The Tempest (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:

Helen Mirren, Felicity Jones, Djimon Hounsou

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 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
David Scott Klein	...	Prospera's Husband
Bryan Webster	...	Guard

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:

storm at sea | spirit | banishment | sorcery | 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 [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 January 2011 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

A Tempestade

Filming Locations:

Steiner Studios, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$42,436, 12 December 2010, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$277,943

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$405,861

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, 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

The decision to switch the gender of the lead character was a diving board to a whole new appreciation of the play. It had everything to do with Helen Mirren and a coincidental exchange that Julie Taymor had with the actress. When Taymor encountered Helen Mirren at a party, she had already envisioned Mirren in the role and their conversation cemented her decision. "We were talking Shakespeare," Taymor recollects, "and she had no idea I was planning this film when she mentioned that the first Shakespeare she ever did was Caliban in 'The Tempest,' and she actually said to me, 'You know, I could play Prospero-as a woman.' And I said, 'Do you want to? Because I've been preparing a film version of "The Tempest" with exactly that in mind.' And, fortunately, she said yes."

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Goofs

The chessboard that Miranda uses is set up 90 degrees rotated from its proper position. Facing the board, each player should have a white square on the far right of their back rank. This board is positioned so that the black squares are on that side.

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Quotes

Caliban: This island is mine!

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Crazy Credits

Throughout the credits we see Prospera's books sinking in the ocean one by one, presumably after she tossed each of them in.

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Connections

Version of The Tempest (1908)

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Soundtracks

Darkened Sands
Performed by Ben Whishaw
Music by Elliot Goldenthal
Lyrics by William Shakespeare

User Reviews

Dame Helen reigns supreme

In casting Helen Mirren as Prospera, director Julie Taymor adds an interesting spin to this Shakespeare adaptation.

Also CGI effects help make more sense of the story.

On the downside, film versions of the bard's plays rarely work perfectly (with the honourable exception of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet) and unless you know the play already, the action here is pretty hard to follow. Also, it's a bit strange seeing comic genius Alan Cumming in a straight role.

Ultimately though, the main joy of the movie is Dame Helen. She does bitterness superbly. I loved the scene when Miranda first meets Ferdinand - Mirren's ironic commentary added a whole new dimension to the play for me.

I also loved Tony Conti as the aged senator Gonzalo. His performance is so masterful it puts his character at the forefront of the story for once - no bad thing.

Overall I think Shakespeare fans will really enjoy this film. Other people may be left a little bored and bewildered.