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William Shakespeare’s last play, The Tempest, is a bit of an odd, fantastical beast. While it combines elements of his previous comedies, romances, and tragedies into something original and epic, it can easily come off somewhat stiff and overly structured. It’s fitting, then, that Julie Taymor’s screen adaptation features lush visual imagery and some fine performances, yet it still seems to be missing some essential element.
After having been exiled with her daughter to a remote island, former Italian noblewomen Prospera (Helen Mirren) has developed incredible magical powers. When a boat carrying the lords who deposed her passes near the island, she conjures a giant storm to shipwreck them there. Divided into three groups, the survivors encounter Prospera, her daughter, Miranda (Felicity Jones), and her supernatural servants, the lithe Ariel (Ben Whishaw) and monstrous Caliban (Djimon Hounsou), as alliances are formed, lessons are learned, and the wronged sorceress must finally choose between forgiveness and revenge.
As with much of Taymor’s previous work, I cannot praise enough the sheer visual magnificence evident in this film. The island of Lanai in Hawaii stands in for the nameless Mediterranean island of the play, and the volcanic plains, lush forests, and ocean-side cliffs provide the perfect backdrop. Starting with that canvas, Taymor layers on actors in colorful, intricately detailed costumes and finishes with a flourish of practical and CGI visual effects. Several of the techniques used to demonstrate Ariel’s elemental nature and powers genuinely inspire awe.
The cast largely rises to the challenge as well. Helen Mirren anchors the film as Prospera, an unusual choice considering that the character in the play is a man. The gender swap works here, and it adds a welcome new dimension to the character. She maintains the necessary gravitas while providing occasional flashes of vulnerability, especially in her interactions with Miranda and Ariel. Around her, Taymor assembles an ensemble of accomplished actors, capable of handling the difficulties of performing Shakespearean dialogue for a modern audience.
And yet all of these wonderful pieces never quite cohere into a satisfying whole. Much of the middle half of the film consists of groups of characters simply walking around the island and talking. As rich as the language is, and as capable as the actors are, there’s a sense of inertia that keeps the film from fully taking off. Having seen The Tempest several times on stage, I think it’s a challenge inherent to the structure of the play itself, and it takes a rare inspiration to overcome. That Taymor doesn’t quite manage it here does not necessarily diminish those things that she does well, but it hurts the pure enjoyment of the film.
As it stands, The Tempest should be a treat for both fans of the original play and cinematic tech geeks. Casual audiences will have more difficulty with the languid pacing of the middle section and the occasional impenetrability of the dialogue. Still, it’s a valiant and often dazzling effort to adapt a difficult work and a worthwhile addition to the catalog of modern Shakespearean interpretations.
Blu-ray Review:
While Julie Taymor’s The Tempest struggles to connect emotionally, it shines technically, and the high-def Blu-ray gives full weight to the intricate details and lush colors. Playing to these strengths, this edition includes two audio commentary tracks: one by Taymor herself, providing context to many of her design choices, and one by a pair of Shakespearean scholars, providing historical and thematic context for the play itself. Each is genuinely informative and worth checking out. Also worth watching is an included hour-long making-of featurette, which includes footage of Taymor’s earlier theatrical staging of the play.
