French Tales in British Packings
Mar. 3rd, 2013 06:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakA few monts back, someone mentioned to me the BBC was planning on a Three Musketeers tv series. The cast and something about the content has now been announced, and I am... cautiously optimistic? I mean, there is still a godawful hangover from the horrid 90s Disney version in the form of D'Artagnan wanting to avenge his father (his father is perfectly alive and well in Gascogny, damm it!), but everything else sounds actually Dumasian. Constance is actually a) married, and b) not a lady-in-waiting or in any way a noble. Aramis, played by our ex-Lancelot from Merlin and ex-Isaac from Heroes, is described as "Aramis has an effortless charm which leads him in and out of love. Despite this, he is a shrewd pragmatist who is a ferocious in battle and commands a key place in the brotherhood", which should be nice for Santiago to perform. D'Artagnan himself is played by Luke Pasqualino, who was Paolo in The Borgias, but let's face it, my main interest in any Musketeers version are Milady and Monsieur le Cardinal, and here's what the BBC has to say about them:
Cardinal Richelieu (Capaldi), while striving to achieve his vision of a thoroughly modern France, is a shadowy character who will stop at nothing to achieve his objectives. Milady (McCoy) is the Cardinal’s secret weapon, the most mysterious and beautiful of villains whose motives are often concealed.
First of all, hooray for Peter Capaldi as Richelieu! And huzzah for a Richelieu who sounds as if he's actually a cross between Dumas and history for a change instead of a Hollywood Evil Vizier who wants the throne for himself (did I mention yet I hate and despise the stupid stupid 90s movie which intented this? As for the most recent versions, see this post). "Wants a modern France" and "stops at nothing to achieve his objectives" both are totally true and should make him a good antagonist. And I don't think I've seen Maimie McCoy before, but "mysterious motives" sound as if she's allowed to have layers (I mean, I love Dumas' splendid villainess, and I've come to loathe Athos and the way he treated her over the years, but it would be nice she got to have her own agenda beyond being a good agent for the Cardinal and wanting vengeance on D'Artagnan in the later stages of the story.)
Speaking of media versions remotely based on novels by 19th century French novelists, I've now seen the film version of Les Miserables. Obligatory background announcement: I've read the novel once, decades ago, in German; have seen the musical on stage only once as well; do have the original English production CD, but no other; have however heard Philip Quast becauseandraste is a fan and included his version of Stars in a B5 or Alias soundmix, I can't remember which one. Oh, and I have seen a French film version starring Lino Ventura as Valjean. So, I know my main characters but am not by any means an expert or even a well read/heard fan. Anyway, as for the film, Anne Hathaway did deserve her Oscar, I thought Hugh Jackman was excellent as Valjean, too, the Thenardiers looked as if they'd wandered in from a Tim Burton movie, which clashed with the film otherwise trying for a more realistic look, their daughter Eponine likewise had a weirdly stagey costume only in her case it was the corset that smacked of artificiality, everyone else's costumes were fine. I appreciated they included Javert trying to resign/getting fired when he thinks he accused M. Madeleine/Valjean unjustly in the film, because that's such a key scene in the book and I found it weird the musical had omitted it. Apropos Javert, yes, Russell Crowe was not made for singing, but I've heard worse. The whole approach of casting actors and using their actual voices instead of going for singers (except for the supporting parts) reminded me of the Buffy episode Once More With Feeling, and that's not a negative observation. Let's see, what else? Cosette is such a thankless role, but Amanda Seyfried and the kid made the best of it and actually Valjean repeatedly telling her to come inside suddenly reminded me of another Hugo father and daughter pair, Rigoletto and Gilda. The revolutionaries were young and pretty and not easily distinguishable without having read the book. Eddie Remayne. really made Marius less self involved than many a Marius, even though the musical gives him less reason than book!Marius has for his behaviour towards Valjean post sewers. (In the book, Marius assumes, and has every reason to believe, that Valjean has just killed Javert and robbed the unknown "Monsieur Madelaine"'s money until he learns otherwise, so it's not just the deepset snobbery of "convict? Ew!" that causes him to agree Cosette should see less to nothing of Valjean.) Most importantly, he delivers what is the one song in this musical which makes me cry every time for personal reasons, "Empty Chairs on Empty Tables". (Nothing to do with French revolutionaries. Like I said, it's personal.) Oh, and because time has to fly in a musical, we get Valjean's decline and death happening superfast instead of the longer time the novel allows him; it occurs to me that the whole dying of a broken heart thing usually happens to female characters in 19th century novels, so is it gender bending Valjean does it? (Not a serious question.)
