Friday, September 01, 2006

Subtext – Shakespeare In Love


From Marc Norman & Tom Stoppard’s Oscar-winning script.

How can we forget when Will visited Dr. Moth to cure his bad case of writer's block?
Here, Young Shakespeare reveals to us (and Dr. Moth) the real source of his problem without even realizing it as he eloquently laments his "lost gift" for words…


INT. DR. MOTH'S HOUSE. DAY

A stuffed alligator hangs from the ceiling, pills, potions, amulets and charms, star charts and mystic paraphernalia festoon the place. Testimonials and framed degrees hang on the walls.

WILL lying on a couch, on his back. His eyes are closed

DR. MOTH sits by the couch, listening to WILL and occasionally making a note on a pad he holds on his knee. What we have here is nothing less than the false dawn of analysis. The session is being timed by an hourglass.

WILL
Words, words, words…once, I had the
gift…I could make love out of words as
a potter makes cups out of clay love
that overthrows empires, love that
binds two hearts together come
hellfire and brimstones…for sixpence a
line, I could cause a riot in a
nunnery…but now

DR. MOTH
And yet you tell me you lie with
women?

WILL seems unwiling to respond. DR. MOTH refers to his notes.

DR. MOTH (CONT'D)
Black Sue, Fat Phoebe, Rosaline,
Burbage's seamstress; Aphrodite, who
does it behind the Dog and

WILL
(interrupting)
Aye, now and again, but what of it? I
have lost my gift.

DR. MOTH
I am here to help you. Tell me in your
own words.

WILL
I have lost my gift.
(not finding this easy)
It's as if my quill is broken. As if
the organ of my imagination has dried
up. As if the proud tower of my genius
has collapsed.

DR. MOTH
Interesting.

WILL
Nothing comes.

DR. MOTH
Most interesting.

WILL
It is like trying to a pick a lock
with a wet herring.

DR. MOTH
(shrewdly)
Tell me, are you lately humbled in the
act of love?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"...as if the proud tower of my genius has collapsed...like trying to pick a lock with a wet herring..."

LOL. Yet another writer makes the connection between writing and sex. When it's good, it's very very good, and when it's bad, it's still fun.

crossword said...

A great movie. Very satisfying.

Inspiration as subtext:

Joseph Fiennes: Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter.

and

Geoffrey Rush: The show must... you know...
Joseph Fiennes: ... go on!

LOL :)

Mystery Man said...

Hehehe... Oh yeah, that's great.

There's also that love montage where they are practicing lines from the play and making love at night, and all of those lines have double meaning as they also apply to the love affair between Will and Viola.

I love that movie.

-MM

Unknown said...

"for sixpence a
line, I could cause a riot in a
nunnery" what does that mean? I have to translete the subtitle into turkish but I couldn't understand this sentence. help plz.