Sunday, October 09, 2005
Black or White - Michael Jackson
The first DVD I borrowed from the library was a movie I'v been wanting to watch for a while - William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice".
I've always liked TMOV. It has been one of me favourite. And why not? Who does not enjoy a story of love - between 2 frens and between a man and a woman. And a love story wif exitement and twists as well as sufficient elements of comedy in it!
And the excellent lines!
The first time I caught it on stage was an amatuer adaptation by some youths in my church. My good fren, Geoffrey did a commendable performance of Shylock - so much so that ever since then, I have always compared other performers' interpretation of Shylock wif Geoffrey's!
I remember watching it performed by the RSC 10 years ago in London. It was brilliant! It was interesting too as they changed it into a modern setting.
When the RSC came over to Malaysia a couple of years ago, they performed TMOV too - and I caught it again.
The movie was good altho I am beginning to get more and more disappointed wif Jeremy Irons. Al Pacino was brilliant as usual!
However, watching it now is very different. Perhaps I am getting older, perhaps I'm thinking more about it. It is sumthing like the Malaysian historical account of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat, 2 close frens who ended up fighting wif each other eventually leading to the former murdering the latter. When we were young, we were taught to admire Hang Tuah and for his loyalty to the State. But as we grew older, we begin to doubt him. After all, isn't Jebat the real hero? The one who was a true fren? The one who dared to stand up against the State when the State is clearly wrong?
I digress...
As I watch TMOV now, I feel for Shylock. I pity him. And I find Portia cruel for wat she did to him in the end. I blame Jessica for causing her father to take such a course of action. While I do not condone what Shylock wanted to do at the end, I understand wat drove him to such a state. I feel for him.
Is it just me or do I detect some elements of racism in Shakespeare's writings? He makes fun of Africans (the Morrocan prince) and he makes the Jew as the bad guy who ends up having to be a Christian! But I speak of one who does not understand literature nor Shakespeare's writings.
But I must say that watching TMOV is no longer a joy. I find it sad and disturbing...
Movie poster (obtained from cinema.com) 
I've always liked TMOV. It has been one of me favourite. And why not? Who does not enjoy a story of love - between 2 frens and between a man and a woman. And a love story wif exitement and twists as well as sufficient elements of comedy in it!
And the excellent lines!
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice.
The first time I caught it on stage was an amatuer adaptation by some youths in my church. My good fren, Geoffrey did a commendable performance of Shylock - so much so that ever since then, I have always compared other performers' interpretation of Shylock wif Geoffrey's!
I remember watching it performed by the RSC 10 years ago in London. It was brilliant! It was interesting too as they changed it into a modern setting.
When the RSC came over to Malaysia a couple of years ago, they performed TMOV too - and I caught it again.
The movie was good altho I am beginning to get more and more disappointed wif Jeremy Irons. Al Pacino was brilliant as usual!
However, watching it now is very different. Perhaps I am getting older, perhaps I'm thinking more about it. It is sumthing like the Malaysian historical account of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat, 2 close frens who ended up fighting wif each other eventually leading to the former murdering the latter. When we were young, we were taught to admire Hang Tuah and for his loyalty to the State. But as we grew older, we begin to doubt him. After all, isn't Jebat the real hero? The one who was a true fren? The one who dared to stand up against the State when the State is clearly wrong?
I digress...
As I watch TMOV now, I feel for Shylock. I pity him. And I find Portia cruel for wat she did to him in the end. I blame Jessica for causing her father to take such a course of action. While I do not condone what Shylock wanted to do at the end, I understand wat drove him to such a state. I feel for him.
Is it just me or do I detect some elements of racism in Shakespeare's writings? He makes fun of Africans (the Morrocan prince) and he makes the Jew as the bad guy who ends up having to be a Christian! But I speak of one who does not understand literature nor Shakespeare's writings.
But I must say that watching TMOV is no longer a joy. I find it sad and disturbing...
He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million;
laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains,
scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains,
cooled my friends, heated mine enemies;
and what's his reason? I am a Jew.
Hath not a Jew eyes?
hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?
fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons,
subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means,
warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is?
If you prick us, do we not bleed?
if you tickle us, do we not laugh?
if you poison us, do we not die?
and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.
If a Jew wrong a Christian,
what is his humility? Revenge.
If a Christian wrong a Jew,
what should his sufferance be by Christian example?
Why, revenge.
The villany you teach me, I will execute,
and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.
laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains,
scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains,
cooled my friends, heated mine enemies;
and what's his reason? I am a Jew.
Hath not a Jew eyes?
hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?
fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons,
subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means,
warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is?
If you prick us, do we not bleed?
if you tickle us, do we not laugh?
if you poison us, do we not die?
and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?
If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.
If a Jew wrong a Christian,
what is his humility? Revenge.
If a Christian wrong a Jew,
what should his sufferance be by Christian example?
Why, revenge.
The villany you teach me, I will execute,
and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.
# posted by imissw : 8:20:00 pm
Comments:
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Yo dude!
Do u know i check ur blog EVERYDAY!! And was talking to Jon about ur ke-hilang-an. Aiseh. But, great to see that u're blogging again. Hehe...
:)
U take care bro! :)
Do u know i check ur blog EVERYDAY!! And was talking to Jon about ur ke-hilang-an. Aiseh. But, great to see that u're blogging again. Hehe...
:)
U take care bro! :)
Oi, why change blog address but never tell me wan? dun wan me to read yr blog issit??
i check yr blog everyday oso!
i check yr blog everyday oso!
sIgH...what's with all this blog address changing....
Munster your Merchant of Venice entry so depressing ler...who knows what's right anymore man...
Munster your Merchant of Venice entry so depressing ler...who knows what's right anymore man...
# posted by 
: Fri Oct 14, 09:09:00 am
: Fri Oct 14, 09:09:00 am
kitster said...
gee can't believe i'm reading ur blog at this hour. good to hear ur still sound n alive but then again get all ur shit from email anyways. seems like fun over there. i'm really thinking of coming next year! too bad can't come with charlester.
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gee can't believe i'm reading ur blog at this hour. good to hear ur still sound n alive but then again get all ur shit from email anyways. seems like fun over there. i'm really thinking of coming next year! too bad can't come with charlester.
# posted by : Fri Oct 14, 09:05:00 pm
: Fri Oct 14, 09:05:00 pm<< Home
