Film: Anonymous
Studio: Columbia Pictures/Relativity Media
Release Date: Nov. 4
Grade: B+
Arguably the most famous playwright of all time, William Shakespeare penned classics like Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. But what if Mr. Shakespeare was in fact a fraud? According to the new film Anonymous, a fictional interpretation of the playwright's literary life, Shakespeare did not write them, but merely took the credit.
Directed by Roland Emmerich (2012), Anonymous is part political thriller and part drama, as the viewer witnesses a first-hand account of Elizabethan London.
Paying homage to Laurence Olivier's 1944 adaptation of Henry V, the film opens on a modern day production of a play titled "Anonymous." As the narrator (Derek Jacobi, The Borgias) describes the setting and background of the story, the scene morphs from a 21st century auditorium to 16th century England.
It appears the Earl of Oxford (Rhys Ifans, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1) has a penchant for the written word. However, given his status in the hierarchical political world, he is unable to claim his works as his own. Enter Ben Jonson (Sebastian Armesto, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), a struggling playwright of what will soon be called the Shakespearian Era. The Earl confers with Jonson, asking him to be the name and face of his masterworks.
Jonson declines, wishing to make his own way to the top, and mentions the idea to lowly actor William Shakespeare (Rafe Spall, One Day). Shakespeare, keen to break free from his stagnant career, snaps up the offer and enters the life the Earl could have lived.
While the main focus of Anonymous is to tell this fictional story, the film also does an excellent job portraying the life of Queen Elizabeth I and her search for an heir to the throne, a riveting addition to the story as the viewer is led down a road of violence, manipulation, incest, and bastard children.
With the role of Queen Elizabeth I played by both Joely Richardson (The Tudors) as well as Vanessa Redgrave (Cars 2), the family ties make for ideal portrayal of young queen and a more a distinguished ruler.
In terms of acting, all those involved gave notable performances, but both Richardson and Redgrave shined in their dual role of Queen Elizabeth I. The mother-daughter pair were able to breathe life into a fictionalized portrayal of a ruler who not only slept around with various men, but gave birth to several bastard children.
Known as the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth never actually produced an heir to her throne, which led to James VI of Scotland as her successor. The fact that she mothered multiple children is just one of the liberties Emmerich took with his film.
Historical inaccuracies are present from start to finish as Emmerich and his writers play around with various occurrences for the sake of his film. Since the movie is to be viewed as fiction and nothing more, this should not bother the viewer in the least.
One major problem this film had was the jumping back and forth through time, which happens constantly during the 130 minute run time. The audience is likely to get years and time periods confused if it did not pay close enough attention.
Another downfall was the plethora of characters present throughout the film. At times, it was hard to keep track of who's who and what the motives were.
In the end, Anonymous is a thrilling and intriguing film that makes the viewer wonder just how much truth may be behind the story unfolding in front of his or her eyes.
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