TRAILER (WITH HIGH-RES STILLS) FROM JULIE TAYMOR'S THE TEMPEST

Julie Taymor is returning to the stories of the Bard which, in the minds of those who consider Titus to be the highlight of an otherwise dodgy filmography, is the best possible move for her. Broadway comic-book adaptations may not be working out so well, after all.

The Tempest
is based on what is considered Shakespeare’s last play, or at least the
final one he completed himself, and was written somewhere around 1610
(so this is the 400th anniversary edition!). Prospero, or Prospera in
this case, uses a summoned storm to set events in motion that bring to
light the wickedness of some, and the rightful destinies of others- if
that’s a vague enough recap for you. Taymor has assembled a serious cast
for The Tempest including Helen Mirren, Alfred Molina, Djimon Hounsou, Chris Cooper, Allen Cumming, Russell Brand and David Strathairn.

The
trailer, which can now be found on Apple Trailers, shows that this film
will be the kind of hybrid theatrical/cinematic experience we’re used
to seeing from Taymor. Blending stylized make-up, costumes, effects
(practical, analogue, and digital), the director never fails to craft a
film that is a unique experience- good, bad, or otherwise. The CGI her
is boring, but the other details look interesting, and the cast seems to
be really crackling. Shakespeare is a tough nut to crack though, and
doubly so on screen. Take a look at the trailer and peruse the huge-able
stills down below*, and let us know if you’ll be in the theater come
December 10th.

*I’ve
gotten into the habit of screencapping the more visually interesting
trailers that pop up lately- let me know if this is something you’d like
to see continued.