Thoughts on a Movie
Back when I was growing up in the 90s, there was some really good cinema being produced both in India and abroad. 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' is one such movie.
We did not have a cable connection those days as my father was clear in his conviction that satellite television would interfere with kids' studies. So, there I was reading about all the good movies in newspaper articles and hoping fervently that I would be able to watch them sometime in the future. I used to jot down the names of those movies that I read about in a small diary that also contained the list of all the books that I wanted to read among other things. As and when I was able to, I started ticking off the names on the lists one by one and gradually the diary all but disappeared from my day-to-day life.
Recently, I happened to watch some portions of one of the movies from my childhood diary, 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'. Featuring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell in pivotal roles, it boasts of a stellar supporting cast including the likes of Kristin Scott Thomas, Simon Callow, John Hannah and Rowan Atkinson. Among these I feel John Hannah is one of those always underrated actors who, if given a sufficiently 'juicy' role, would do remarkably justice to it. His role of 'Matthew' in 'Four Weddings...' rings with poignancy in one of the most memorable scenes in the film when he recites the poem 'Funeral Blues' by W H Auden at his partner (in the film) Gareth's funeral service.
The poem itself is about grieving but the way it is presented elevates it to a very spiritual level giving it a feeling of universality and celebrating the ephemeral nature of love while deconstructing the notions of gender associated with it. The poem could be about the loss of a partner regardless of gender - that is the beauty of it! And The manner in which John Hannah's Matthew brings this poem alive is truly a glimpse of sheer talent.
Funeral Blues
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message 'He is Dead'.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
W H Auden
We did not have a cable connection those days as my father was clear in his conviction that satellite television would interfere with kids' studies. So, there I was reading about all the good movies in newspaper articles and hoping fervently that I would be able to watch them sometime in the future. I used to jot down the names of those movies that I read about in a small diary that also contained the list of all the books that I wanted to read among other things. As and when I was able to, I started ticking off the names on the lists one by one and gradually the diary all but disappeared from my day-to-day life.
Recently, I happened to watch some portions of one of the movies from my childhood diary, 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'. Featuring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell in pivotal roles, it boasts of a stellar supporting cast including the likes of Kristin Scott Thomas, Simon Callow, John Hannah and Rowan Atkinson. Among these I feel John Hannah is one of those always underrated actors who, if given a sufficiently 'juicy' role, would do remarkably justice to it. His role of 'Matthew' in 'Four Weddings...' rings with poignancy in one of the most memorable scenes in the film when he recites the poem 'Funeral Blues' by W H Auden at his partner (in the film) Gareth's funeral service.
The poem itself is about grieving but the way it is presented elevates it to a very spiritual level giving it a feeling of universality and celebrating the ephemeral nature of love while deconstructing the notions of gender associated with it. The poem could be about the loss of a partner regardless of gender - that is the beauty of it! And The manner in which John Hannah's Matthew brings this poem alive is truly a glimpse of sheer talent.
Funeral Blues
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message 'He is Dead'.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
W H Auden
Comments
Post a Comment