The Tempest (I) (2010)

Shakespeare's epic play is translated from page to screen, with the gender of the main character, Prospero, changed from male to female.

Director:

Julie Taymor

Writers:

Julie Taymor (screenplay), William Shakespeare (play)

Stars:

Felicity Jones, Helen Mirren, Djimon Hounsou

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Felicity Jones	...	Miranda
Jude Akuwudike	...	Boatswain
Reeve Carney	...	Prince Ferdinand
David Strathairn	...	King Alonso
Tom Conti	...	Gonzalo
Alan Cumming	...	Sebastian
Chris Cooper	...	Antonio
Helen Mirren	...	Prospera
Ben Whishaw	...	Ariel
Djimon Hounsou	...	Caliban
Russell Brand	...	Trinculo
Alfred Molina	...	Stephano

Storyline

In Julie Taymor's version of 'The Tempest,' the main character is now a woman named Prospera. Going back to the 16th or 17th century, women practicing the magical arts of alchemy were often convicted of witchcraft. In Taymor's version, Prospera is usurped by her brother and sent off with her four-year daughter on a ship. She ends up on an island; it's a tabula rasa: no society, so the mother figure becomes a father figure to Miranda. This leads to the power struggle and balance between Caliban and Prospera; a struggle not about brawn, but about intellect.

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Plot Keywords:

banishment | storm | sorcery | staff | island | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some nudity, suggestive content and scary images

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 February 2011 (Taiwan)

Also Known As:

A Tempestade

Filming Locations:

Anaehoomalu Bay, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$42,436 (USA) (10 December 2010)

Gross:

$263,365 (USA) (18 February 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax Films, TalkStory Productions, Artemis Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alfred Molina's second work in a Shakespearean film since As You Like It.

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Quotes

Trinculo: Misery acquaints a man with strange bed fellows.

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Connections

Followed by Elliot Goldenthal: O Mistress (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Coda"
Performed by Beth Gibbons
Music by Elliot Goldenthal
Lyrics by William Shakespeare

User Reviews

Good big-screen adaptation

Let's face it - Shakespeare's plays are wonderful. But they were written in an age when the Bard wrote them for the stages available then - like forums and village theaters. The scope and power of the projected screen as well as the acts recorded to be played over and over again in space and time - would have been a totally alien concept to Shakespeare. Here the makers of the film - especially Julie Taymor - deserves credit for having made this difficult transition with such effective ease. The scenes come off pretty natural and very well acted. Also the transformation of Propero into Prospera was intriguing when I first heard about this movie. But it came off very convincing - almost as if Shakespeare wrote it that way himself. I was just wondering why Taymor chose to do this though! Helen Mirren was her superb best. Djimon was excellent as Caliban. I saw him in the movie "The Island" earlier and found he does deliver his best in challenging roles. All other actors did their part very well. I would recommend this movie to Shakespeare buffs. Don't expect too much from it as Shakespeare certainly did not write action plays. But it was time well spent.