As You Like It (2006)No love was without some measure of artifice. As You Like It (2006) is an adaptation of the play of the same name by William Shakespeare, and is directed for the screen by Kenneth Branagh. It is the story of a young woman named Rosalind (Bryce Dallas Howard), whose father--the Duke Senior (Brian Blessed)--is overthrown by his ambitious brother (also Blessed), Duke Frederick. Rosalind is allowed to stay at court, since she is the beloved friend of Frederick's daughter, Celia (Romola Garai). But after Rosalind becomes mutually infatuated with a young noble named Orlando De Boys (David Oyelowo), she is exiled from the court, and flees to the Forest of Arden, to where her father fled. Before long, Orlando and others join her exodus and romance ensues--but not without some colorful beguilement designed to reveal the heart's true intentions.
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One of the dominant qualities of Branagh's adaptations of Shakespeare's plays has been a focus on the cinematic over the theatrical. While this is still true in As You Like It, this film deliberately embraces theatricality, and is itself a commentary on the illusion and artifice that comes with stagecraft. And while it is not uncommon for adaptations to be set in unorthodox eras or locations, As You Like It being set in 19th century Japan raises questions. Virtually all of the main characters are westerners, so why set the film in Japan at all? As You Like It opens with a series of title cards (not in the play) that describe how at this point in history, the English came to Japan and established "mini-empires" while trading in rice and silk, and continues with a haiku: "A dream of Japan/Love and nature in disguise/All the world's a stage". The opening scene depicts a man in kabuki costume, playing a woman--an inversion of Rosalind's eventual disguise as "Ganymede" when she and Celia flee to Arden. This is a direct nod to the erstwhile acting convention where the parts of women were played by men, and underscores the irony present in Rosalind adopting the guise of Ganymede, evident even in Shakespeare's time. Shortly into the kabuki performance, Frederick lays siege to Senior's residence--with a band of ninjas, no less--while dressed in Japanese armor and armed with a katana. Frederick is hardly alone in wearing the outfits and adopting the mannerisms of Japanese custom; virtually everyone who is not Japanese goes through the motions of being Japanese. Orlando is introduced just before a fight with his older brother, Oliver (Adrian Lester), during which the two battle with Eastern-style martial arts. When Rosalind meets Orlando, the young man is about to participate in a sumo wrestling match--despite the significant difference in weight between him and his opponent--and Rosalind hides her face behind her fan, befitting the Japanese custom of the age. Beyond merely the costumes and characters' mannerisms, the setting itself feels intentionally fanciful--like the moon hanging in the sky, or an artificial rain that falls over the city--all until the wholesome Forest of Arden is introduced. These touches do not come from a failure in trying to realistically portray Japan or the Europeans who occupy it, but are by design, speaking to the readiness people have in employing deception to obtain their desires, even when it is done without malice. This is emphasized in the most famous speech from the play, spoken by the melancholy Jaques (Kevin Kline), who contemplates how humanity goes through several stages, adapting with their new station in life. The idea that people adopt a new persona as it fits their needs is a commentary on how people discover new aspects of themselves in art--including theater and film--and identify with these illusions. (Rosalind/Bryce Dallas Howard's mid-credits epilogue to As You Like It is a direct acknowledgment of this.)
