Roland Emmerich's Anonymous - a Review

Since the mid-1800s, a controversy about the authorship of Shakespeare's plays has been debated back and forth. "Anonymous" is the culmination of that debate that tries to reconcile those theories by offering what, by some, is the most plausible, and the most probable author. Disaster director Roland Emmerich ("The Day After Tomorrow," "2012," "Stargate"), along with writer John Orloff ("Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole") put together a film, not so much about William Shakespeare himself, but about the political intrigue within the court of Queen Elizabeth I played by mother and daughter team of Joley Richards and Vanessa Redgrave. As a period piece, Emmerich does a great job of bringing us this story in such a way that not only is easy to understand, but in many ways captivating. Although not a true story in a historical context, Orloff's script does provides a reasonable doubt about who wrote Shakespeare's plays. 

Starting in modern day England, famed Shakespearian actor Derek Jacobi ("I Claudius," "Underworld: Revolution," "Gladiator") arrives at a theater and quickly takes the stage and provides "evidence" that the works of Shakespeare are not in fact his. In fact, Jacobi is indeed an Oxfordian, one who supports the idea that the 17^th Earl of Oxford is truly the author of Shakespeare's plays. Flashing back to the late 1500s near the end of the Elizabeth I's reign, "Anonymous" focuses on Edward de Veres, the 17^th Earl of Oxford, Ben Jonson, a playwright of that era, and The Earl of Southhampton, who is the supposed bastard child of Elizabeth. The film also centers on the Queen's Secretary of State, Sir William Cecil and his son Robert, a hunchback. Oh yes, also on William Shakespeare, an actor in Jonson's troupe also plays a role as well. Robert Cecil reminds us that the late Elizabethan was also the era of the Puritans and their rebuke of all things that bring pleasure, like art, poetry, secular music, and that plays are considered an act of idolatry and a sin. 

As this is historical fiction, and as Shakespeare did in his plays, the author has taken a bit of poetic license in how he wants his characters portrayed. The film has a tendency to jump even further back in time to the early days of Elizabeth's reign, and then back to the "present." Joley Richardson plays the young Elizabeth as a woman not only as a beauty who loves life, but is also somewhat of a cougar in the modern sense. In one scene de Veres is a young man in probably his early 20's who has done some traveling to Italy and other parts of Europe, which is a total come on to Liz. Their affair is brief, however does produce a child. 

The Cecils, both William (David Thewlis of "Harry Potter" fame) and Robert (Edward Hogg) both want to hold on to their power by any means. Like Worm Tongue, they sow the seeds of conspiracy in Elizabeth's ear throughout her reign and throughout the film. Not only are they privy to the Queen's affairs, both illicit and legal, they use that knowledge to their advantage. As an aged, dying William tells his son Robert, they will win with cunning and ruthlessness. 

Rhys Ifans ("Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," "Elizabeth: The Golden Age") plays de Veres, the Earl of Oxford as a repressed poet and playwright. He is the son in-law of William Cecil and brother in-law to Robert Cecil, Elizabeth's closest advisors. As many may know, Elizabeth was reluctant to marry, and failed to name an heir. The Cecil's felt that James I of Scotland would be controllable on the English throne, however, Oxford, and his supporters felt that Essex, the illegitimate heir, but a Tudor would be a better choice. Oxford, once providing plays for the queen during his youth is now a man who the Cecils hold captive serving no role in government, no role in the military, and no role in general other than wanting his plays to be heard. Having a child with Elizabeth, although married to William Cecil's daughter Anne, Edward also had a child with one of the Queen's handmaidens. Upon hearing of this child, Liz has Edward banished from court. 

Ben Jonson (Sebastian Armesto), England's first Poet Laureate is portrayed as a petty, and jealous man. Jonson is selected by Oxford to produce his plays, and to claim them as his own. This is not only a moral issue for Jonson, but also one of ego. Unable to write plays as great as Oxford's; he refuses to applaud during them. Rafe Spall ("Hot Fuzz" and the upcoming "Prometheus") portrays Shakespeare as a backstabbing drunken blackmailer who bypasses Jonson, and goes directly to blackmail Oxford. Throughout the story, one has to remember that history is written by the winners. 