So, as a non-Les Mis fan: I enjoyed watching, won't buy the soundtrack or the dvd, but may tune in if I catch it on tv in a few years. Wouldn't reccommend it as a must watch to other people, but if you like movie musicals and grand emotion, you'll enjoy it more likely than not.
Lastly, a sudden thought: has anyone ever written a Count of Monte Cristo/Les Mis crossover? Because I have this image of Edmond Dantes/The Count and Valjean looking at each other, taking each other's reactions to imprisonment and sudden money afterwards in and saying simultanously: "Seriously?"
Cardinal Richelieu (Capaldi), while striving to achieve his vision of a thoroughly modern France, is a shadowy character who will stop at nothing to achieve his objectives. Milady (McCoy) is the Cardinal’s secret weapon, the most mysterious and beautiful of villains whose motives are often concealed.
First of all, hooray for Peter Capaldi as Richelieu! And huzzah for a Richelieu who sounds as if he's actually a cross between Dumas and history for a change instead of a Hollywood Evil Vizier who wants the throne for himself (did I mention yet I hate and despise the stupid stupid 90s movie which intented this? As for the most recent versions, see this post). "Wants a modern France" and "stops at nothing to achieve his objectives" both are totally true and should make him a good antagonist. And I don't think I've seen Maimie McCoy before, but "mysterious motives" sound as if she's allowed to have layers (I mean, I love Dumas' splendid villainess, and I've come to loathe Athos and the way he treated her over the years, but it would be nice she got to have her own agenda beyond being a good agent for the Cardinal and wanting vengeance on D'Artagnan in the later stages of the story.)
Speaking of media versions remotely based on novels by 19th century French novelists, I've now seen the film version of Les Miserables. Obligatory background announcement: I've read the novel once, decades ago, in German; have seen the musical on stage only once as well; do have the original English production CD, but no other; have however heard Philip Quast because
andraste is a fan and included his version of Stars in a B5 or Alias soundmix, I can't remember which one. Oh, and I have seen a French film version starring Lino Ventura as Valjean. So, I know my main characters but am not by any means an expert or even a well read/heard fan. Anyway, as for the film, Anne Hathaway did deserve her Oscar, I thought Hugh Jackman was excellent as Valjean, too, the Thenardiers looked as if they'd wandered in from a Tim Burton movie, which clashed with the film otherwise trying for a more realistic look, their daughter Eponine likewise had a weirdly stagey costume only in her case it was the corset that smacked of artificiality, everyone else's costumes were fine. I appreciated they included Javert trying to resign/getting fired when he thinks he accused M. Madeleine/Valjean unjustly in the film, because that's such a key scene in the book and I found it weird the musical had omitted it. Apropos Javert, yes, Russell Crowe was not made for singing, but I've heard worse. The whole approach of casting actors and using their actual voices instead of going for singers (except for the supporting parts) reminded me of the Buffy episode Once More With Feeling, and that's not a negative observation. Let's see, what else? Cosette is such a thankless role, but Amanda Seyfried and the kid made the best of it and actually Valjean repeatedly telling her to come inside suddenly reminded me of another Hugo father and daughter pair, Rigoletto and Gilda. The revolutionaries were young and pretty and not easily distinguishable without having read the book. Eddie Remayne. really made Marius less self involved than many a Marius, even though the musical gives him less reason than book!Marius has for his behaviour towards Valjean post sewers. (In the book, Marius assumes, and has every reason to believe, that Valjean has just killed Javert and robbed the unknown "Monsieur Madelaine"'s money until he learns otherwise, so it's not just the deepset snobbery of "convict? Ew!" that causes him to agree Cosette should see less to nothing of Valjean.) Most importantly, he delivers what is the one song in this musical which makes me cry every time for personal reasons, "Empty Chairs on Empty Tables". (Nothing to do with French revolutionaries. Like I said, it's personal.) Oh, and because time has to fly in a musical, we get Valjean's decline and death happening superfast instead of the longer time the novel allows him; it occurs to me that the whole dying of a broken heart thing usually happens to female characters in 19th century novels, so is it gender bending Valjean does it? (Not a serious question.) So, as a non-Les Mis fan: I enjoyed watching, won't buy the soundtrack or the dvd, but may tune in if I catch it on tv in a few years. Wouldn't reccommend it as a must watch to other people, but if you like movie musicals and grand emotion, you'll enjoy it more likely than not.
