That’s absolutely fine, yeh sure :-)

Right okay so ermmmmmm.

I’ll link you to the plot summary here. And if you read that first, then read what I have said, I’ll give you what I got of it in terms in movie analysis :-) I should point out that I was looking at it for its exploration of heritage film and how it opposes typical heritage in the way that it explores more of female independence.

The film explores female sexuality and female independence. It breaks from traditional expectations of heritage film (which typically focus on women who are restricted by duty and their gender roles), and instead, this film focuses on a girl who goes against what is expected of her. There is a GORGEOUS shot where Shakespeare undoes Viola’s corset as she smiles and dances suggesting he is giving her freedom and taking away the thing which symbolises her gender restrictions.

Shakespeare and Viola also speak poetically throughout the film, like in traditional Shakespearian language, and it is solely those two who do it. They inspire in each other a sense of Romance that is otherwise nonexistent. They act as eachother’s muses.

At a time too when women were seen as smaller than men, and they were unable to do things like act in the plays etc, Viola suggests a symbol of change in that respect by dressing as a boy on stage.

There is also intertextuality in the film as the play of Romeo and Juliet ties in with Shakespeare’s love affair with Viola and suggests he based the play on their romance. At the end too he begins writing Twelth Night, calling his heroic protagonist (who dresses as a boy) Viola, basing her on Viola within the film. So there are references to his other plays.

Also, it may interest you to know that in the bonus featurette of the DVD, they say how costume played a significant role in the film and rather than it looking like fancy dress or a costume drama, it was made to look like clothes people would wear everyday, like real clothes. Also, they say how in real life in the stage play the actors would wear contemporary costumes, but so as not to confuse the film’s audience, they dressed the actors in the Romeo and Juliet play in renaissance clothes.

In terms of the fact that this is for your English paper, in the bonus feature it says that loads of people have written about Shakespeare, and if you’re gonna write about him, you need to write something new, and for the creator (or writer) of this film, the idea was staring him in the face, writing about how Shakespeare was starved for love and ideas, and his inspiration came to him from his muse, Viola who he fell passionately in love with. And in the film, Viola is the inspiration for Shakespeare’s poetic language.

Also, the trailers advertised the film as promoting female sexuality and female indepedence, for instance, the trailer says “she wanted to act when women weren’t allowed”, it also says “when they teamed up, they broke all the rules” and “the sexiest movie of the year is now the best movie of the year”. It won like loads of Oscars too (7 I think) and was nominated for 13 which is the most a movie has ever been nominated for.

I would write a lot more and could go on about this film in detail for hours, but I think I’m gonna write my film essay on it so obviously don’t wanna put too much info on the internet about it cos I’ll be accused of plagiarising myself :P

I hope what I said has helped anyway :-) You may be able to find some clips on youtube though.

There are sites you can watch films online but they’re illegal so I’m not going to recommend any, but just so you know, it may be worth a look if you really need to watch it.

It is an absolutely wonderful and gorgeous film though. Like I said, it was nominated for more Oscars than any other film to that date. Also, think about the context in your essay, what the film’s themes and ideas (despite being set in the Elizabethan times) have to comment on contemporary audiences (the film after all was released in the 90s).

I hope that is all of use to you anyway, and good luck with the essay :-)