‘Even Love Wins In a Tyrannical World’: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016) Movie Review
One might wonder, is it possible to have women kissing one another in Shakespeare’s play? Is the idea of Romeo handling a computer tablet too far-fetched to be included in a universe created by Shakespeare? Russel T. Davies, a Welsh screenwriter, takes these matters in hand. In 2016, Davies produced a Shakespeare TV adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and it is the odd one out among other adaptations that have been done before. The oddity of his adaptation roots in the recontextualization of the play. It seems utterly radical for many Shakespearean aficionados. Yet, Davies takes his interpretation further and utilizes every element of mise-en-scène to realize his movie. He puts Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in modern western society context, resulting in a fresh adaptation that is highly relevant for today’s western generation.
Tyrant, Patriarchy, Racial Diversity, and Sexual Orientation
A merry nuptial between the ruler of Athens, Theseus, and his fiancé, the Queen of Amazon, Hippolyta, is about to happen in four days. Or so it seems to people who read the original play or watch another adaptation, for example, the classic 1968 movie. In the 2016 adaptation, Davies alters the settings of the play from a peaceful Athens to a tyrannical one. The wedding is a horror dream that comes true since Theseus is a fascist ruler who imprisoned his fiancé. Dowling (2016) comments on the resemblance of Hippolyta’s state in the first scene with the famous pop-culture character, Hannibal Lecter, “His bride-to-be Hippolyta was wheeled into his presence strapped to a hand truck, in a straitjacket and Hannibal Lecter mask, suggesting that she was perhaps not fully on board with their impending nuptials.”
The tyrannical setting foregrounds the gender issues between males and females and affects Hippolyta’s position within the patriarchies. As a result of unequal power relations, her place is reduced to an object of Theseus’ desire and conquest. Hippolyta comes up with a strategy to resist the patriarchy, that is, she makes her silence a weapon against Theseus’ dominance. Davies is not the only one who takes this approach in reading the play. Foakes (2003) explained about the 1985 production by Liviu Ciulei where “a black Hippolyta was the defiant prisoner of a white Theseus, and the play was interpreted as being about ‘struggles for power in a patriarchal society”. Hippolyta’s silence after Theseus’s lines, “Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword// (…)” allows a variety of interpretations. “It can be used to suggest harmony or to ‘deepen a split between her and Theseus’”, wrote Foakes. Davies takes the latter.
Another thing that makes Davies’ adaptation relevant to today’s society is the racial diversity in the characters. Foakes sees that the gradual integration of races in western societies is reflected in the choice of actors. Over the last few years, the integration of races has found its place in Shakespeare’s play. In Davies’ adaptation, at least four main characters are played by black people. Prisca Bakare plays Hermia. Nonso Anozie plays the king of fairies, Oberon. Paapa Essiedu is casted to play Demetrius. Colin McFarlo acts as Hermia’s father, Egeus. These actors play significant roles since none of them are outshined by other white actors in the film. The number of black actors also highlights the film’s distinctiveness.
The most ground-breaking aspect of the play, perhaps, is the same-sex relationship of the characters. Until now, there have been plenty of Shakespeare’s adaptations and productions that include patriarchy and racial diversity. Sexual orientation, however, is a topic that is not relevant until recent years. Though the LGBT movement started in 1962, many people still view same-sex relationships as taboo in the following years. The case was different in 2016. LGBT has slowly asserted its place within western societies, so the issue would be relevant in the 2016 adaptation. In the film, the same-sex romance happens between Hippolyta and Titania. “My feeling about the end of the play is that Titania is submissive to Oberon and he gets away with his tricks,” Davies said in his 2016 interview with The Independent, “It’s very male-female, male-female, so I wanted to have a man with a man, a man who was dressed as a woman with a man, and a woman with a woman because it’s 2016, so that’s the world now.” Davies tops off the same-sex romance with gay relationships: a brief moment where Demetrius falls in love with Lysander through a harmless misfortune and gay couples dancing in the ending scene.
Mise-en-scène: Settings and Costumes
What heightens the sense of modernity in the film are the elements of mise-en-scène. Davies displays the modernity of his movie through its settings and costumes. He contrives a modern, futuristic Athens using technology and modern weapons like computer tablets and rifles. LCD touch screens are present on the wall of Theseus’ palace, and both Hermia and Lysander use them to plan an escape from Athens. All these props do not seem out of place if the viewers consider that the adaptation takes place in a completely different timeline from the original one, i.e., a modern timeline. The actors’ clothes also account for modernity. Theseus wears a modern-day military uniform. Egeus appears in a full suit. Hermia’s dress and jacket are worn by a lot of women today, and Lysander is just your sweet college friend: a sweater, large-framed glasses, and a scarf.
With many new elements added, Davies’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a brand-new adaptation compared to its predecessor, especially for the modern western audience. Despite its radical approach, the film still pays homage to Shakespeare’s comedy play by giving it a happy ending. The tyrannical Theseus dies alone, the four lovers marry, and Hippolyta and Titania unite with a kiss. “I hope there will be people out there who watch it and think “Oh, isn’t Shakespeare marvellous,” is what Davies wishes (BBC, 2016). Indeed, the film successfully shows that even in a world of a tyrant, love still wins.
This review is written for Tematis BC class.
Reference
BBC. (2016). Shakespeare lives — behind-the-scenes of A midsummer night’s dream. BBC. Retrieved December 30, 2021, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/RCnjZg4lXp2WWCJcCvCm7P/behind-the-scenes-of-a-midsummer-nights-dream
Denham, J. (2016, May 6). Russell T Davies defends adding lesbian kiss to A Midsummer night’s dream. The Independent. Retrieved December 30, 2021, from https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/russell-t-davies-defends-lesbian-kiss-a-midsummer-night-s-dream-william-shakespeare-bbc-film-a7016201.html
Dowling, T. (2016, May 31). A Midsummer Night’s dream review: Doctor who-ish but rather good. The Guardian. Retrieved December 30, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/may/31/a-midsummer-nights-dream-review-russell-t-davies
Shakespeare, W., & Foakes, R. A. (2003). A Midsummer night’s dream / edited by R.A. Foakes. Cambridge University Press.
