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Post by MagdaFR on May 1, 2020 1:30:51 GMT
Well, that was really wonderful.
The scene when the creature rapes and kills Elizabeth was like that in the original play? It looked like Frankenstein's entrance was too quick.
I had read comments that the supporting cast was not that good but I think they were ok.
BC was awesome. Looking forward to see JLM as creature. Some people said his was better. I didn't like much his Frankestein though. Why did he seem to be always at the verge of a heart attack?
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Post by sgev1977 on May 1, 2020 2:00:44 GMT
At the time, there were people who preferred one "creature" over the other but almost always agreeing that both were great in their own unique way. Frankenstein was another story, BC was the favorite. Some people even said that the best version was the one with BC playing Frankenstein not because JLM was superior as the creature but because he wasn't that good as the doctor. I tend to think that's why BC won the Critics Circle Theater award but not JLM after they both jointly received the Oliver and the Evening Standard award. He was slightly more versatile playing both characters.
I think JLM does a good job but I don't like the voice. He seems to struggle too much with the voice. All the other actors seems effortless in comparison even BC who in this version is doing physically the difficult part but still can say his lines effortlessly. I don't know.
I remember the criticism of the other actors, especially the father. I don't know why. I liked him.
Mostly the play was acclaimed but there were also people sayings it wasn't that great except for the main actors and the first long scene of the birth, which it's indeed stunning and shocking and surely should have been even more with a nude actor doing that creepy dance in front of you. Anyway BC is almost unbelievable in that scene!
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Post by sgev1977 on May 1, 2020 2:31:40 GMT
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Post by mllemass on May 1, 2020 2:50:40 GMT
Earlier this week, someone on twitter asked if it was suitable for an 11-year-old to watch. I think they were concerned about it being too scary. NT Live replied that it’s for ages 12+. They also said it would be edited to be shown on YouTube, and I wondered what that would mean. That scene with Elizabeth was definitely cut short. It wasn’t a big deal. We’ve already been seeing an edited version in cinemas, anyway, since the Creature was naked in the original stage production!
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Post by queenzod on May 1, 2020 3:03:16 GMT
Just brilliant. I particularly like the field of lights overhead, which could be stars, or God, or even a human brain with the flickering synapses, or perhaps all 3 at once. BC was stupendous. His control of both voice and form was gobsmacking. The birth scene was wonderful. Such a contrast, the movements of a baby/toddler in the body of a man. And he kept up that nervous twitching/jerking for 2 solid hours! Incredible.
So much to think about! Big questions to wrestle with. I did wonder about the father, not the actor, b/c how could such a kind man have raised such a son? Contrast that paradox to that of Karl Johnson’s character, who believes we all come into the world free of sin. So who is responsible for the child’s faults? Is it all circumstance or perhaps we don’t come in all clean and shiny?
Jonny was...adequate, but had a difficult time bumping up against the powerhouse that was BC in his raw, young strength. I agree that his voice sounded strained, but perhaps he wasn’t used to projecting in such a huge space, or his voice was tired from so many performances. Was this filmed near the end of the run?
I’m going to watch it a bunch more times, and I am really looking forward to seeing tomorrow’s version. I don’t think I’ve seen that one, just clips & gifs.
Oh, and you can really see the genesis of the opening of the London Olympics the next year. Danny Boyle is brilliant.
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Post by sgev1977 on May 1, 2020 3:24:29 GMT
Yes, maybe he was sick or tired. Very unfortunate! His voice has always seemed off to me in these recordings. I'm always perplexed that no one mentions it until now! LOL I imagined that it was his "normal" theater voice. I don't remember him sounding like that in the movies! For moments it seems he is having problems to breath or as Magda said, about to have a heart attack!
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Post by roverpup on May 1, 2020 3:32:59 GMT
While I understand the modification of the modesty cloth for the actors (which was primarily done, as I understand from an article I read about the play, to accommodate the actors not wanting to be so openly over-exposed permanently on video - which could then be illegally copied and end up in an uncontrolled manner on multiple internet sites and turn the play into a "peep show" instead of the fine piece of serious theatre that it is) I have a much harder time with the editing of the actual action of the play. It was jarring to me, at least, and made the flow of the action seem very choppy. The rape was a significant act by the Creature and wasn't overly graphic IMO (when I saw the unedited version in the cinema) and yet it did telegraph the sexual violence that was needed for that scene.
But even with that unnecessary censoring, it was wonderful seeing this production again! I thought all the cast was marvelous. BC was of course luminous in the Creature role. Truly it was a role for the ages and his talent really shone on that stage.
I have seen the reverse version only once so I am very eager to be able to see a repeat of it. I thought upon the initial viewing that JLM's Creature was not as stunning as BC's and his interpretation of the Creature wasn't as infused with the childlike humanity that Ben's was. When I saw it at the cinema I was so intent on concentrating on the Creature role for comparative reasons that I didn't really focus on Victor's role quite as much as I should have I think. This time I will fully dedicate myself to that task! I did think BC's Frankenstein was overall equal to what I saw of JLM's but I didn't catch all the nuances of the performance that I would have liked to.
Anyway even though I have seen the play multiple times the ending still makes me tear up as the two of them are alone on the stage realising how tragic their relationship is. It is a remarkable play and deserves all the kudos it gets.
I hope Hamlet will also be presented sometime in the near future because it too was a stellar production and deserves to be seen by a wider audience like Frankenstein has.
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Post by mllemass on May 1, 2020 4:23:33 GMT
This is the actress who was in the play:
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Post by queenzod on May 1, 2020 5:43:58 GMT
Youtube was the one who has the rules about not showing the rape or murder, not NTL, although I had thought the modesty garment was done by NTL for filming and not necessarily requested by the actors. I might be wrong, tho. It’s happened once or twice before, lol.
I thought the edit they did was fine, even though it left a question as to what happened. The murder was pretty awful, but sometimes you just can’t have what you want. 🤷🏻♀️
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Post by prudence on May 1, 2020 7:59:15 GMT
Yes, National Theater tweeted that they had to edit the rape scene in order to meet You Tube standard of conduct so all could watch.
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