film review: much ado about nothing
For Joss Whedon fans, this year’s release of Much Ado About Nothing was a long time coming. Whedon, the director of classic sci-fi shows Buffy, Angel, Firefly and more recently Marvel’s blockbuster The Avengers, has a devoted following. His latest production was shot over a weekend at his own home on a tiny budget and in black and white, doesn’t exactly scream mainstream hit. But it’s had some glowing reviews, was picked up for international release, and ran on a limited showing in Australia.
Much Ado is one of Shakespeare’s most entertaining and modern comedies. There seems little point in a plot summary—as with most Shakespeare, things tend to get very confused at times anyway—but in simple terms, it’s the story of two couples and the struggles they go through for a happy ending.
Claudio and Hero (Fran Kranz and Jillian Morgese) are your traditional star-crossed lovers, doomed to jealousy and misunderstanding. But the story isn’t really about them; the sarcastic and witty Beatrice and Benedick (Whedon favourites Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof), are the true stars.
Beatrice and Benedick are the Shakespearean equivalent of every modern fictional couple with a troubled past, an undeniable attraction, and a joy in arguing with each other. A comedy in Shakespeare’s time had to end with a marriage (usually several) so it’s clear that the two will end up together, but the joy is in the journey. This couple makes the play seem so fresh 400 years after it was first written.
Acker and Denisof relish these roles, and the result is pure entertainment. It’s worth noting that the actors have known each other for a long time, as co-stars in the Buffy spin-off, Angel. This gives both a sense of familiarity and a certain depth to their on-screen relationship. Acker doesn’t have the bite of some past Beatrices, such as Eve Best in the Globe Theatre’s production or Emma Thompson in the 1993 film, but she handles the scenes where her character’s vulnerability shows through particularly well. Denisof, as in previous roles, embraces any possibilities for physical comedy, which results in some big laughs.
The dialogue is all Shakespeare’s, with some slight editing. If you’ve been scarred by studying any of his works in the past, rest assured the meaning of every line is crystal clear in this version, and the comedy shines through. Reed Diamond as Don Pedro and Nathan Fillion as Dogberry are hilarious.
Whedon does an excellent job of both staying true to the original and maintaining an awareness of how a modern audience will react to certain scenes. Two of the funniest moments in the film, in fact, are modern-day comments on ridiculous plot points or lines from Shakespeare’s play. The first is where Don Pedro finds out that Claudio (Kranz) is in love with Hero and wishes to gain her hand in marriage. The exchange, in Whedon’s version, runs something like this (to paraphrase):
Don Pedro: It’s so great that you want to marry Hero! You know what would work out really well? I’ll disguise myself and pretend to be you, and woo her for you!
Claudio [confused but wanting to believe, like a puppy]: …okay?
Don Pedro: And once I’m sure she loves you, I’ll give her to you and it’ll be great!
Claudio [relieved]: Sounds good!
The second one I won’t give away, but it’s an irreverently-constructed shot framing Claudio’s line about
marrying Leonato’s niece.
The original play is an insightful comment on gender roles in relationships, and the misunderstandings that can arise when people do not communicate. It is also, and this comes through clearly in Whedon’s adaptation, a critique of the idea of love at first sight, through the character of Claudio. It’s possible to mount a feminist critique Hero’s helplessness and lack of agency throughout the film, but this version focuses more on the pitfalls of falling in love with an ideal rather than a real person. Beatrice and Benedick are the happier pair because their relationship consists of mutual respect.
Much Ado was released for download and on DVD October 8.
