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William Shakespeare's The Tempest

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

It is truly refreshing to hear Shakespearian language in all its splendor and triumph. Julie Taymor's The Tempest is a brilliant adaptation of William Shakespeare’s centuries’ old play constructed in iambic pentameter. With Helen Mirren as the arch-witch Prospera, this picture is star-heavy. For those of you unaware of the general plot scheme of this particular masterpiece I will explain in the following paragraphs. For those of my readers searching for an assessment that will help them judge if this version of Shakespeare's work is worthy of a purchase and viewing, let me propound the answer sooner than later; absolutely, without a shred of doubt.

A ship of ostensibly inscrutable Milanese seafarers are shipwrecked with harsh abandon. Their accident however is no accident. Prospera (Mirren), who has undergone a Chaz Bono like sex change, only the exact opposite, is responsible for their cruel fate (the original character is a powerful wizard Prospero). Prospera was once Duchess of Milan until the King of Naples (David Strathairn as Alonso) conspired to cause her untimely downfall. Prospera and her daughter Miranda (Felicity Jones) suffered at the hands of kidnappers and were themselves shipwrecked on a dismal and cruel island. Seeking retribution, Prospera and her ephemerally enslaved spirit Ariel (Ben Whishaw) cause their enemies' ship to crash by virtue of whispers and magical elemental forces. Ariel had been imprisoned by the witch Sycorax, trapped in a tree for eternity until Prospera rescued him and he became indebted to her. Prospera tells her daughter the story of her demise as Duchess and lures her to sleep while her scheme is hatching.

There is a savage on the island that is also under the spell of Prospera. His name is Caliban (Djimon Honsou), son of the deceased Sycorax, and he is ungrateful for the witch's help. Prospera's plan is to lure to new islander, the Price of Milan (Reeve Carney as Prince Ferdinand) into Miranda's clutches. Aided by Ariel's heady music, the two are instantly smitten. Marriage is quickly proposed and Prospera is inadvertently raised in status once more. Meanwhile, the other survivors, Alonso, Sebastian (Alan Cumming), Antonio (Chris Cooper), and Gonzalo (Tom Conti) search for some meaning to their ill fated accident. They begin traversing the island. Ariel hastens their internal discord as the survivors begin conspiring against one another to achieve power, no matter how foolish that notion is while abandoned on a deserted island. Caliban humorously (depending on one's definition of comedy) befriends Trinculo (Russell Brand) as a drinking buddy. Shakespeare's story has more layers than a fresh onion ripe for the peeling.

The oceanic views presented in The Tempest are beautiful. The waves splashing, the cliff side views, the fiery imagery all make for stunning visuals that nicely compliment the acting. The spirit Ariel is beautifully transported through the majesty of CGI. Between performances such as Wishaw’s and the more prominent Andy Sirkis, it is no wonder these techniques are growing more common in earnest films. Mirren speaks Shakespeare as well as most, though she lacks the true glamour of Kenneth Branagh to be sure. Honsou is not exactly Shakespeare’s prototype for the character Caliban but regardless he plays the part as well as can be expected considering the character's identity shift. Cooper, Molina and Brand are not nearly as compelling as one would expect but it is nonetheless wonderful to see such distinguished actors honoring their craft by starring in a Shakespearean drama. Finally, Felicity Jones delivers a meaningful performance as Miranda. She may not be first in line for the Jessica Alba or the Sigourney Weaver roles just yet, but if this is a resume bulletpoint it is one to pay rapt attention to. Purists and originalists never appreciate change or in this case the evolution of a script, but The Tempest is an admirable film worthy of any Shakespeare classroom’s devotion or any intelligent movie lover’s appreciation.