Much Ado About Nothing
was very well done movie. The play was interpreted nearly exactly as I
pictured it, and the actors were very comical and expressive in their parts.
The set design, costumes, and lighting were extremely realistic to the
Shakespearean time period as well. In general, Much Ado About Nothing was a worthwhile film to watch.
The director had an excellent interpretation of the play. It
was much easier to understand the play and the movie because of this. For
example, reading the play, I was unclear as to what exactly took place when Don
John led Claudio to Hero’s bedroom window. The way that scene was depicted
showed me very clearly what ensued in a realistic way. As well, the ball was
conveyed in a much more reasonable way than how I pictured it. After watching
that scene, I realized that it was perfectly interpreted in a Shakespearean
time period as opposed to the grand dresses and large ballroom that I
visualized. The director had a very good grasp as to what Shakespeare’s time era
appeared to be, and that contributed to the movie coming across more lifelike
and understandable.
The actors in Much Ado
About Nothing did not resemble my imagination, but even so, the casting for
their respectable roles was perfect. It did not surprise me to see actual
people acting out this play, because that was how I visualized it. The
chemistry between Beatrice and Benedick’s players was perfect, and throughout
the play they grew closer while still keeping their original witty and
confident façades, a product of their wonderful acting. One character that did
not stand out to me as much as she did in the written play was Hero. I imagined
her much more love-struck and bubbly. Despite the fact that her actress did a
satisfactory job in depicting her character, I believe she should have been
more upbeat and girly. Another surprise was Don John, as I did not picture him
to be colored. Regardless of that fact, he fit into the role perfectly and was
very realistic. All in all, the actors were cast nearly impeccably, and their
acting was perfect for that time era and for their characters.
The set design and costumes were exceptional. The choices
made for the background of this play made it seem like it really was filmed in
Messina back in Shakespeare’s time, and the costumes added to that element as
well. The attire the character’s wore, the females in particular, was not too
elaborate and fit in very well with the set and the context of the play. These
designs and production elements enhanced the movie so much. The scene of the
dance had amazing masks as props that were very suitable to the acting without
being too over-the-top. In short, the set and costumes really did make the
movie. I don’t think it could have been so realistic without these elements.
I would definitely recommend this movie to others. I do
believe though, that by reading the play beforehand, the audience can fully appreciate
this movie much more thoroughly. Despite the fact that the general story line
is easy to pick up on, reading the play makes it much more straightforward as
the language can be difficult to understand. All in all, I would give this
movie four out of five stars, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Shakespeare’s
works, or has read the play ahead of time.
