Directed by: JulieTaymor

Certificate: PG

Running time: 110minsRelease date: 4March2011

Synopsis:ThismodernretellingofWilliamShakespeare’sfinalmasterpieceisanexciting,mysticalandmagicalfantasywithAcademy®Award-winnerHelenMirrenleadingastar-studdedcastincludingRussellBrandandAlfredMolina.Exiledtoamagicalisland,thesorceressProspera conjures up a storm that shipwrecks her enemies, and then unleashes herpowersforrevenge.

These Study Notes are designed to support English and Drama at Key Stage 3, GCSE and equivalent. They will also suit teaching of the film in the context of Media and Film Studies.

The TempestStudy Notes

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Before viewing

Anticipation – ‘Your tale, sir, would cure deafness.’ UseyourknowledgeofThe Tempest’splottoconsiderhowyoucould‘sell’ittothosethatmightfinanceafilmversion.

z Ifyouhaveyettostudytheplay,findanonlinesynopsis.z Whatwouldyouemphasiseastheplay’suniquesellingpoints?Whowouldbetheaudienceforascreenadaptationofthefilm,doyouthink?

Followthisupwithastudyof thefilm’s trailer,whichyoucanviewon theofficialsitehttp://tempest-themovie.com/

z Whataspectsoftheplaydoesthetraileremphasiseandwhatdoyoumakeofthekey‘themes’,‘passion’,‘stupidity’,‘revenge’etc.thatitchoosestohighlight?z Canyouthinkofanythemesthatareignored?

JulieTaymor, thedirectorofThe Tempest, isanaward-winningstagedirectorandherpreviousfilmshaveattractedlotsofcriticalapproval,especiallyher1999Titus Andronicus,afilmadaptationofoneofShakespeare’searliestplays.Conductsomeonlineresearchaboutherworkasdirector.Whatmightyouexpectfromthisfilmversion,basedonwhatyouhavebeenabletofindout?

ThereareotherfilmversionsofThe Tempestforexample,DerekJarman’s1979punk/campversionandPeterGreenaway’seccentric1991Prospero’s Books inwhicheverypartintheplayisspokenbyJohnGielgud.TrytowatchkeyscenesacrossdifferentfilmversionsbeforeyouseeThe Tempest.

After viewing

‘Wipe thou thine eyes: have comfort…’

Gender and Characterisation

ThebiggestalterationTaymormakestotheplayisinturningitsprotagonistProsperointoaProspera–afemale‘magician’.

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www.filmeducation.org www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org

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©Film Education July 2011. Film Education is not responsible for the content of external websites.

www.filmeducation.org www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org

z Whatdifference,ifany,doesthischangemake?ConsiderherrelationshipwithherdaughterMirandaandherdeceitfulbrotherAntonio.z IsthereanyotherevidenceofhowHelenMirren’scastingrequiresthestorytobemade‘female’inanyway?z HowdoesTaymorestablishProsperaasthepotentcentreofeventswithinthefirstmomentsofthefilm?z Howdoessheshowtheshiftinthecharacterfrompowerfulwielderofmagictotenderparentandbackagainasoccursattheplay’sbeginning?

Plot and Structure

The play beginswith a long piece of ‘exposition’ (back-story) inwhich Prospero fillsMiranda(andtheaudience) inonthedetailsofhis lifeandwhyhe isstrandedontheisland.Thisischallengingonstagewherethewordsmustcreatethepictures.

z HowdoesTaymorusethepossibilitiesoffilmtobringthispotentiallyquitestaticsequencetolife?Howeffectivedidyoufindthissequence?

The play contains no fewer than four separate strands: Prospero’s domestic dramaswithMirandaandFerdinand;Prospero’srelationshipswithArielandCaliban;thelow-lifecharacters’meetingandmistreatmentofCaliban;andtheprogressoftheshipwreckednobles.

z Howsuccessfullydoesthedirectormanagethetransitionsfromoneplotthreadtoanother?z Towhatextentarethesesceneskeptdistinctbothintermsofmoodorsetting?z Intheplayitisalmostasifeachcharacterexperiencesadifferentisland.Isthatsomethingthisfilmversionsuggests?

Cinema Magic?

‘If in Naples/ I should report this now, would they believe me?’

WhattechniquesareusedinThe Tempesttocreatethefollowingmomentsofmagic:

z Astormmadeterriblebyaflyingspiritz Conjuring‘tricks’thatcanrobapersonofmovementorsendoutcrampsto tormentsomeonez Vanishingillusionarybanquets

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www.filmeducation.org www.nationalschoolsfilmweek.org

z Arielasaharpyz Characterspursuedbymagicalhoundsz Howeffectivedoyoufindtheseelementsofthefilm?z Inwhatwaysdoesthisfilmversionachieveeffectsthatwouldnotbepossibleonstage?

Responding to the Film

Consolidateyourresearchandyourthoughtsonthefilmintoareview.Herearesomethingstoconsider:

z Taymor’sdirectionandinterpretation–didshemanagetomakethestoryfreshforamodernaudienceanddidshetellthestoryclearly?z Were the characterswell played?Criticswere full of praise for HelenMirrenand her interactionswith Felicity Jones (Miranda) butwhat about the rest ofthecast?Somewriterscommentedthatsomeoftheactorsgaveverydifferentkindsofperformance:someveryexaggeratedandothersquite‘naturalistic’–doyouagree?z Several critics described the low-life characters played by AlfredMolina andRussellBrandasbeing‘unfunny’.Doyouagreeandisthisactuallyacriticism?AretheirscenesallthatfunnygivenwhattheydotoCaliban?z What did you think of the way the actor (Djimon Hounsou) playing Calibanpresentedthecharacter?Wouldyouhavesuggestedhealteredhisperformanceinanywayifyouwereincharge?Explainhow.z Costumes and staging are often very important in Taymor’s films.Was theremuchevidenceofherstrong‘art-design’ortheatricalbackground?z Howdoes thefilmend–onapositivenoteorwith lotsof looseends? If thelatter,whatarethey?

Written by Jerome Monahan