FLM 215 Blog. 2 What a breathtakingly beautiful opening scene to the movie, with Ophelia floating in her watery grave shrouded in flowers a gorgeous representation of Millais’s 1851 painting brought forward to 2018 when this romantic drama was released. A powerful combination of agency through Directorship and Cinematography wife Australian Claire Mccarthy and husband Denson Baker who have brought this classical tragedy, Shakespeare’s 14th Century character Ophelia to the modern screen to tell this story from her more feminist perspective as Hamlet’s wife not the traditional weave from his point of view as heir to the throne. Such an interesting take and “hats off” to screenplay writer Semi Chellas for rising to the challenge to re-enliven Ophelia , “I was always a willful child”, as the voiceover tells us, a motherless child who followed her heart and spoke her mind, taken into Erinmore Castle as a trusted lady-in-waiting to the Queen. Who grows into womanhood attracting the attention of the Prince Hamlet. As she is not nobility the marriage is forbidden. There are lots of ducks and dives in and around the original play in order to tell this broader screenplay, with which both Mccarthy and Chellas take great license and introduce new characters. “I wanted to take these characters who have been marginalized and move them central stage, sort of literally,” screenwriter Semi Chellas said in an interview. “I think there’s a huge appeal in that, because there’s a big hunger for stories we haven’t heard before, or angles that haven’t come up in stories from before. Many of those offstage characters become the determining players in this version.” (Rome, 2019) Figure: 3. Director Clare McCarthy with Cinematographer Denson Baker ACS NZCS “There are parallels, and mirrored dualities throughout, says Chellas in another interview and it is not only Ophelia whose character is made more vivid and complex. Scholars are still arguing about what Shakespeare’s Gertrude knew and how complicit she was in the murder of her husband before she married his brother. Here we see Gertrude as lonely and vain, trying desperately to hold on to her youth, whether through a witch’s potion or the attention of her husband’s brother Claudius (Clive Owen).Hamlet himself (George McKay) is in this version more direct and assured. Claudius is even more duplicitous.” (Minow, 2018) Figure: 4a & 4b. Daisy Ridley as Ophelia and Naomi Watts (double Roll) as Shakespeare’s Queen Gertrude and her sister Mechtild a “nod to Macbeth’s witches.” (Mccarthy, 2018). The spotlight shifts from the focus being traditionally on Hamlet as we follow his love interest Ophelia though their romantic build up. Their love is palpable, rich and passionately electric as it secretly kindles between the two. The kingdom is on the brink of war amidst its own political intrigue and betrayal. When Hamlet's father is murdered and the prince begins to unravel, Ophelia sharply navigates the rules of power in Denmark . When Hamlet goes to Wittenberg for his studies, tragedy strikes the castle with the sudden death of the king. The king’s brother, Claudius (Clive Owen), quickly weds Gertrude — but Ophelia knows there’s nothing sudden about it, because she spotted them at the start of their affair. It’s Ophelia, not a ghost, who tells Hamlet that Claudius poisoned his father. But it’s the devious Claudius (Clive Owen) who turns the Danish court from a place of beauty and grace — at least in the eyes of Ophelia — into a web of lies soon to be strewn with bodies. “In Shakespeare’s plays, whether comedies, romances, or tragedies, characters constantly jab at each other verbally, flipping words like tiddlywinks, with multiple layers of meaning. An Elizabethan wit could take a word, toss it up into the air and make it do a triple gainer on the way back down. “Ophelia” is filled with clever wordplay matched by an equally clever perspective flip of one of the central texts of Western literature.” (Minow, 2018). “The movie was filmed in the Czech Republic at historical locations and in re-created medieval interiors at Barrandov Studios in Prague. Production designer Dave Warren, who created the imposing Great Hall, where Claudius’ crime is slowly unmasked by Hamlet, says the decision to create the space at Barrandov was one driven by a tight shooting schedule and Czech crews with phenomenal art and decor skills.” (Tizard, 2017). As for the Great Hall, it changes with Claudius’ machinations and growing paranoia, the drapery becoming more somber in tone and the shadows lengthening as Ophelia’s initial enchantment with court life evolves into a sense of menace.Cutaway ceilings allow for control of lighting and camera moves on the Barrandov set.” (Tizard, 2017). A very special, informative, reflective and insightful interview into her processes as a Director with Jez Stoker on Claire McCarthy working on the set of Ophelia with Cinematographer Denson Baker and Production Designer Dave Warren alluding to the complexities. In terms of process her favourite part of Directing Ophelia and her favourite scene to shoot. The casting process to find the right people to play each role and the Films and Directors that have had the biggest impact on her career as a filmmaker...fascinating insight. (Stoker, 2019) . References:
Minow, N. (2019). Ophelia. Retrieved from https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ophelia-2019 Rome, E. (2019). Reviving Ophelia : Inside the New Film That Gives Voice to Hamlet ’s Tragic Heroine. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/07/ophelia-movie-hamlet-daisy-ridley-interview Stoker, J.(2019). Ophelia - Interview with film Director Claire mcCarthy. Retrieved from https://borrowingtape.com/interviews/ophelia-interview-film-director-claire-mccarthy Tizard, W. ( 2017). Czech Locations, Stages Give ‘Hamlet’ Reimagining ‘Ophelia’ a Medieval Look. Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2017/artisans/production/czech-locations-ophelia-1202506513/ Daisy Ridley in Ophelia. [Image]. (2019) . Retrieved from https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/07/ophelia-movie-hamlet-daisy-ridley-interview (Figure 1.) John Everett Millais paintingOphelia. [Image] (1851.). Retrieved from http://www.kingstononline.co.uk/ophelia-john-everett-millais-painted-hogsmill-river-1851/ . (Figure 2.) Daisy Ridley and Noami Watts in Ophelia [Image] (2019.). Retrieved from https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ophelia-2019 (Figure 3a.) Naomi Watts and Daisy Ridley in Ophelia [Image] (2019). Retrieved from https://twitter.com/nwattsource/status/1141147295163047938 (Figure 3b.) Claire Mccarthy and Denson Baker [Image] (2019). Retrieved from http://www.cinematographer.org.au/cms/newsletter.asp?ID=25428 (Figure 4.) George Mackay in Ophelia [Image] (2019). Retrieved from https://www.google.com/search?q=Hamlet+in+ophelia+movie&sxsrf=ACYBGNS6uAvJcDMwwzulb2l8MSv38-G9HA:1573722481120&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj6-NiLrenlAhWPTX0KHcldCmgQ_AUIFCgD&biw=1483&bih=701&dpr=2#imgdii=3IcLeCoMD3nziM:&imgrc=qPO7mc8znJRBzM: (Figure 5.) Clive Owen in Ophelia. [Image] (2019). Retrieved from https://www.videodetective.com/movies/ophelia-i-am-your-king/133851 (Figure: 6) Křivoklát Castle , Czech Republic. [Image] (2019). Retrieved from https://www.prague.eu/en/object/places/3396/krivoklat-castle (Figure: 7) Claire McCarthy and Daisy Ridley in Ophelia. [Image]. (2019) . Retrieved from https://borrowingtape.com/interviews/ophelia-interview-film-director-claire-mccarthy (Figure: 8) Bobker. D, Curtis. S,Hanson. P, Kruger. E. [Producers] (2018) Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5690810/fullcredits https://www.screendaily.com/ophelia-sundance-review/5125867.article
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AuthorChristine Hedman is a Documentary Filmmaker and Visual Artist currently studying a Bachelor of Film Production in Perth, Western Australia. Archives
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