Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou SPOILERS!
Set in the late 16th century, we see are introduced to the Elizabethan theater scene. Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush), the owner of The Rose, owes money to Hugh Fennymore (Tom Wilkinson). He tells Fennymore that he’s about to put on a new play by William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes). It’s called Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter. Quite the mouthful, huh?
There’s just one problem. Shakespeare hasn’t written it yet. He’s suffering from writer’s block brought on by his despondence over Rosalind. (Sound familiar? Get used to it). She likes Shakespeare but she’s the mistress of Richard Burbage (Martin Clunes), who owns The Curtain—the Rose’s rival. Unbeknownst to Henslowe, Shakespeare is writing a play for Burbage as well. Well, he would be if he wasn’t pining after Rosalind.
Shakespeare ends up at a performance for Elizabeth I (Judi Dench). Also in attendance is young Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow), who wants nothing more than to be on the stage. She catches Shakespeare’s eye and he follows her home. There, he sneaks his way into her father’s party. He and Viola have an instant connection, but her parents are working at a marriage between Viola and Lord Wessex (Colin Firth). He has a title and will bring them prestige while Viola’s family has money Wessex needs. But Shakespeare shares a dance with Viola until her father interrupts it. He sends Shakespeare away, but first demands his name. Shakespeare lies and gives his name as Kit Marlowe, his professional rival.
Viola breaks Shakespeare’s writing block, becoming his new muse. He continues to write Ethelred, the Pirate’s Daughter but it slowly morphs into something else. Ethelred becomes Juliet. Henslowe’s beloved pirates are dropped completely. (Don’t worry, Geoffrey Rush. You’ll have your share of pirates soon enough).
But they start casting the show. Especially as the Chamberlain’s Men, the normal players, are on the road. So everyone (male) tries out to act on stage, all of them using the same monologue from Marlowe to do so. Shakespeare tries not to kill them all. But none of them are right for Romeo.
And then a young man starts giving his monologue. Shakespeare is entranced. Only the audience realizes it is Viola, dressed as a boy. She delivers an impassioned audition and Shakespeare wants her to be his Romeo. He asks for a name and she calls herself Thomas Kent. And like that, Viola—Thomas—is cast as Romeo. She runs away, though, since she needs to get home. Shakespeare pursues her to the river and all the way to the house.
When he gets to the house, he asks to speak to Thomas Kent. And then he has to wait. And wait. Until Viola’s Nurse (Imelda Staunton) comes to talk to him. She says Thomas Kent is her nephew and agrees to take Shakespeare’s note to him. Viola reads it excitedly but the Nurse is less so. She fears what will happen if Viola is found out but she continues to help her lady sneak out dressed as a boy.
Shakespeare has become obsessed with Viola and follows “Thomas” again, hoping to learn more about the lady. He speaks so eloquently about her that “Thomas” can’t resist and kisses him. “Thomas” gets out of the boat but before the movie could play on the theories that Shakespeare may have been attracted to men, the man steering the boat informs Shakespeare that “Thomas” is really Viola. Shakespeare is determined to see her again.
He sneaks into her room and they proceed to have sexytimes. The Nurse keeps guard outside until the morning. Wessex arrives to take Viola to get the Queen’s approval for their marriage. The Nurse distracts him until Viola emerges, fully dressed. Shakespeare follows, dressed as another nurse, and insists “she” go with Viola. Wessex agrees, mostly because they are running late.
The Queen asks to speak to Viola, wanting to determine if she’s good enough for Wessex. She remembers Viola from the theater performance and how moved the young lady seemed. So she questions Viola about the theater. Viola thinks it can show how powerful love really is. The Queen doubts that. So she makes a little wager—if she can find a show that best shows the power of love, she’ll pay Viola. Shakespeare, in disguise, seconds it and the wager is set. The Queen speaks with Wessex, telling him that Viola is not a virgin.
Rehearsals continue for what is slowly becoming Romeo and Juliet. And Viola and Shakespeare keep stealing away moments together. But things change when the Chamberlain’s Men return. Things have to be rearranged, especially for Ned Allyn (Ben Affleck), a big deal actor. So Shakespeare adds Mercutio and promises him a death scene. Ned’s in. Brilliant!
