That's why I posted those movies. Most people haven't seen ANY. I try to track down great obscure movies and then try to spread the word to get others to see 'em. Try to keep 'em alive in consciousness, y'know?
As for Lear, the reason I posted that there is because NO ONE likes Lear. At least, no one young. I don't understand why. Is it because they can't relate to it was easily as the power lust of Mac, the passion of Othello, or the youthful indecisiveness of Hamlet?
I love Lear because it's the darkest of his plays and it has some of his utterly finest poetry. It's pure rage put to words. It's utterly vicious emotionally and then physically. I think Edgar is the true hero, and he goes through utter hell. It's also a play about redemption, and the reunion scenes between Lear and Cordelia and Edgar and Gloucester are just... done right, they are heartbreaking. There is nothing more heartbreaking that realising that you've wasted your life, that you've fucked up and as much as you want to nothing you can do can turn back the horrible chain of events that led to this point, which will very soon lead to more death.
Only through this does Lear gain his love and humanity, all too late. He finally grows a heart and then Cordelia is killed, and the scene where he is carrying her body brings me to tears every time. The scene with Edgar leading Gloucester to the "cliff" is the only funny scene in the whole play, and it's also so beautiful and sad.
Add to that, the violence and utter viciousness of the sisters is chilling, and Edmund is so gleefully wonderfully evil to behold.
Even though it's generally considered a masterpiece, Lear is always given the short hand of the stick. In that context, I think it's the most underrated of the great tragedies, and within it, I think the Edgar/Edmund subplot it seriously underrated as well. That's as much the play as Lear and his daughters to me. King Lear is the most underrated compared to Romeo, Othello, Mac, and Hamlet. And that's a real shame.
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Date: 2005-09-08 07:21 pm (UTC)As for Lear, the reason I posted that there is because NO ONE likes Lear. At least, no one young. I don't understand why. Is it because they can't relate to it was easily as the power lust of Mac, the passion of Othello, or the youthful indecisiveness of Hamlet?
I love Lear because it's the darkest of his plays and it has some of his utterly finest poetry. It's pure rage put to words. It's utterly vicious emotionally and then physically. I think Edgar is the true hero, and he goes through utter hell. It's also a play about redemption, and the reunion scenes between Lear and Cordelia and Edgar and Gloucester are just... done right, they are heartbreaking. There is nothing more heartbreaking that realising that you've wasted your life, that you've fucked up and as much as you want to nothing you can do can turn back the horrible chain of events that led to this point, which will very soon lead to more death.
Only through this does Lear gain his love and humanity, all too late. He finally grows a heart and then Cordelia is killed, and the scene where he is carrying her body brings me to tears every time. The scene with Edgar leading Gloucester to the "cliff" is the only funny scene in the whole play, and it's also so beautiful and sad.
Add to that, the violence and utter viciousness of the sisters is chilling, and Edmund is so gleefully wonderfully evil to behold.
Even though it's generally considered a masterpiece, Lear is always given the short hand of the stick. In that context, I think it's the most underrated of the great tragedies, and within it, I think the Edgar/Edmund subplot it seriously underrated as well. That's as much the play as Lear and his daughters to me. King Lear is the most underrated compared to Romeo, Othello, Mac, and Hamlet. And that's a real shame.
I hope that helped.