. Costume designer Sandy Powell does fantastic work with the costumes from the white dress that Miranda wears to the lavish cape and dress that Prospera wears.
Prosthetics makeup designer Mike Marino does superb work with the look of Caliban in his rugged look to play into his personality as well as the look of Ariel. Visual effects supervisor Mike Cooper does wonderful work with the visual effects as it plays into the world of mysticism and magic that surrounds Prospera. Sound designer Blake Leyh does nice work with the sound to convey the atmosphere of the locations as well as the sound effects from the spells that Prospera would make. The film’s music by Elliot Goldenthal is terrific for its mixture of bombastic orchestral music with elements of rock as it plays into its extravagance and some of its humor.
The film’s marvelous cast features some notable comic performances from Alfred Molina and Russell Brand in their respective roles as Stephano and Trinculo as two men who are eager to gain the riches of their employers while conspiring with Caliban in overtaking Prospera. Ben Whishaw is terrific as the spirit Ariel as he brings some humor as a figure who helps Prospera while Djimon Hounsou is excellent as the disgruntled slave Caliban who feels unappreciated by Prospera as he hopes to get rid of her. Tom Conti is superb as Alonso’s counselor Gonzalo who was a mentor of Prospera as he tries to make sense of the situation. Alan Cumming is wonderful as Alonso’s brother Sebastian who is a conspirator of Prospera’s exile as he is coerced into trying to do the same to his own brother.
David Strathairn is amazing as King Alonso of Naples as a king who is concerned with finding his son while dealing with some issues in the past as it relates to Prospera. Chris Cooper is brilliant as the devious Antonio who masterminded the exile on his sister as he tries to maintain some power for himself in the hopes that he can be important. Reeve Carney is fantastic as Ferdinand as Alonso’s son who meets Miranda and Prospera as he tries to win over the latter as he reveals to be a good person and a worthy match for Miranda. Felicity Jones is an absolute delight as Miranda as this young woman who falls for Ferdinand while trying to aid her mother in the plans as she knows the role that she is destined to play. Finally, there’s Helen Mirren in an incredible performance as Prospera as Mirren is just so commanding in everything she does while bringing a lot of gravitas to a woman betrayed and seeking vengeance while displaying some sensitivity as it relates to her daughter as Mirren is the star of the film.
The Tempest is a marvelous film from Julie Taymor that features a phenomenal performance from Helen Mirren. The film isn’t just a unique and stylish take on the William Shakespeare play but also a dazzling interpretation that manages to be funny and dramatic. In the end, The Tempest is a rapturous film from Julie Taymor.
Julie Taymor Films: Titus (1999 film) - Frida - Actross the Universe - The Auteurs #42: Julie Taymor
© thevoid99 2014