Unlike his disaster films, Emmerich balances, the pace of the film by not rushing, but by not lingering on scenes unnecessarily. The language for the most part is devoid of thees and thous, unless it is a scene from the many plays they show briefly. The music selected for this film, is not of the period, but instead classical pieces utilized to invoke a mood for the scene. During Edward's wedding to Anne, Mozart's Requiem is playing giving the feeling of a funeral, rather than a joyful occasion, as that what is was for Edward, the death of his literary ambitions. Ultimately this film will give viewers a reason to doubt, but more importantly to delve into Shakespeare's writings, whoever he was, and enjoy his work from a new perspective.

Movie Data

Genre: Drama, History, Thriller 

Year:  2011

Staring: Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Sebastian Armesto, Rafe Spall, David Thewlis

Director: Roland Emmerich

Producer(s): Roland Emmerich, Robert Leger 

Writer: John Orloff

Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 130 minutes
Release Date: 10/28/2011

Cold Heart and 'Warm Bodies'

S ometimes a classic story takes on a different form.  In the case of "Warm Bodies" that story may be familiar, however, in the case of life in a post-apocalyptic nightmare of zombie hoards, which form comes in the form of a wishful dream.  A fun, shambling foray into the romantic comedy genre with a side of horror, "Warm Bodies" stars Nicholas Hoult ("X-Men: First Class," "Clash of the Titans," "A Single Man") and Teresa Palmer ("I Am Number Four," "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") as a cute mismatched couple on a journey of discovery.  "Warm Bodies" is rated PG-13 for some of the violence. 

It doesn't take long to realize that you are watching the most recent adaptation of Shakespeare's adaptation of the 1562 Arthur Brooke's Italian tragedy "The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet."  An older version of the story comes from Ovid's "Metamorphoses," called "Pyramus and Thisbe." Our story's protagonist, is named 'R' because he can't remember his real name, other than it may have started with an 'R.' He spends his days shuffling around an airport terminal.  R, unlike other zombies tends to be introspective wonders why he doesn't seem to be like any 'normal' zombies.  Why he has flashes of thoughts, almost memories, while he ponders the mysteries of life, somewhat odd for a zombie, don't you think?  R is a hoarder, a collector, and he appreciates music.  'Warm Bodies' is based on Isaac Marion's book of the same name and explores the world of zombies as more of a metaphor of the dull grind of everyday life that we find ourselves trapped in.  A world where we, as humans, live day to day without any real friends, any real thought of what is happening around us.  However, occasionally that one special person appears in our lives and things change. 

Enter Julie (Teresa Palmer).  Julie lives with her father, Grigio, played by John Malkovich.  Grigio is the leader of a walled fortress near the center of town.  Malkovich plays the father and leader as sort of a gray character, not sure, where he stands in this film other than a minor antagonist.  Julie and her boyfriend, Perry (Dave Franco - James’s younger brother), along with a small group of armed scavengers are raiding a pharmacy for medical supplies when R and his group of shamblers smell human flesh and attack the pharmacy.  During the melee of humans against the shambling corpses most of the group is killed except for Julie, her friend, Nora (Analeigh Tipton), and of course Perry.  At this point, I have to mention that "Warm Bodies" main flaw is a lot of exposition, rather than action.  For the first 20 minutes of the film is almost total voice over by R.  I guess, that can't be helped, because eh, R is dead.  Throughout the film, R interjects humor as we hear his thoughts like when he is munching on Perry's corpse he takes a moment to think about how nice Perry's gold watch is.  Or when R and his zombie 'friend,' M (Rob Corddry - 'Hot Tub Time Machine,' 'What Happens in Vegas')  try to have a conversation that consists mostly of grunts and groans while the two try to express their feelings for each other.  Another road bump that 'Warm Bodies' runs into is that in some cases the pacing is a bit slow.  Either because director/screenplay writer, Jonathan Levine (50/50), and editor Nancy Richardson ("Twilight," "The Vow," "Red Riding Hood") were trying to take their time to develop the character of R and Julie, as people (zombie) meant to be together, or perhaps, zombies just don't move that fast. 

Like the Shakespearian story, R and Julie come to terms with their differences and although he is dead, R does his best to come off slick in front of Julie despite his handicap.  The audience witnesses what we as young adults in love go through.  It is about half way through the second act that the pacing picks up.  What I liked about this film is the sense of hope that the film gives the audience in its schmaltzy kind of way.  'Warm Bodies' also brings to mind another concept that I like is that in the acceptance of diverse states of being or just differences in people.  What I didn't care too much for was the amount of exposition along with the concepts that by eating someone’s brains you get their memories.  I thought that this one concept I thought was just too farfetched.  In this case, R's feelings for Julie are not only due to a physical attraction for her, but mostly by the fact that he ate her boyfriend's brains.  In spite of my minor objections, 'Warm Bodies' is just a fun film to take your older kids to, or a great date movie. 

