film comparison

[deird1]

I've just been watching Branagh's Much Ado and Whedon's Much Ado back to back. I find it quite fascinating which lines get used or left out in each. Scenes start and finish in totally different places, and it really affects the tone.

Also:
- Branagh's Benedick is a very comic character, whereas Denisoff's is far darker.
- Fillion is the only person I've ever seen manage Dogberry - largely because he's playing him as a fool, but not as weird.
- The choice to turn Conrad into a woman was inspired.
- Kenneth Branagh is really good looking with a beard.

Comments

[beer_good_foamy]

Have you read this article? I thought it had some interesting things to say on what the two versions do differently:

Anatomy of a Scene: Much Ado About Nothing, Hero’s Wedding

[deird1]

Oooh. How fascinating.

I love what it's pointing out about Claudio's reaction to Hero fainting. And I've never really thought about how much the Friar's advice is about the men's dickish behaviour and not at all about whether Hero's been sleeping around or not.

[jesuswasbatman]

According to Whedon, the only reason to make Conrad a woman was so that they could turn the "plain-dealing villain" speech into sexposition, because Whedon thought it was boring but plot-necessary.

[stultiloquentia]

...why am I not surprised.

[deird1]

That... sounds about right. *grins*

[velvetwhip]

I need to watch them back to back as well. (Though I really hate beards.)


Gabrielle

[deird1]

I think it really depends on the kind of beard. I love Branagh's beard - but more would be too bushy, and less usually ends up looking like The Goatee Of Emo Villainy.

[stultiloquentia]

Ooh, do you have a favourite? I think Branagh and Thompson's chemistry is unbeatable, personally.

[deird1]

I like them for different things - but having now seen them in such quick succession, I think Whedon's version is slightly the winner. (Depends on which mood I'm in, really. Branagh's has merriment in a way that Whedon's doesn't even try to, so it's more silly fun.)