Customer Reviews

Revengers Tragedy

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Another great postmodern version of a Renaissance play by director Alex Cox. THE REVENGER'S TRAGEDY is comparable to Julie Taymor's TITUS (Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus) or Derek Jarman's EDWARD II (the Marlowe play). The dialogue is based on the original language of Thomas Middleton's play, but the setting and action are futuristic. The movie is actually pretty faithful to an extremely bizarre play, which includes incest, necrophilia, murder, poison, and you name it. Apparently the 21st century has nothing on the late Renaissance when it comes to decadence. Christopher Eccleston gives a great performance as Vindici, the revenger character. There are a couple of scenes of lovemaking which don't technically include "nudity." There is also some violence, but what makes the play so shocking is the decadence of the characters and setting. Very darkly humorous and satirical.

Alex Cox's ninth full-length feature is arguably his finest work since Highway Patrolman and the great Walker. This could largely be credited in the respect of the material being more personal to the director. His passion for the Jacobean play and for Spaghetti Westerns both shine brightly in this picture. And as can be guaranteed on each of this greatly-underappreciated artist's films, his style and wicked satirical humor are in full force here - in the Revengers Tragedy. This simple, and yet nasty tale of revenge written by a contemporary of William Shakespeare's with themes of love, sex, family, political decadence, and incest, and splendid dialogue from the original play by author Thomas Middleton and screen adapter Frank Cottrell Boyce features extraordinary performances, especially by Eddie Izzard, Christopher Eccleston, Andrew Schofield (Johnny Rotten in Cox's Sid and Nancy), and the immortal Derek Jacobi. Cox, himself, plays a small role as the Duke's driver, sporting a great haircut.

Ambitioso (Justin Salinger): "There's no advantage in the killing of a younger brother!"

Alex's eccentric approach to storytelling is usually bound to throw off newcomers to his work, or casual movie-watchers whom are accustomed to a more typical and financially refined (by Hollywood standards) picture. Also, and largely, Alex's sarcasm tends to get misunderstood despite its value in intelligence and sometimes beauty, which is strong in this picture, partially because of the material, as it was in Walker - a film which went so unappreciated and so disliked that Cox was shunned by the Hollywood studios thereafter. Ironically, that film remains his towering masterpiece. So for those interested in the Revengers Tragedy I would recommend to watch the picture at least twice before you make up your mind on its merits. Actually, having seen it four times thus far, and having heard the commentary and watched the fantastic extra features supplied by Fantoma I have grown fonder of the film. And I had thoroughly enjoyed it upon my initial viewing of it, late last year. The score by Chumbawamba is terrific.

"Farewell to all... He that climbs highest has the greatest fall. My tongue is out of office."

I saw this film and had to get my own copy. It's a strange, fabulous, weird, and amazing picture. The film is a fusion of a really old script, modern texture, and futuristic noir grit. It's very difficult to place, nearly impossible to handle, and quite demanding. I feel like it only comes together after several viewings, though the first time through is shocking and enjoyable. The more I watch it the more I like it.

The dialogue is fiercely original--written in an archaic and fantastic style, delivered in a colorful way, filmed to perfection. It's amazing. The accents and words are so interesting and (to me) strange that it frequently helps to have the sub-titles on through the first couple viewings. Imagery is outstanding, camera work is great, and casting is dead on.

The soundtrack is awesome, too, and complements the film's entire sociopolitical backdrop so well the audio and visual become inseparably wed. Tremendously successful, eminently enjoyable, and highly recommended.

While most films adaptations never seem to do justice to Jacobean drama (or any literature for that matter), "The Revenger's Tragedy" revitalizes an already great play by Middleton. Though the screenplay differs from the original substantially, the director captures the essence of the play in a way that makes good use of the media of film. And though, I usually do not like films that change so much of the original, here it works--and it works really fascinatingly.

The score is great. The visual choices are great. And the acting ensemble is particularly great--Christopher Eccleston as Vindice really blew me away.

The film lends itself to great discussion, and usage of the ol' gray matter.

I actually can't think of anything bad to say (I'm buying the DVD, so maybe after a few more viewings I'll find something).

Artistically, this is a very interesting presentation of the story. By setting it in modern pronunciation (AKA Liverpool accents), the director forces us to understand how closely it resembles our own world; he even mentions in the extras how fitting it was that during the filming the US and Britain entered an actual war of revenge - unfortunately this world is politically strife with revenge and it makes the film that much more topical when he hands it to us in a setting full of factory-lined alleyways, chain link fences, corrugated metal and modern contraptions to allegorically dig in the point.

The actors were absolutely perfect for their roles, every one of them (though i must confess to have a particular weakness for Derek Jacobi and Eddie Izzard - they're just both so interesting in their own right) and unlike Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo, they actually seem to know what they are saying. The manner of speaking incorporates both old style prose and modern day curses and slang, which only seems to further anchor it to the set and make the collaboration of 17th century play and modern day trappings seem all the more natural - kind of a cute way of talking too. The language is very powerful, definitely gets it's point across.

There is makeup on men (as one should expect when reading Eddie Izzard on the playbill), but rather than being a contagion that spread to the other actors I do see this makeup as an artistic advantage. Besides tying the movie to it's stage roots (where all men wear makeup), the makeup visually divulges the excess that these rich men were treating themselves to, and also outlines their vanity very well indeed.