Movie Data

Genre: Comedy, Horror. Romance

Year:  2013

Staring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Analeigh Tipton, Rob Corddry, Dave Franco, John Malkovich

Director: Jonathan Levine

Producer(s): David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Bruna Papandrea

Writer: Jonathan Levine, Isaac Marion (novel) 

Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 98 minutes

Release Date: 2/1/2013

Anonymous

The term "Anonymous" is typically related to the hackers that go up against the corporations and the government.  However, Roland Emmerich. uses the term as the title of his film about who really wrote the plays we attribute to William Shakespeare.  This film challenges the conventional history that the Bard of Avon was no more than an actor who played a part in this grand conspiracy.  If you saw the trailers in theaters, but blinked and the film was in and out of theaters in two months, don't feel bad.  For whatever reason, Sony/Columbia studios only released this film in only 533 theaters and only made about 10 million dollars with 70% of that revenue coming from foreign ticket sales.  I don't know if it is the subject that perhaps the studio thought was too daunting for the audience, however, it doesn't seem like they gave it the support that I think the film deserved.  Is the film controversial,  yes it is if you believe everything you were taught in school. Are the Oxfordian's right? Who knows/

Since the mid-1800s, a controversy about the authorship of Shakespeare's plays has been debated back and forth. "Anonymous" is the culmination of that debate that tries to reconcile those theories by offering what, by some, is the most plausible, and the most probable author. Disaster director Roland Emmerich ("The Day After Tomorrow," "2012"), along with writer John Orloff ("Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole") put together a film, not so much about William Shakespeare himself, but about the political intrigue within the court of Queen Elizabeth I played by mother and daughter team of Joley Richards and Vanessa Redgrave. As a period piece, Emmerich does a great job of bringing us this story in such a way that not only is easy to understand, but in many ways captivating. Although not a true story in a historical context, Orloff's script does provides a reasonable doubt about who wrote Shakespeare's plays. Read more about the film "Anonymous"

Movie Data

Genre: Drama, History, Thriller 

Year:  2011

Staring: Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Sebastian Armesto, Rafe Spall, David Thewlis

Director: Roland Emmerich

Producer(s): Roland Emmerich, Robert Leger 

Writer: John Orloff

Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 130 minutes
Release Date: 10/28/2011

Reviewing the Robin Hood Canon.

Written by winners or the survivors, history is at worst, dry and barren, and tenuous at best. However, on May 14, 2010, Ridley Scott presents his take on the legend of Robin Hood. Promised as the "story that has not been told before," Scott will add to the canon that is Robin Hood.  Unlike Latin, a dead language, storytelling is an art that evolves and changes, unbound by the truth, but limited to the imagination, the story of Robin Hood, evolves and changes to fit mans desire to seek a hero that only exists in our hearts and minds.

The Legend

Throughout the centuries, like King Arthur, a person whom may or may not exist, we struggle to find answers the question of who is Robin Hood, and did he exist.  Historically, no one can say for sure, however, from a storytelling point of view, Robin Hood is a character that flourishes each century in new tales with additions of new characters.  For some of us, Robin Hood is the man in green tights and looks a lot like Errol Flynn from the 1938 film, "The Adventures of Robin Hood”  Perhaps it is Sean Connery from 1976's "Robin and Marian," or Kevin Costner's "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," co-staring Morgan Freeman as Azim the Moor.  Maybe you prefer a parody, such as Mel Brooks's 1993 offering "Robin Hood: Men in Tights," starring Cary Elwes of "The Princess Bride" fame. In fact, IMDB lists 51 Robin Hood feature films, since 1912, starting with a silent version starring Robert Frazer and on television alone, there are 54 versions.[1

Medieval Tales

However, before the cinematic, or dramatic arts came into being, there was the spoken word, and as all oral traditions and histories that the bards tell by the light of a fire,  to amuse each other, these stories, when written down, take on a life of their own.  Here is a selection of the most prominent of them.

