“Anonymous”: Notable script lives up to its inspiration

William Shakespeare is the most famous writer in the world. His compilation of forty-one plays has been the envy of every playwright since before his death; his plays’ intricate structure, inventive dialogue, and complex characterizations are emulated by virtually every writer of stage and screen (and many novels). Over the centuries, critics and analysts, endeavoring to determine the source of Shakespeare’s astronomical success, have espoused a number of theories regarding the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays. Many have said one man could not have achieved so many spectacular triumphs. Others have concluded that Shakespeare, an itinerant actor, could not possibly have penned such works of art. Thus, alternative authors of the plays have been proposed.

“Anonymous” is a clever interpolation of one such theory. John Orloff’s (”A Mighty Heart”) skillful screenplay paints Shakespeare himself as a buffoonish actor of limited ability but limitless ambition, an extorting user we should despise, not admire. Sensitive Edward deVere, Earl of Oxford, is depicted as the true author of Shakespeare’s plays, an inventive and clever man addicted to the use and convinced of the power of words; when he sees Elizabethan politics taking a turn in a direction he dislikes, he writes his plays to make his own political positions seem wise, and his opponents’ as foolish, hoping to influence Elizabeth to make the “right” decision. Thus “MacBeth,” the ambitious Scot, depicts James VI of Scotland in a decidedly negative light; the senile Polonius in “Hamlet” is a caricature of William Cecil, advisor to Elizabeth and opponent to deVere; conflicted and thoughtful Hamlet represents deVere’s own deep loyalty to the throne but his distrust of behind-the-scenes counselors (as well as the source of a surprising subconscious complex); and hunchbacked and evil Richard III is the embodiment of deVere’s enemy Robert Cecil. The innumerable references throughout “Anonymous” to various Shakespearean plays intricately replicate actual historical events and shrewdly create a plausible subtext for the movie’s premise.

The movie has its own clever structure as well. It adapts the popular modern story-telling technique of a non-linear narrative, but weaves this into a Shakespearean subtext by following the bard’s classic “play-within-a-play” format.

While the intricate script is the key ingredient in “Anonymous,” the set designs, cinematography, and costumes are all wonderful. Director Roland Emmerich’s (”2012,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “Independence Day”) penchant for epic landscapes is thankfully in check for most of the movie (one overhead computerized scene of the frozen River Thames almost derails the ambiance of the rest of the movie) and every set is intricately confined and spectacularly framed so as to enhance the intimacy of each scene. Camera angles and opportune weather are symbolic (and appropriate), and the film, while cerebral, is always visually interesting.

The casting is inspired, and the actors all flesh out the multidimensional characters. Rhys Ifans (”Pirate Radio,” “The Replacements”) sheds his hitherto gawky image to be the genteel Earl of Oxford, an artistic mind beset by personal demons trapped in a puritanical age. Jamie Campbell Bower (TV’s “Camelot”) plays the teenaged deVere with ambitious innocence hinting at the complexities Mr. Ifans develops. Vanessa Redgrave (”Letters to Juliet,” “Atonement”) portrays Queen Elizabeth I as a fragile monarch well past her prime who is terrified of her own mortality; she is demanding, shrewd, vain, and beginning to lose her ability to calculate and control those around her. Ms. Redgrave’s daughter, Joely Richardson (TV’s “Nip/Tuck”), plays the younger Elizabeth as a spoiled princess used to getting her way, but without the maturity needed to rein in her excesses. David Thewlis (”Kingdom of Heaven”) is William Cecil, manipulative advisor to the Queen, guardian to young Edward deVere, and a man who considers himself the real power behind the throne. Edward Hogg (”Alfie”) portrays Cecil’s deformed son Robert, an unscrupulous cripple who needs to be indispensable.

The supporting cast is rounded out in true Shakespearean fashion.  Inimitable Derek Jacobi is the Narrator who opens and closes the play and movie. An army of young, attractive men recreate the greatest authors, thespians, and noblemen of the age: Rafe Spall (”A Good Year”) plays a blustering William Shakespeare; Sebastian Armesto (”Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”) is the ambivalent Ben Jonson, a man drawn to and repulsed by Shakespeare; Robert Emms (”Mirror, Mirror”) depicts the enthusiastic playwright Thomas Dekker; Tony Way (”Finding Neverland”) renders envious author Thomas Nashe; Trystan Gravelle (”A Way of Life”) portrays angle-playing Shakespearean rival Christopher Marlowe; Lloyd Hutchinson (”Mrs. Henderson Presents”) waffles as actor and Shakespearean friend Richard Burbage. Xavier Samuel (”The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”) is the earnest and noble Earl of Southampton; Sam Reid (TV’s “Whitechapel”) plays the ferociously honorably Earl of Essex; and James Clyde (”Croupier”) portrays the bumbling King James VI of Scotland, who succeeds Elizabeth as James I of England.

“Anonymous” is an intricate tale full of multi-dimensional characterizations, wonderful sets and costumes, unconventional perspectives, and a number of elaborately executed surprises. As such, it is a fascinating recreation of history that is entertaining, eyebrow raising and enlightening.
palestineherald
xoxo
Carrie