MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 1993 David N. Butterworth/The Summer Pennsylvanian
Kenneth Branagh's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING proves that his critically acclaimed 1989 production of HENRY V was no fluke.
With his new film, Branagh once again brings one of William Shakespeare's most popular works lovingly to the screen. Some might argue that a second adaptation of the Bard in four feature films is nothing less than egotistical on the part of this "brilliant" young director/actor. But fortunately Branagh, the golden boy of British cinema, doesn't let his ego interfere with the task at hand, and it's to his credit that Shakespeare is very much the star here.
Shot exclusively on location in Italy, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING is a lusty, vigorous, sun-drenched romp in which two parallel love affairs intertwine with comedic and dramatic results. It's a 17th Century picnic, with love, lust and trouble being but a few of its main ingredients. The rousing title sequence, in which the pounding hooves of horses bringing men home from battle are cut against the eager rushings of womenfolk readying themselves, sets the tone for the sensual imagery that is to follow.
Branagh and real-life spouse Emma Thompson (last year's Oscar winner for HOWARD'S END) play Benedick and Beatrice, mental sparring partners that put even Burton and Taylor to shame. "If her breath were as terrible as her terminations, there were no living near her," snips Benedick after one particularly heated interchange.
The skirmishes of wit between them is matched only by their dogged determination to remain single. Benedick is little more than a blowhard and Beatrice, although more well-rounded, freely confesses that marriage is not for her--"not till God make men of some other metal than earth." It's pretty obvious that they have the hots for each other, and it's great fun witnessing the transformation of their put-downs, cuts and slurs into suggestive come-ons and gooey-eyed fawnings. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING may be almost 400 years old, but time has not dated this battle of the sexes.
As an actor, Branagh's command of Shakespeare is impressive, and his flamboyant soliloquies and readings bring new life and vitality to the words. And Thompson, whose acid-tongued Beatrice is "born to speak all mirth, and no matter," is equal to Branagh. Together, their performances make the language viable and altogether accessible.
Although the nubile young lovers Claudio (played by Robert Sean Leonard, the aspiring actor in "Dead Poets Society") and Hero (newcomer Kate Beckinsale) have less to do than Benedick and Beatrice, their youthful innocence and exuberance for life perfectly complements their warring counterparts. Theirs is a love that is about to be undone by the treachery of others.
In addition to the leads, Branagh has assembled a stellar cast of ensemble actors. Denzel Washington is fine and upstanding in the role of the dashing Don Pedro, and his intimate scene with Thompson is quite touching. Keanu Reeves' villainous Don John is all sneer and no shirt, a well-greased torso that inspires hisses from the audience at every turn. Heinous facial hair, Ted!
There are some familiar faces among the supporting cast as well. Brian Blessed, the wooly, teddy-bearish character actor of many British films, guffaws his way through his role of Antonio with roguish aplomb. And Richard Briers (of the British television import, "Good Neighbors") is equally affable as the patriarch Leonato, under whose impressive da Vincian auspices this tapestry of lies, deceit and revenge unravels.
As in many of Shakespeare's plays, there's a bawdy entourage of assorted bit players designed to add some levity to proceedings. Michael Keaton's Dogberry, Constable of the Watch, is more or less a reprisal of his character in BEETLEJUICE, a confusion of facial contortions and bad teeth. Unfortunately, some of his character's choicest malapropisms are lost in the shuffle.
Although the film is a comedy, there are some dark and fiery moments to offset the lighthearted revelry. These are best exemplified in the wedding scene, in which the falsely accused Hero is attacked by both her father and her betrothed, Claudio. This scene, in which Hero's friends and family are slow to protect her, is quite terrifying. When MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING gets serious, it is genuinely powerful, and Branagh (as director) does a fine job of balancing wit, melodrama and tenderness.
"Man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion" waxes Benedick eloquently towards the end of the film. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING is itself a giddy thing, a good looking film, full of good looking people--fresh faces, fine features, and firm, bronzed skin. Summer has indeed arrived!
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