Thursday, March 26, 2009

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)


Oh what fools these mortals be,
That miss out on this DVD!

So says Mr Pinky.

Mr Shakespeare’s play is a weird and wonderful romp through the forest, pretty much a one off in the Shakespearian canon. He never wrote a play like it afterwards. The action is so fanciful and delightful, indeed, almost camp, that it has prompted some wags to query whether it would be possible for a straight man to write such a fairy dominated play.

Who knows? Who cares?

What I can say is that this 1935 visual extravaganza well and truly lives up to its original source and inspiration. Every frame of this picture is gorgeously made. It’s one of those films that is so mesmerising to watch that you often simply forget about the plot.

The film also has some terrific performances from some unlikely Hollywood actors. James Cagney is most affecting as Bottom, and Mickey Rooney is amazing as Puck.

What is it about these dream-like 1930s films, that seem so hermetically sealed from reality? You can’t help but think that it would be an impossibility to make such a free, uninhibited and imaginative film nowadays. Film is perhaps too self-conscious today. There are too many references for filmmakers to fall back on; back in the 1930s they were creating the very language of film themselves.

A classic!

Mr Pinky invites you to enjoy some of the film stills presented below.




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