Twelfth Night | |
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Directed by | Trevor Nunn |
Screenplay by | Trevor Nunn |
Based on | Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare |
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Starring | |
Narrated by | Ben Kingsley |
Cinematography | Clive Tickner |
Edited by | Peter Boyle |
Music by | Shaun Davey |
Production companies |
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Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 134 minutes |
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Language | English |
Budget | $5 million |
Box office | $33 million |
Twelfth Night (also known as Twelfth Night: Or What You Will) is a 1996 romantic comedy film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, directed by Trevor Nunn and featuring an all-star cast. Set in the late 19th century, it was filmed on location in Cornwall, including scenes shot at Padstow and at Lanhydrock House near Bodmin, with Orsino and his followers wearing uniforms that evoke the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
On Twelfth Night, Viola (Imogen Stubbs) and Sebastian (Steven Mackintosh) are young twins who are performing on a ship and use their likeness to tease their audiences. During their journey, they are caught in a storm, shipwrecked and separated. Viola and other survivors end up on the shore of Illyria. A devastated Viola believes her brother dead. She later takes his appearance to join the court of the local Duke Orsino (Toby Stephens). The young woman has her long, beautiful hair cut by the sailor, conceals her breasts, and dresses like a boy. After that, Viola becomes a page, using the name "Cesario".
Orsino is madly infatuated with Countess Olivia (Helena Bonham Carter), who is in mourning due to her brother's recent death. She uses the tragedy as an excuse to avoid seeing the Duke, whom she does not love. He sends "Cesario" to do his wooing and Olivia falls in love with the messenger, unaware of "Cesario"'s real gender. Realising Olivia's feelings for her alter ego, Viola is caught in even more of a quandary in that she is in love with Orsino.
Meanwhile, elements of Olivia's household plot against her pompous steward Malvolio (Nigel Hawthorne) by tricking him into believing that Olivia loves him. (Malvolio even wears a toupée to appear younger than he is.) His attempts to woo her, however, are met with bewilderment by Olivia who has him committed, where he is subjected to further humiliations by Maria (Imelda Staunton), Feste (Ben Kingsley) and Sir Toby Belch (Mel Smith).
Sir Toby, Olivia's uncle and a notorious drunk, is also trying to encourage his friend, the idiotic Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Richard E. Grant) to court Olivia, but she purposely ignores him. Sir Toby pushes Sir Andrew into challenging "Cesario" to a duel, which goes very badly for Aguecheek.
Furthermore, Viola's twin, Sebastian, has in fact survived the wreck and has also arrived in Illyria, accompanied by Antonio (Nicholas Farrell), who saved him from drowning. Antonio, who has "many enemies in Orsino's court", is forced to flee when he is recognised and comes across "Cesario", whom he mistakes for Sebastian, and is outraged when "Cesario" fails to help him out.
Arriving at her estate, Sebastian meets Olivia, who, mistaking him for "Cesario", talks him into marrying her. When he learns of this, Orsino is furious and dismisses his page, whom he had made a friend and confidante. However, the matter is soon cleared up when Sebastian and "Cesario" come face-to-face and the latter reveals her real nature and identity of Viola. Orsino marries Viola.
The film ends with both couples holding a party to celebrate their marriages, while the supporting players, including the humiliated Sir Andrew and Malvolio, leave the estate with their heads held high and Feste sings his song, "The Wind and the Rain".
Extra dialogue was added at the beginning with Feste narrating the events surrounding the shipwreck and the separation of the twins and of a conflict between Viola and Orsino's native countries.
Viola and the other survivors hail from Messaline and when they end up in Illyria they are forced to hide and live like fugitives since "Messaline with this country is at war" over some trading disputes: The Captain mentions "The war between the merchants here and ours" while hiding in the cave from Orsino and his men. In the original play the Captain claims to have been "bred and born not three hours' travel from" where they got washed ashore.
The conflict is not mentioned again in the film (though it could be connected to Antonio's past as "Orsino's enemy"), and the Captain appears openly at the party at the end where he is embraced by Viola.