Probably the first reference to Robin Hood is by Andrew of Wyntoun circa, 1350.  In the Sevynde Buke (Rook 7), of The Cronykil of Scotland Andrew mentions, on page 263 references, "and Robyne Hude Wayth-men ware commendyd gud: In Ingel-wode and Barnysdale Thai oysyd all this tyme thare trawale.”[2]  This passage describes Robyne Hude as wayth-men or a man who lays in waits, and the author expressing that it is fitting that he does.  However, Andrew places Robyne in Barnysdale southeast of the traditional Nottingham region.[3]

William Langland's William's "Vision of Piers Ploughman," written between 1360 and 1387, describes the dreams or visions of a man seeking to attain the Christian life.  On page 56, line 5,396, Langland writes, "But I kan rymes of Robyn Hood and Randolf Erl of Chestre.”[4]  For many, this brief mention constitutes corroborating evidence, of Robin's existence beyond legend.

Renaissance Tales

In a series of 10 volumes of child ballads from England and Scotland, and collected between 1898, some of which date back to the 15th century, include 119A: "Robin Hood and the Monk," from 1450.  Also in the collection is, "A Gest of Robyn Hode," from circa 1491.  The tale tells us of, "I shall you tel of a gode yeman, His name was Robyn Hode." [5] In the ballad, the writers describe Robyn as a yeoman, or some one of middle-class heritage, less than a knight but not a peasant.

Elizabethan Tales

In "The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntington," playwright Anthony Munday in 1601, written in thick Elizabethan English, sets Robin as The Earl of Huntington and places him sometime in the court or Richard I of England (Richard the Lionhearted).[6]  The play mentions Little John, Maid Marion, Friar Tuck and the antagonist, Prince John, Richard’s younger brother.  As for Richard, who spent about only six months of his life in England after his coronation on Sept 13 1189?  Richard spent the next six months preparing for his departure for the Third Crusade in the summer of 1190.  The play sets the stage for John's desire for Marion, who goes off with Robert, Earl of Huntington.

Shakespeare's "As You Like It," (1601) the part of Charles, in speaking to Oliver mentions, "...and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England: they say many young gentlemen flock[s] to him every day, and fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden world."[7]

Georgian Era Tales

Thomas Percy in 1764 published his "Reliques Of Ancient English Poetry," which includes the poem, "Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne."  Percy describes Robin, "In this time [about the year 1190, in the reign of Richard I.] were many robbers, and outlawes, among the which Robin Hood, and Little John, renowned theeves, continued in woods, despoyling and robbing the goods of the rich.  They killed none but such as would invade them, or by resistance for their own defence."[8]

In 1819 Scottish novelist, Sir Walter Scott, recounts in the romantic story, "Ivanhoe," the story of how King Richard I and Robin Hood, reclaim the throne from his younger brother John.[9]

Sir Ridley Scott’s Cinematic Form

From yeoman to knight, from outlaw to hero fighting the injustice of King John, the story of Robin Hood molds itself to fit the audience. A master of retelling history in an a way that is captivating, bending the truth as needed to tell his story dramatically, Sir Ridley Scott,  tells epic stories that entertain first, without apology.  In "Gladiator" (2000), Scott creates the character, Maximus Decimus Meridius and alters the facts about Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus to create a memorable, but historically less than factual, action-adventure period piece.  In "Kingdom of Heaven" (2005), Ridley Scott alters the historical facts of Balian of Ibelin, combining rumors of his brother's possible affair with the Sibylla, Queen of Jerusalem, to create a romantic tale of chivalry and war.  Perhaps Scott learned a lesson from his film "1492: Conquest of Paradise," mostly accurate historically, the film received poor reviews grossing only $7,191,399 domestically.[10]

A Welcome to the Canon

Therefore, the question remains, which re-telling of Robin Hood is your favorite.  Is it a selection from the Middle Ages or the modern Robin Hood of 20th and 21st century?  Will it be the 2010 version, starring Russell Crowe? My take on remakes and re-imaginings of an art form is that as long as Sir Ridley Scott adds to the canon, develops the character, and entertains me.  If Scott’s story and character development deliver on the promise of a couple of hours of escape from the day-to-day worries of economic decline, of global warming, and of international politics. Then I cannot wait until May 14.

[1] IMDB Robin Hood Movie List
[2] The orygynale cronykil of Scotland.
[3] Map Barnsdale
[4] William's Vision of Piers Ploughman
[5] A Gest of Robyn Hode
[6] Anthony Munday - Earl of Huntington
[7] As You Like it
[8] Reliques
[9] Ivanhoe text & Ivanhoe- Sparknotes
[10] 1492: Conquest of Paradise - boxoffice