Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Our Town, January 19, 2007
This film adaptation of Dylan Thomas' wonderful "Under Milkwood" has dozens of characters, the most famous of whom are Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Peter O'Toole-- one of the problems with this production. There are simply too many characters to keep up with. The other problem is that the Welsh accents are difficult to understand. The play works better when performed on stage with a few characters reading several parts. On the other hand, the photography of the village and seacost is beautiful beyond words. And speaking of words, hearing Thomas' alliterative plumy language makes up for whatever failings this film may have otherwise: "the dawn inches up," "the tidy wives," and the village at night described as "a hill of windows," etc., will make your heart leap up. Mr. Burton's delivery of the long narrative passages is not to be missed.
The CD has a short interview with Mr. Burton and a longer biography of Dylan Thomas, constructed in most part from his beautiful poems. Both inclusions are an added bonus.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Bad idea well executed., July 5, 2005
I own this on videotape, but will not, probably, be getting the DVD.
UNDER MILKWOOD is a play for voices, originially written for radio, and frequently done as a readers' theater piece by college and community groups. (By doubling parts one can do it with a fairly small cast, and the constumes, scenery, and props are minimal.)
Why then, would one even consider doing it as a film, that most visual of media? A videorecording of a proper readers' theater production might have some pedagogical value, but it would be a rather dull film considered as film. But this shoehorning it into a full cinematic treatment was totally wrongheaded from the beginning.
I'm giving it three stars only because of the cast; they were all very talented people and obviously were doing the best they could under the circumstances. The only exception was Elizabeth Taylor, and that wasn't really her fault; (a) so much of her part was cut that one couldn't really get a valid impression of her conception of Mrs. Probert and (b) she was miscast--but she probably would have been even worse miscast as any of the other female parts! As it was, it was obvious that she was really trying hard, but had too much going against her.
As for the cuts--and there were many--why, if they were so pressed for time that they had to cut so much, did they introduce that totally unnecessary and gratuitous 'Norma Jean' interlude?
Don't waste your money; get a proper, audio version.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Under Milk Wood, March 1, 2006
The 'bonus' material (the biography) was very interesting and a welcomed addition.
The 'movie' itself was generally very well done - I had only ever seen Thomas' work 'acted' out once - on stage. It is, of course, a 'play for words' and therein lies its strength. The portrayed actions were (in my humble opinion) conducted in a manner that aided the presentation of Thomas' masterpiece. However, there were a couple of 'director interpretations' that I did not like, or that I felt were not adequately expressed:
1. The scene with Burton, his 'lady friend' and side-kick, in the barn seemed tasteless and unnecessary - it does even NOT exist in Thomas' writings.
2. The 'ych-y-fy' repetitions were excessive - becoming annoying.
3. He totally missed (portrayal of) the obvious fiscal solicitations during the 'crytal ball readings'.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
