9-26-08 Titus, Aaron the compassionate?

Aaron is an evil character. He tells us so. He says more than once that if he ever committed a good deed in his life he regrets doing so. But then why does he care about his son? Is there really a heart inside the beast? Aaron is a man that claims to have no respect for human life and most of his actions would back him up on that. When the life of his child was threatened, he pleads that the child be spared. He cares for that life. It may be the only thing has cares about. Still, it shows a part of him that isn’t seen elsewhere. Perhaps if circumstances had been different Aaron could have turned out more human. He does have the ability to care about something. Maybe it is just easier to be evil than it is to care about your life and end up being disappointed.

9-19-08 Titus Andronicus thoughts

I didn’t know anything about Titus Andronicus before I started reading it. Now that I know more about it I can’t say I am a fan of it. The actions of the characters don’t seem realistic to me. When Titus kills his son on a whim it just seems like violence for the sake of violence. I just don’t really care about the characters. It seems pretty obvious that Shakespeare was just playing to what was popular and what he thought would sell tickets. The whole thing is very campy. If you compared Titus and Romeo and Juliet with modern movie releases today Titus would be released in the summer as a mindless blockbuster while Romeo and Juliet would come out in the fall: Oscar season. I am playing Titus in our play and I will do my best to be the best Titus I can be but I’m not really a fan of the play.

9-12-08 Romeo and Juliet Production Analysis

The film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet went over the top with everything. The director choose bright, vivid colors that make the scenes not only come to life but go past coming to life and go into the realm of fantasy. When you add the lively performances of the actors, the film comes off as almost a parody of the written play. The Montague and Capulet boys are nearly cartoon characters in their actions and dress. The modern setting adds a new wrinkle to the history of the play.

The production choices were probably made to appeal to a younger audience. The visuals are eye catching, the performances are in your face, and gun fights are more exciting than sword fights. All these techniques were used to keep the viewers attention.

9-5-08 Romeo and Juliet Acting Analysis

Maybe the most emotional scene in the movie is when Balthasar comes to tell Romeo the news that Juliet is dead. In this scene Romeo goes from excited and hopeful for good news to devastated by the knowledge of Juliet’s death. The movie chooses to extend the part where Romeo first reacts to the news.
In the written play there is no break in the dialog from where Balthasar tells Romeo to where Balthasar exits. In the movie, Romeo greets Balthasar playfully, wide-eyed and enthusiastic. His delivery of lines is impatient. He is so excited to hear the news that he asks a new question before the last can be answered. When he learns that Juliet is dead, his face shows confusion. He doesn’t want to believe and asks if it is really so in a weak, quiet voice. Romeo breaks down and cries out in anger and pain before a calm comes over his face and he realizes what he must do next.