On Rotten Tomatoes, 76% of 34 reviews are positive, and the average rating is 7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Director Trevor Nunn makes some questionable choices, but his stellar cast -- which includes Helena Bonham-Carter, Ben Kingsley, and Nigel Hawthorne -- more than rises to the material." [2] Online film critic James Berardinelli writes, "With Twelfth Night, director Trevor Nunn ( Lady Jane ) follows in Branagh's footsteps by adapting one of the comedies for the screen. However, while this picture doesn't have quite the same level of style or energy evident in Much Ado About Nothing , solid performances and a lucid interpretation keep it afloat." Berardinelli calls it "solid entertainment." [3] Roger Ebert gave it 3.5 out of 4, and praised Helena Bonham-Carter for her performance. [4]
Twelfth Night, or What You Will is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck. Viola falls in love with the Duke Orsino, who in turn is in love with Countess Olivia. Upon meeting Viola, Countess Olivia falls in love with her, thinking she is a man.
Sir Andrew Aguecheek is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, or What You Will. One of the supporting characters, Sir Andrew is a stereotypical fool, who is goaded into unwisely duelling with Cesario and who is slowly having his money pilfered by Sir Toby Belch. He is dim-witted, vain and clownish. His role in the play not only provides comedy through his pathetic situation and his long speech, but also by his distinct, long-faced appearance and garish dress sense. The role has been a favourite for actors and has been performed by Alec Guinness, Christopher Plummer, Paul Scofield and Roger Rees.
Sir Toby Belch is a character in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. He is Olivia's uncle.
Malvolio is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night, or What You Will. His name means "ill will" in Italian, referencing his disagreeable nature. He is the vain, pompous, authoritarian steward of Olivia's household.
She's the Man is a 2006 American romantic comedy teen sports film directed by Andy Fickman and starring Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Vinnie Jones, and David Cross. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, the film centers on teenager Viola Hastings, who enters her brother's new boarding school, Illyria Prep, in his place and pretends to be a boy in order to play on the boys' soccer team.
Feste is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night. He is a fool attached to the household of the Countess Olivia. He has apparently been there for some time, as he was a "fool that the Lady Olivia's father took much delight in" (2.4). Although Olivia's father has died within the last year, it is possible that Feste approaches or has reached middle age, though he still has the wit to carry off good 'fooling' when he needs to, and the voice to sing lustily or mournfully as the occasion demands. He is referred to by name only once during the play, in answer to an inquiry by Orsino of who sang a song that he heard the previous evening. Curio responds "Feste, the jester, my lord; a fool that the lady Olivia's father took much delight in. He is about the house" (2.4). Throughout the rest of the play, he is addressed only as "Fool," while in the stage directions he is mentioned as "Clown."
Twelfth Night is a 1955 Soviet romantic comedy-drama film by Lenfilm based on Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, or What You Will. The script was written by Yan Frid. The film was released in the Soviet Union on 21 November 1955, and in the United States on 3 March 1956.
Duke Orsino is a fictional character from William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, believed to have been written around 1600-1602.
Viola is the protagonist of the play Twelfth Night, written by William Shakespeare.
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Olivia is a fictional character from William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, believed to have been written around 1600 or 1601. She is at the centre of the various plots, both the comedic and the romantic. She has various suitors.
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Twelfth Night, or, What You Will is a videotaped 1988 television adaptation of Kenneth Branagh's stage production for the Renaissance Theatre Company of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night first broadcast in the UK by Channel 4 on 30 December 1988. Made by Thames Television in collaboration with Renaissance, it stars Frances Barber as Viola and Richard Briers as Malvolio. The recording was shot on a single set with the appearance of a wintry garden. The costumes are Victorian, and the time of year is Christmas.
Sebastian is one of the main characters from William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, believed to have been written around 1600 or 1601.
Shakespeare Squared is a content development company in the United States. The company creates print and digital products for educational and trade book publishers. Their work includes standards-based writing and editing for preK-12 textbooks and workbooks, specialized assessment and test preparation materials, translations, and online content development.
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