Can I ask people who have seen this, is it understandable if you go cold, shall we say and are unfamiliar with the original WS work?
Does it stand alone or is it better to be familiar with the original text?
It may take time to get familiar with the characters and what relation they have to each other, but within 20 minutes you should be fine. The movie is pretty good, but not great.
shareI went cold, never seen it, never read it.There is a very good review that covers this exact point http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2094064/reviews-12 "In Love With Shakespeare"
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I had never read the play but was vaguely familiar with the story. It was hard to get used to the language at first, and they speak very fast in the beginning, but your brain quickly shifts to interpret what they're saying (at least mine did). It took me a while to learn names and relationships and some parts were still a bit unclear to me, but I understood enough of the plot to still really enjoy it.
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I just left the theater - I saw this on stage on a hi school field trip in the '70s(!) and not since, never saw the Branagh joint. Enjoyed this thoro'ly and "got it" despite not being a student of the play. I think the real genius of this version is how completely American and contemporary the cadence and diction are. For another user-friendly cruise thru' Shakespeare among today's luckier class of Americans, I recommend "10 Things I Hate About You."
shareMost versions of this play get the balance wrong at the wedding scene. The whole thing can very easily turn too dark there, and then you can't enjoy the last act because you've been too bummed out.
Joss Whedon's version gets the tone and the touch JUST RIGHT. That is a remarkable, and delicate thing to pull off, and is just a little part of what makes seeing this version so enjoyable.
Don't worry about not being able to understand the Shakespeare dialog for the first few minutes, that always happens. Simply let it roll over you, enjoy the story as it unfolds and it will all begin to sound natural and before you know it you'll totally be able to understand everything that is going on.
Norm
I couldn't understand it at all, I feel dumb :( Just couldn't grasp the way they spoke and have no idea what they were talking about 80% of the time.
Felt like watching a foreign film without subtitles.
It's worth trying again - it might take a few hearings if you are not used to Shakespeare. At least this cast spoke clearly - I watched Baz Lurman's Romeo and Juliet when it came out and the only people I could understand were Miriam Margolyes and Pete Postlethwaite - which was really disappointing.
shareI think Much Ado is one of the easier stories to follow by Shakespeare. I never read or studied it but felt I understood the movie versions well.
shareI had no idea about what happens in the play and the only experience I've had with Shakespeare is a high school report on Macbeth. I loved this movie.
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