Episode 4 - Much Ado About Nothing

Ed and Vivi take a trip to Messina to find out whether in fact friendship is constant in all things, save in the office and affairs of love with Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing.

Episode 4 – Published on Sept

Written by Ed Mac

Spiel 

For a considerable portion of the 1990’s, Kenneth Branagh was the world’s most famous purveyor of film adaptations of the work of William Shakespeare. His name essentially became a byword for prestigious and critically acclaimed films that, while perhaps not surpassing the work of Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud or Alec Guinness, at least inspired new generations to explore and engage with the Bard’s work. As Roger Ebert described, Branagh “made the old new again.” Although he had become a stage sensation throughout Britain from the early 80’s, it was his film debut in 1989’s “Henry V” (which he also directed) that shot him to international superstardom. The film was universally praised and scored Branagh Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Director. Branagh’s next adaptation of Shakespeare, which is the subject of this episode of Till the Movie Do Us Part, came 4 years later, with 1993’s Much Ado About Nothing.

Now, I must confess at this point that I am not a Shakespeare-phile. I studied a couple of his plays at high school, I’ve seen Baz Luhrman’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet and Roman Polanski’s Tragedy of MacBeth (both of which are superb) but that’s pretty much it. I of course understand the importance of his work and respect the way it has shaped much of Western culture. But honestly? I find the language impenetrable and so much of the detail tends to go flying over my head. I am able to get the general gist of things when watching his films, but if ever confronted with his words as written, it’s lights out. It’s a considerable weakness in my attempts at maintaining historical and cultural literacy, and one that I have remained unable to improve.

So it was with some trepidation that I approached this film, which of course I hadn’t seen and knew next to nothing about, at my wife’s behest. Much Ado About Nothing is the story of a group of soldiers who return victorious from a recent battle to visit the country town of Messina. The group is led by Don Pedro, played in the film by Denzel Washington, and includes Don Pedro’s half brother Don John (Keanu Reeves) and his fellow soldiers and friends Claudio and Benedick. Pedro is attempting to maintain peace with John, following a major quarrel, while Claudio falls in love with the town mayor’s daughter and Benedick (played by Branagh) resumes a war of words with the mayor’s niece (Emma Thompson, Branagh’s real life wife at the time).

This is one of the Bard’s lighter works and Branagh has made a film that revels in a sense of exuberance, mischief, and joy. Because of this, it’s easier for someone such as myself to get swept along with the characters and their interactions with each other. I still found it difficult to work out exactly what was going on from scene to scene, especially when some of the more abstract aspects of the film, such as Michael Keaton and Ben Elton apparently riding invisible horses, are introduced. Despite this, Much Ado About Nothing, remains a vibrant and infectiously enjoyable romp through the Italian countryside. I think of it as a bit like a new puppy: a bit overbearing and too eager to please, prone to making clumsy mistakes but, in the end, too adorable to be considered as anything other than a whole bunch of fun.

Listen the episode HERE

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