With some of the sonnets the content and sentiment is easy for me to reach, partly because the work is timeless as it connects to how people are and feel. With others though, it is less so and in particular some of sonnets about reproducing or odd love arrangements or pleas don't connect with me as easily. So it is the case reading sonnet 133 because to me it comes across as a very weak bargain to a woman to pick the writer rather than his friend, who is also attracted to the writer. He pleads with her to only bedevil and imprison one of their hearts and, selflessly, he offers himself up (to protect his friend of course). It concludes that the two of them will be just as caught up in desire for this woman so not only will the writer be tormented by her control over him, but also he will be tormented by the knowledge that his friend suffers the same way. It is hard to imagine a love-triangle being discussed in such a way in modern day Noo Yark, but this is the challenge given to director Mischa Auzins!
The end result is actually pretty good and the manner and tone with which it is presented actually helps the words make more sense. What I had read as rather weak begging which is perhaps disingenuous and ineffective, the film presents as more resentment and brooding. Reading the sonnet again, this makes perfect sense and I appreciated how well the film brought context and modern meaning to the words. Shot around the pavilion in McGolrick park, the film is set at night and features a beautiful woman filmed like they do in films where they have memories or super8 videos of old times; it is filmed this way but yet brooding. This gives way to the woman and the speaker's friend cavorting, while he both appears behind her watching, and also superimposed to one side of the shot as he delivers the lines.
The level of hurt distain he feels for this woman, while still desiring her is made really clear by the delivery, and this added a lot to the lines of being held prisoner etc. The lines about his friend being subject to the same torment is less the way I thought (trying to bargain him out of the picture) and more about how he knows the poor bastard sill end in the same place he currently is – it isn't so much that he begs for him or pretends to lovingly care for him, but more like he both understand his friend's attraction and fate.
I really enjoyed this sonnet, like many of the better films in The Sonnet Project, it has an interpretation and it makes it clear to the viewer, which in turns helps with understanding and appreciation of the text but in a modern, accessible context.
The end result is actually pretty good and the manner and tone with which it is presented actually helps the words make more sense. What I had read as rather weak begging which is perhaps disingenuous and ineffective, the film presents as more resentment and brooding. Reading the sonnet again, this makes perfect sense and I appreciated how well the film brought context and modern meaning to the words. Shot around the pavilion in McGolrick park, the film is set at night and features a beautiful woman filmed like they do in films where they have memories or super8 videos of old times; it is filmed this way but yet brooding. This gives way to the woman and the speaker's friend cavorting, while he both appears behind her watching, and also superimposed to one side of the shot as he delivers the lines.
The level of hurt distain he feels for this woman, while still desiring her is made really clear by the delivery, and this added a lot to the lines of being held prisoner etc. The lines about his friend being subject to the same torment is less the way I thought (trying to bargain him out of the picture) and more about how he knows the poor bastard sill end in the same place he currently is – it isn't so much that he begs for him or pretends to lovingly care for him, but more like he both understand his friend's attraction and fate.
I really enjoyed this sonnet, like many of the better films in The Sonnet Project, it has an interpretation and it makes it clear to the viewer, which in turns helps with understanding and appreciation of the text but in a modern, accessible context.