As with artifice, duality is a theme explored in As You Like It. Rosalind initially adopts the male guise of Ganymede to flee from the discontented Frederick's court, but maintains this ruse when she crosses paths again with Orlando. Rosalind is fully aware that Orlando has been peppering the woodland with poems about his undying love for Rosalind (in katakana). Why would she not then reveal herself to him at this point? Aside from the moments of romantic comedy that would be lost were she to do so, she is savvy enough to recognize this opportunity to gauge whether his proclamations are genuine, or merely the fancy of a too-ardent heart. She challenges Orlando to pretend that "he" is Rosalind, and behave with "him" as he would with "her", simulating a courtship by proxy while testing his ardor for weakness. Is Rosalind being cruel to Orlando? Rosalind is one of the few characters who seems aware of a duplicity inherent in this world, and is smart enough to leverage it to her benefit. Other characters seem vaguely aware of its existence--like Jaques, who contemplates the paradox of Touchstone (Alfred Molina), as a "fool who is wise"--but never prospers from their awareness like Rosalind does. The duplicity is felt in other aspects of As You Like It, like in how both Dukes--Senior and Frederick--are played by Brian Blessed, yet are as different as night and day; Frederick is a cutthroat tyrant, while Senior is barely a step removed from Santa Claus. That they are brothers at odds with one another is also important, and is mirrored in Orlando and Oliver's feud. Both Oliver and Frederick hold all of the political power in As You Like It, but their prestige gives them no pleasure. Oliver anguishes at the bad blood between him and Orlando, yet plots his defeat prior to the wrestling match, and even attempts to burn him alive while he (presumably) sleeps in the stables. Frederick's coup appears to be motivated by greed and envy, but even as he sits triumphant in his new palace, he remains stricken by paranoia and rage. These two figures are at the height of their power, yet are powerless to their own emotions. Conversely, those that are exiled find great comfort in the Forest of Arden, which establishes yet another dichotomy in As You Like It. The English that settled in Japan placed profit and commerce first and foremost; but in pursuing wealth for its own sake, they lost something essential that gave their lives pleasure. When Senior, Rosalind, Orlando, and the rest sojourn to Arden, they are refreshed. They meet kindly people who take them in--like the shepherd, Corin (Jimmy Yuill)--and reconnect with something of true value: peace and serenity. A final irony of a pastoral performance like As You Like It is that despite all of the artifice and stagecraft, and the deceptions and self-deceptions, it is only when we dwell in the honest and natural world that we can be at home with ourselves.
Recommended for: Fans of Shakespeare adaptations for film, especially those that offer commentary on the relationship between the theater and film, and how we understand ourselves better through its illusory looking glass. As You Like It relishes its theatrical guise--like Rosalind in her alias as Ganymede--and is best suited for audiences that glean satisfaction from searching beneath the subtle differences between art and artifice.
As with artifice, duality is a theme explored in As You Like It. Rosalind initially adopts the male guise of Ganymede to flee from the discontented Frederick's court, but maintains this ruse when she crosses paths again with Orlando. Rosalind is fully aware that Orlando has been peppering the woodland with poems about his undying love for Rosalind (in katakana). Why would she not then reveal herself to him at this point? Aside from the moments of romantic comedy that would be lost were she to do so, she is savvy enough to recognize this opportunity to gauge whether his proclamations are genuine, or merely the fancy of a too-ardent heart. She challenges Orlando to pretend that "he" is Rosalind, and behave with "him" as he would with "her", simulating a courtship by proxy while testing his ardor for weakness. Is Rosalind being cruel to Orlando? Rosalind is one of the few characters who seems aware of a duplicity inherent in this world, and is smart enough to leverage it to her benefit. Other characters seem vaguely aware of its existence--like Jaques, who contemplates the paradox of Touchstone (Alfred Molina), as a "fool who is wise"--but never prospers from their awareness like Rosalind does. The duplicity is felt in other aspects of As You Like It, like in how both Dukes--Senior and Frederick--are played by Brian Blessed, yet are as different as night and day; Frederick is a cutthroat tyrant, while Senior is barely a step removed from Santa Claus. That they are brothers at odds with one another is also important, and is mirrored in Orlando and Oliver's feud. Both Oliver and Frederick hold all of the political power in As You Like It, but their prestige gives them no pleasure. Oliver anguishes at the bad blood between him and Orlando, yet plots his defeat prior to the wrestling match, and even attempts to burn him alive while he (presumably) sleeps in the stables. Frederick's coup appears to be motivated by greed and envy, but even as he sits triumphant in his new palace, he remains stricken by paranoia and rage. These two figures are at the height of their power, yet are powerless to their own emotions. Conversely, those that are exiled find great comfort in the Forest of Arden, which establishes yet another dichotomy in As You Like It. The English that settled in Japan placed profit and commerce first and foremost; but in pursuing wealth for its own sake, they lost something essential that gave their lives pleasure. When Senior, Rosalind, Orlando, and the rest sojourn to Arden, they are refreshed. They meet kindly people who take them in--like the shepherd, Corin (Jimmy Yuill)--and reconnect with something of true value: peace and serenity. A final irony of a pastoral performance like As You Like It is that despite all of the artifice and stagecraft, and the deceptions and self-deceptions, it is only when we dwell in the honest and natural world that we can be at home with ourselves.
Recommended for: Fans of Shakespeare adaptations for film, especially those that offer commentary on the relationship between the theater and film, and how we understand ourselves better through its illusory looking glass. As You Like It relishes its theatrical guise--like Rosalind in her alias as Ganymede--and is best suited for audiences that glean satisfaction from searching beneath the subtle differences between art and artifice.