But Wessex has taken the Queen’s words to heart. He tries to find the man sleeping with his bride-to-be. Shakespeare has him believing it is Marlowe (Rupert Everett), who he also gets some advice on his play from. He worries that he has put his friend into danger.
One night, the cast goes out drinking. In the course of the merriment, someone lets it slip about Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare’s wife). Viola is upset to learn her lover is married and is distraught. She runs off. Shakespeare is going to pursue when a messenger bursts in:
Rehearsals continue as does Shakespeare’s and Viola’s relationship. A young boy working at the Globe discovers that Thomas Kent is really a woman and tells Wessex. He realizes he didn’t kill Viola’s real lover. So he storms over with Edmund Tilney (Simon Callow), the Master of Revelry. He is there to shut down the theater since they have a woman on stage and it’s legal for women to act. Shakespeare reveals that Wessex killed Marlowe and confesses his ruse. Everyone goes silent before Shakespeare learns that Marlowe was killed in a bar fight. Wessex takes Viola home and Tilney closes the Rose.
Viola resigns herself to marrying Wessex even though she learns she will have to leave England right away. He has some dealings in Virginia with tobacco (a huge anachronism as Virginia did not exist. Tobacco was introduced to the colony by John Rolfe in the 1600s). Her parents don’t seem happy with their daughter going so far away, but her father needs Wessex’s klout. And Wessex needs his money.
Meanwhile, the theaters are reopened after fears of the plague. Except the Rose. Burbage though offers to let them use the Curtain. Everyone agrees. Posters are printed up and Shakespeare himself takes on the role of Romeo in place of Thomas Kent. Viola marries Wessex and learns that the play is still going on. The nurse helps her sneak off to the theater to see it.
Backstage, the company faces a crises: Their Juliet has hit puberty! His voice is cracking all over the place. It’s enough to turn a tragedy into a comedy. They try to help him but worry they won’t have a Juliet. But Viola overhears their problem and saves the day by taking the stage as Juliet instead. Everyone loves her.
Wessex has discovered his new wife’s up and run away. A poster for Romeo and Juliet points him in the right direction. He takes Tilney with him to the Curtain. But they can’t just stop the performance and have to watch it.
The play continues and everyone is enthralled. Viola and Shakespeare are great together. And Ned’s death scene is amazing. But it is nothing compared to Romeo and Juliet’s. There is not a dry eye in the Curtain as the two lovers perish. Everyone takes their bows and celebrates their triumph.
But it’s cut short as Tilney comes to enforce the “No Women on Stage” laws. It looks like Viola is going to jail…Until Queen Elizabeth reveals she’s been in the audience the entire time. Apparently, she likes to go out in disguise to watch the shows rather than be watched while she’s in the theater. Which makes sense, as royalty had a box right over the stage. They were part of the spectacle. Anyway, Elizabeth chastises Tilney and says that clearly Juliet was played by a prepubescent boy named Juliet. Tilney stutters as he backs off while Wessex realizes he’s lost.
Especially once Elizabeth recalls the bet she made when she met Viola. She admits that Romeo and Juliet captured love. So she gives Viola the money for her to split with Shakespeare. But she also reveals that she can’t undo Viola’s marriage. She has to get on the ship with Wessex and go to a colony that hasn’t been founded yet. Elizabeth tells her to give the money to Shakespeare and say her goodbyes.
Shakespeare is elated to see her until he realizes she isn’t smiling. He realizes she has to go with Wessex. But he tells her that she will always be his muse. He then starts writing Twelfth Night as the movie ends with Wessex maybe drowned and Viola maybe marooned.
So that was Shakespeare in Love. Back in 1999, it stunned everyone when it took home the Oscar for Best Movie. And when Judi Dench took home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for about ten minutes of screen time. I haven’t seen the other contenders for that year, but it is a surprise that Shakespeare in Love beat out Elizabeth and Saving Private Ryan. (And Gwyneth Paltrow beat out Cate Blanchett? She was good, but I don’t think that good).
Is this historically accurate? Hahahaha, no. But it is fun to find all the ways they work in how Shakespeare gets his inspiration for Romeo and Juliet as well as the nods to his other works. The cast was also very good and entertaining to watch. So give it a watch for fun.
Next month: The Magic School Bus
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