Thoughts about the Donmar’s cut then swapping time periods and sexes Measure for Measure starring Hayley Atwell and Jack Lowden as Isabella and Angelo, aka sexual harassment by those in power the play.
It was very, very interesting in what it had to say and how stuff had changed and how it’s seen when you change who’s in power. And interestingly, perception of faith.
First off, the 1604-set bit was so far, so shuddery – watching Angelo physically intimidate Isabella just by standing too close, then touching while she visibly shut down and shook was horrible. And then everyone discount her and shut her up at the trial, especially after the duke in disguise had told her she would be taken seriously. And then Mariana, so desperate and broken (they actually interrupt her in a moment of trying to self-harm) trying to support her at the trial (showing pointedly how much the her and Isabella support each other at the trial and before and get strength from each other), and clearly
grabbing onto the strands when the Duke orders her and Angelo’s marriage and then deeply, utterly unhappy when she comes back. Still haunted and so traumatised and knowing that this will only fix the surface problems like respectability. And then the bit where the Duke casually says ‘oh, by the way, you’re marrying me’ to Isabella isn’t reacted to at all by anyone but Isabella, who goes utterly still. Because what she wanted for her life doesn;t matter. At all. So when she’s left alone with him after everyone else departs the stage, her scream of rage in his face as response is catharsis and response.
Fast forward to current day, Isabel is the politician and Angelo’s a recovering addict. This one is funnier. More pointed bits using phones. (which sometimes doesn’t work too well in updated Shakespeare, but worked really well here, including Isabella’s ringtone song being a trigger for Frederick (modern Mariana)) At the same time, Isabel’s colleagues are constantly questioning her where they’d only do slightly unhappy looks at Angelo’s puritanism, which shows how effective different readings of the exact same line can work. Isabel’s enforcing of the already existing law comes across as proving herself and actually making sure this is getting enforced as it should be whereas Angelo came off as puritanical unflinching dogma. Isabel talking to herself about lust came off as a bit girly and then her predatory nature in the second encounter was just as skin-crawling, only she was groping him – they made the harassment far more physical in the current day. With the wincing different reasons for why someone wouldn’t believe him as opposed to why no-one would have believed Isabella of 1604, using her gender against him in the way Angelo of 1604 used his patriarchal power against Isabella. Horrible and I think the problem here is… so very rare and more likely to be seen in a fictional context as opposed to the 1604 man in power case being all too common. I think that’s the main problem with it. What she’s doing is awful but comes across as more invented when they’re gaining our sympathy with her being undermined professionally but at the same time showing she’s an awful person. (and fortunately not trying to excuse her behaviour) Add that to the sex tape getting played at the trial which would never happen to undermine a man. Interestingly, Isabel actually recovers from that better – she goes full teflon and while the forced marriage undermines her agency it’s clear that she’s chucking him in all of five seconds.
Right. Other bits. Claudio. His position actually changed the most. 1604, he’s afraid. This is very real and depressing and he knows that sleeping with Juliet was wrong in the eyes of society so retribution was always a possibility. When he gets the sudden sentence of death in the current day it’s a massive shock. He’d been joking around with the lawyers prior to that because sleeping with your fiance is normal. And when Angelo comes to him in prison, asking him to sleep with Isabella is seen by Claudio as a ‘just fucking get it over with, I’m in real trouble, what’s the problem?’ situation – ie, a man would do it for his brother, where Angelo’s revulsion is very much the lesser evil, and brushing aside the harassment and wrongness. Claudio’s being wilfully blind because he sees it as the lesser evil to get through with gritted teeth, any man would do it, why can’t you?. Unlike the 1604 Claudio who knows that what he’s asking his sister the novitiate to do is deeply
wrong – spiritually, morally, everything. Her vow of chastity is far more important than him asking her to break it for a wrong he did, even if it might mean his death, because that would condemn them in the eyes of heaven. Which then comes back and reflects on his dealing with the Duke in disguise as a visiting friar. 1604, blessings and sermons for the condemned are a very powerful and welcome thing. It’s important work. It’s a powerful scene, the Duke with his hand on the head of the kneeling Claudio. Current day, the guard is rolling his eyes at this do-gooder who won’t have any effect and it’s imposed, not wanted. Claudio’s sitting in a chair across from him, arms crossed and rolling his eyes at this idiot he didn’t ask for, nervously preaching this airy fairy sermon at him when he’s got better shot to be worrying about. Some man of the cloth showing up no matter how well-meaning is going to be brushed aside. No authority whatsoever.
And now let’s talk about the Duke. Aka ‘Fuck you and the horse you rode in on, you are the WORST.’ In 1604, he takes a break, decides to use it to spy on his deputy, is a bit in denial about just how bad he was at ruling (see when Lucio makes comments and he gets sniffy), then gets off on playing power games, then out of nowhere decides that just
because he’s got a bit of a crush on Isabella, it’s totally okay to order her to marry him after messing with her head and making her think her brother was executed. Never mind that she thought he was her confessor to be trusted, and marrying Angelo and Mariana off would fix Mariana’s problems. Or running roughshod over what she wanted and had been preparing to do, which was take her vows and become a nun. And that she hadn’t shown one slightest bit of interest in him. I really do see him getting stabbed in the night. Even if she didn’t just run off to the nunnery anyway.
Present day Duke. JFC. I think the best word to sum him up is ‘weak’. He’s got absolutely no authority, hides from his problems even when not in disguise, tries to make excuses for not doing things constantly, going to visit Claudio is just a power trip that rightly comes off as weak sermonising at someone who has absolutely no interest in it (really, the prison guard and Claudio have the best read of him of anyone in the play) and then when he’s literally counselling a troubled Angelo over what he can do re: trying to save his brother, starts kissing him, and when Angelo pushes him away with a rightfully shocked and disgusted expression, just pouts and acts like he’s the one who’s been hurt.
Never mind that it was him who took advantage of the situation and started molesting someone who he was supposed to be helping. Fast forward to the ego games of the court later, when he’s completely failing to take any responsibility, especially when Claudio’s clearly physically fucked up from being in solitary. And then he says he’s going to marry Angelo and tries to kiss him again. Never mind that he’d already made completely unwelcome advances. Angelo shoves him off and goes to Claudio, Claudio collapsing into his lap and shaking, and it’s suddenly really clear how deep their relationship actually is. And the Duke’s just standing there with a bemused expression. Just as bad a predator as Angelo/Isabel his deputy. The stage goes black and 1604 Isabella appears again, to scream in rage in his face. Because that predatory bastard needs calling to account.
burntcopper 