Lastly, a sudden thought: has anyone ever written a Count of Monte Cristo/Les Mis crossover? Because I have this image of Edmond Dantes/The Count and Valjean looking at each other, taking each other's reactions to imprisonment and sudden money afterwards in and saying simultanously: "Seriously?"
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Date: 2013-03-03 06:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-03-03 06:36 pm (UTC)"And who told you this fine story, sire?" asked Treville, quietly.
"Who has told me this fine story, monsieur? Who should it be but he who watches while I sleep, who labors while I amuse myself, who conducts everything at home and abroad—in France as in Europe?"
"Your Majesty probably refers to God," said M. de Treville; "for I know no one except God who can be so far above your Majesty."
"No, monsieur; I speak of (...)the cardinal."
But, not least because the most recent versions left out the really grim stuff like Constance's death, Milady seducing Felton into assassinating Buckingham, the Musketeers condemming Milady to be killed by the executioner of Lille, making themselves judges over her, camping it up has taken over nearly everything. So yes, should be interesting to see a version that plays it straight. Or tries to.
no subject
Date: 2013-03-03 06:37 pm (UTC)I'm looking forward to seeing Santigo doing some swashbuckling again, and I can't belive how relieved I am that they didn't go for a cherubic blue-eyed boy as d'Artagnan.
And yes, the descriptions of both Milady and Constance sounds vaugely promising.
Tom Burke (Athos)was Drummle in one of the resent Great Expectaions and was kind of up-staged by a horse in his best scene, so there's a fair chance that Athos will remain my least-favorite musketeer. Howard Charles (Porthos) looks good in reasonably appropriate facial hair, so I'm just hoping that he's tall.
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Date: 2013-03-03 06:46 pm (UTC)Peter Capaldi: well, I've seen him as Frobisher in Torchwood: Children of Earth (see my icon) where he had one of the key roles, but he's most famous for someone named Malcolm Tucker in a show called In The Thick of It, which I haven't watched but which is supposedly a sharp political satire.
Oh, I like that photo of the future Porthos! Yes, here's hoping for tallness. Swashbuckling Santiago is a guaranteed perk, and while Pasqualino didn't have much to do in The Borgias other than to be earnest and naive and in love with Lucrezia, he did that well.
I am also surprised and intrigued by the description of Queen Anne as a "shrewd advisor" to the King along with Richelieu and Treville; if she's political advice competition, Richelieu will have a plausible motive to start a scheme against her reputation, and also I much prefer them as political rivals than to the Disney abomination having him try to seduce and marry her (head. DESK).
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Date: 2013-03-03 07:29 pm (UTC)Alastair CampbellMalcolm Tucker. He turned up as Charles I in The Devil's Whore - oh, and he was a rather improbable Caecilius in Doctor Who: The Fires of Pompeii (I say improbable as we know what Caecilius looked like and it was nothing like Capaldi; Charles Stuart I could just about believe once he'd got the hair and beard). Also had a smallish role in Getting On, which is one of my favourite series but hardly anyone knows about it (but in the absence of a Capaldi icon I'll use that one). Good lord, apparently he's about to play Alan Rusbridger (editor of The Guardian). That could be interesting. Anyway, I'm confident he'll do a good Richelieu.no subject
Date: 2013-03-03 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-03-04 06:43 am (UTC)