I also found fascinating the movies' proposition that different leadership would simply find different reasons to be corrupt. I am very glad that they left in the scene with the confrontation of the mother. She had toyed with the idea of selling her daughter's favors for the goodwill of the duke. Not only did the confrontation scene provide continuity by tying up this loose end, but it also lets the audience know how fine a line we all walk - how easy it is for vengeance to go too far and for one to become no better than their enemy.

This is the best adaptation of an out-of-date play to the screen that I have seen yet. While I do enjoy old plays, it is very hard to relate to them. The licenses that Alex Cox has taken are illuminating and keep you on your toes.

The Jacobean play Revenger's Tragedy by Thomas Middleton here finds an update, much in the same vein as did Titus, Julie Taymor's recent reworking of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus. In fact, the same juxtaposition of over-stylized contemporary motifs and the original language of the source material is present. In both works, lust and murder figure prominently, as do the expected intricate machinations required to implement the actions expressing these venal sins.

Christopher Eccleston plays our "hero", Vindici, and while he is a bit over the top, his words do pierce and play the game of revenge, just as he does himself. The gifts of language do not forsake the author of the play, nor the screenwriter, Joe Boyce, who keeps most of the dialogue intact, and occasionally interjects a modern phrase--"piss off", for example. Yet in one of the more interesting extras included on the DVD, an Oxford don holds forth on the marked differences between Elizabethan and Jacobean dramatists, especially their use of the language--the latter being more earthy, as it were.

The director, Alex Cox, agrees; he's interviewed and tells of his fascination with the play as long ago as his teenage years. Age and youth figure prominently as well in this work; Derek Jacobi appears as the evil Duke (something) and carries it off quite well. He's another actor's actor who couldn't sing a false note if he tried. His four loathsome sons--the "best" of them played by noted British comic Eddie Izzard--constnatly plot against themselves and based on this ill feeling, reduce their chances of ascending to the Dukedom.

It seems our Vindici had his bride poisoned by this evil Duke, ten years prior, and now seeks revenge against him. Also here is the Duke's second wife (or perhaps third) whose attractions are not confined to her husband; another oldster, an ostensibly nobler member of the peerage, played by Anthony Booth (Antonio), and his much younger and totally hottie wife; and various and sundry other inhabitants in and around the Dukedom.

Although much energy has gone into this production with quite a bit of flash, for some reason it does not quite have the juice and spark found in Titus. To be blunt, it's found wanting, to some degree, and one is not quite sure why that is. It's well staged, but the acting is not consistently good. While Eccleston, Jacobi, and Izzard do well, the other Duke's sons don't have their acting chops down as proficiently. The pacing is not as strong as it should be, and there are inconsistencies not in the juxtaposition of modern and 16th century, but instead in how much importance this juxtaposition has. It's as if it's more or less thrown in to try to make it seem fresh, while in Titus, one thinks the same at first, but gradually one sees that the juxtaposition really works and becomes an integral part of the production.

Here that's not true. In that sense, it's somewhat reminiscent of Cox's Walker, taking place in the 19th century in Nicaragua, but complete with cigarette vending machines, etc. It's done to be kind of cool, but doesn't have that effect at all. In addition, although this in and of itself is not a severe criticism, you may have to turn on the English subtitles inasmuch as the Liverpudlian accents are thick.

It would have been nicer if Cox had a stronger sense of integrating two different eras for a reason, rather than slamming them together as he does here. Parts of the production tend to lag a bit while others carry enough punch to move the scenes through the film without much effort at all.

Close, but no Havana cigar.

Once again Alex Cox has brought us a magical piece of cinama. I cannot come up with adequate words to express how wonderful this film is. With Hollywood spending millions every day on fluff, Alex Cox has to scrounge for every penny to make masterpieces. Do your soul a favor and buy this movie and watch it over and over again. The fact that films like this never come to theaters is criminal and obsene. The world is a better place because of Alex Cox and the brilliant artists and crews who bring us films like this one. To Alex and all who help him with his work, please don't ever stop making movies for us. We are waiting and relishing every effort that makes it to the screen and will do all that we can to support your work.

Fair warning, this is listed as a "Black Comedy." It's set in a post apocalyptic future, in Liverpool. The cast list alone makes this worthwhile: Christopher Eccleston, Derek Jacobi, & Eddie Izzard, to name but 3 amazing actors in this. The story is an updated retelling of Thomas Middleton's play of the same name, with the 17th century Jacobian language intact. If you enjoyed anything these aforementioned actors have been in, and/or A Clockwork Orange, then you will enjoy this. It's set in Liverpool in a time similar to Clockwork Orange. Vindici (Eccleston) returns after a decade of absence to get revenge on the corrupt Duke (Jacobi) for poisoning his bride on their wedding day. The Duke has prospered and his sons are just as evil as their father, including the Duke's heir and eldest (Izzard). The story unfolds in an interesting manner from there. The language is poetic and rather easy to follow. The acting is superb.

This movie is a thinker - you can watch it multiple times and keep getting more from it. All the elements work together -- the visual, the adaptation from Middleton, the performances, the concept, the soundtrack and effects, everything. Amazing it didn't get theatrical release in the US.

This film is quite beautiful. The action and story line are presented in such a way as to respect the audience to figure things out. The music (by Chumbawamba, an AMAZING band) fits everything perfectly. Overall, this film sews the elements together wonderfully...highly recommended.