Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing Trailer

Firstly – the trailer: it’s not easy to watch but, for me, that doesn’t have anything to do with the subject matter but more with the fact that it jumps around a bit too much for my liking.
Secondly: I like Kenneth and Emma too. But my favourite pairing is David Tennant and Catherine Tate in a modernized version available on Digital Theatre. It’s filmed directly off the stage (unlike David’s Hamlet which is modern dress too) and the two of them really hit it from the word go. The only major change I could identify was that Leonato has a wife instead of a brother. Kenneth and Emma are really good too but a bit more muted (not sure they were still married when they shot it). And stating the obvious – in a film you can do stuff on the historical level which is impossible on stage, like riding.
And since most of Shakespeare’s plays are set in a court (be it royal or otherwise) I don’t have a problem with a modern set as long as that still shines through – even if they use Shakespearean language – since nobility is still ‘at large’ in most of Europe. They might not have their actual powers anymore (like in Germany) but I think that society is still rather different from what ‘normal’ people live in. And even more so in places like the UK and Denmark that actually still have Royal Families. And the themes are hugely relevant in our times, too, of course.
I know it’s really hard to not compare stage and screen or different actors playing the same part – especially if you really like one particular interpretation. I know Shakespeare isn’t an exclusive of the British, nor should he be, but more than modern or historical setting I really don’t like American accents (like in Kenneth’s film) speaking those lines. But a lot has to do with the actors, not saying the Americans in Kenneth’s are bad actors – I just don’t think they were the best for the roles they were cast for. It might also have something to do with the fact that I think (correct me if I’m wrong) in the US the theatre isn’t as big a thing for young actors as it is in the UK, where they pretty much start out on stage. Thing about theatre is that you have one chance to get it right for however long the play runs unlike on film where you can try and try again – and I think theatre gives you more presence too.

There are some completely modern versions (language and all) of Much Ado, Macbeth and Taming of the Shrew on youtube of which I really like the latter two while Much Ado really doesn’t hit it for me (with neither of the couples).

So rather than saying modern or not I think it depends on the actors playing the parts. You can get a historical or modern setting and have a brilliant script but if the actors can’t live up to it it won’t work. Or to speak with David Tennant “You can destroy a good script [with bad acting] but you can’t make a bad one good [no matter how well you cast the parts].”

Sorry this got a bit longer than I meant it to…