| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1998) |
| Director | John Madden |
| Writer | Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard |
| Lead Actor | Joseph Fiennes |
| Cast | Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Imelda Staunton |
| Genre | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
| Release Date | December 11, 1998 (United States) |
| Duration | 2h 3m (123 min) |
| Budget | $25 million |
| Language | English |
| IMDb Rating | 7.1/10 |
| Awards | Won 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow), and Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench) |
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SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
In this affectionate tribute to the master of all playwrights, young Will Shakespeare, trying to write a dumb commercial-hit comedy and stressed by writer’s block, falls for a beautiful aristocrat. He will sadly lose her to an arranged marriage typical of the time. Events intertwine with and clearly inspire his writing of his first great tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. (The movie ends with its debut staging in an early version of the Globe Theatre.)
This is mostly speculation and whimsy by writers Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, since little is known of Shakespeare’s life. But it’s a clever concoction, weaving late 16th-century social realities and funny stuff about show biz. Enduring icons of the period range from Elizabeth I (a witty cameo by Judi Dench) to Kit Marlowe and Richard Burbage (who was to play most of the bard’s great roles). Best of all, it gives a face and personality (intense, dark-eyed Joseph Fiennes) to the ever-shadowy Shakespeare, who can now become “real” to the movie generation.
Will’s love, Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow), is smitten with the stage forbidden to females at the time. She costumes herself not very convincingly to play Romeo in the potboiler Will is crafting to save the company from bankruptcy and physical threats from creditors. There is much comical rowdiness and gender-disguising typical of Shakespeare. The tragic mood of R&J and its reflection in Will’s and Viola’s lives surges and moves.
The film’s value to drama and history students, including sharp commentary on the status of women and moral hypocrisy, needs to be balanced by the bawdiness of the stage folks and the romantic 1990’s-ish treatment of the sexual affair. (The bard’s Romeo and Juliet were, of course, married and so overwhelmed by exuberance they were not required to make love in front of us to impress us.)
Yet the rich detail and quality of director John (Mrs. Brown) Madden’s vision dominate. When in an ironic twist the about to leave forever Viola comes back to save the show, there’s not a dry eye among the groundlings (or us). Recommended for mature audiences.
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