Shakespeare in Love
Is it fair to call “Shakespeare in Love” one of the most controversial Best Picture winners of all-time? Not necessarily because of its subject matter and who is involved, but the fact that it won over “Saving Private Ryan.” Even at the time, I didn’t think it deserved to win, but I feel like the backlash over that win, which had more to do with the campaigning of now-disgraced Miramax head Harvey Weinstein, has overshadowed the film itself, which is a lovely period romance, and one of the most joyous of recent Best Picture winners. It deserves some love for how it does what it does.
The screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard is the type of writer’s screenplay that is almost destined to win an Oscar, and indeed, it did. It posits a scenario in which William Shakespeare (played by Joseph Fiennes) has writer’s block, and is struggling to come up with a new play for his patrons. One of them, the famed actor Richard Burbage (Martin Clunes), is successful and has his choice of works. The other one, Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush), is having his feet held over the coals by the owner of his theatre, The Rose, when he’s behind on his debts. He comes up with a scenario immediately to sell the owner, Hugh Fennyman (Tom Wilkinson), who is interested, and he runs to see Will, who says it is “locked away in here (meaning his head).” Since his marriage has hit a rut, so has his sense of love, and thus, his writing is in a rut. He goes to a doctor, who gives him a bracelet to write his name in, and give to his muse, but that’s not going to be who he thinks. Throughout the story, Norman and Stoppard sprinkle dialogue from Romeo and Juliet and in-jokes about Shakespeare’s life and theatre life that are clever and point to a story written by writers, for writers, celebrating THE playwright of all-time. I can see why that may not play for everyone, but it actually worked for me from the second I first saw this film in 1999.
As “Shakespeare in Love” commences, we see a love story unfold between Will and Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), the daughter of a nobleman, who loves the theatre, and loves Will’s writing. He first sees her when she disguises herself as an actor named Thomas Kent to audition for Will and Henslowe, and chases her down to her family’s house. He gets into a party they are hosting as a member of the band, and sees her as Viola for the first-time, and is star struck. Inspiration catches hold, and Romeo and Juliet takes shape, with his muse in the role of Romeo. At this point, the film becomes a tragic love story that inspires the most tragic love story in all of Western literature, and the shape of John Madden’s film is a ravishing period romance that rests on the chemistry and romantic longing by Fiennes and Paltrow. As Shakespeare, Fiennes delves into his emotional conflicts, and shows us the spark of inspiration when Viola enters the picture. For Paltrow, this is a return to “Emma” and clever romantic dialogue to go with the scandal that could arise not only if her husband-to-be, Lord Wessex (Colin Firth), were to find out, but the idea that a woman would perform on the stage was scandalous, and treated as illicit behavior. Paltrow is ravishing in the film’s costumes, and seems to understand Viola’s longing bone-deep; this remains one of her very best performances.
“Shakespeare in Love” is a delightful movie, filled with romance- whether it’s between people or the romance of creativity and inspiration- and humor about life as a theatre actor and playwright, and its script gives its cast plenty to dig into. Beyond all of whom that were mentioned earlier, there’s Ben Affleck as a vein actor whom Will tempts into the role of Mercutio with pokes at that vanity while letting him realize just how small the role is. And then, there is Dame Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth I, whose biting humor and delivery is essential to the film when it arrives in her brief, Oscar-winning role. And as one of Will’s rivals and friends, Christopher Marlowe, Rupert Everett is a delight in his two key scenes, including one that pokes at the idea of Shakespeare not actually being the author of some of his works. As the cast works their magic with Norman and Stoppard’s screenplay, Madden’s visual storytelling, including a performance for the Queen of Romeo and Juliet that pays off everything we have seen up to that point, and is exhilarating, in large part, to the music of Stephen Warbeck, brings the film home, leaving us with an emotional and entertaining finale befitting the imagined creation of one of the greatest plays ever written.
