The trailer for the new Merchant of Venice movie is out- looks good. I’m curious: do you think there will be an outcry of anti-semitism over the film as there was over Passion of the Christ (Shylock [played in this by Pacino] being one of the most despicable characters in English literature in spite of giving one of its most powerful speeches] and his comeuppance being major overkill).
Either way, I’m totally seeing this one.
I saw it at the Toronto Film Festival and I thought it was very good. I don’t think there will be any outcry at all. Some of the characters themselves are anti-semetic but the movie itself is not.
I hope not, but you never know. This is the Age of Oversensitivity. Also, please read Shylock’s speech again. It’s extremely memorable, but it’s been twisted by a lot of people into a “we’re all human, we should just get along” thing. It’s not, it just reinforces how despicable he is. If the movie interprets it as a plea, I’ll think a lot less of it.
Saw the movie yesterday… and Shylocks plea is certainly a key moment of the book and the film. His speech is very strong.
As for anti-semitism… its a lot in the eye of the Beholder. I don’t know how american audiences see it… but Brazilians feel very sorry for Shylock and think those christians were mean.
I am baffled by the gay conotations included in the film about Antonio and Bassanio… I read the book and I don’t remember anything remotely homoerotic in their relationship.
It’s in there all right. Mostly in the way Antonio is completely devoted to Bassanio - to the point where he says things like “Pray God, Bassanio come/To see me pay his debt, and then I care not!”
Years ago, Harry Golden, the editor of the Carolina Israelite, discussed why Hitler’s propaganda minister never used the Merchant of Venice in his propaganda while he took advantage of virtually every other piece of anti-semitism ever written and Golden said Goebles was too smart because Shakespeare’s work is far from anti-semitic. It, in fact, shows the humanity of a man set upon by a society that did not understand him - it just used him and took advantage of him to the extent of taking his daughter from him. It shows that man’s all too human reaction and desire for revenge against the golden boy manifestation of that society.
Shylock is far from a dispicable character. He is one of Shakespear’s most tragic figures. I think more so than Lear, because at least Lear had the Fool and Cordelia on his side. Shylock has only himself to rely upon. And ultimately the manifestation of his final defeat is the daughter that was taken from him. How sad can a story be?
Unless Pacino and/or the director of the film (I have not seen it) have done a hatchet job on the Jewishness of the character as I feel Gibson did with his story, there will be no hue and cry. Perhaps there even will be some interest indiscovering why Jews of the time were confined to being money lenders as Shylock was.
TV
I did see the movie, and there was definitely no hatchet job. They did right by the play’s ambiguities, I think. I remember they added a scene in the beginning to show the anti-Semitic climate of the time.
What, really?
What, really?
–Cliffy
I think before the movie, they should show a ten-minute version of Marlowe’s “Jew of Malta” - then people will see how wonderfully sympathetic Shylock’s character was.
Yesterday I read the Cliff Notes on the Merchant of Venice… he does mention the gay part… and dubious anti-semetism.