4/23/12
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I was so surprised by this movie. It is advertised as something of a comedy and has some funny scenes, including when Portia and Nerisa are giving their husbands a hard time for giving away their rings, but there are so many scenes that show sadness and injustice. It seems that the good guys, such as Antonio and his friends are really bigots. They treat Shylock so bad and then act the victum when like a human he seeks revenge. I mean the man has been robbed of his family and a lot of his money and all he hears, though it turns out to be false, is that his daughter would give away all that he valued without a thought! It even seemed that Portia saw how hard life was on the Shylock, especially when he was forced to give up his religion, which is his community making him an outsider to both Christian and Jewish populous. It seems that hidden in this story of comedy, though not well, is a story of injustice.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was one of the best films we've seen so far. I was a little afraid it was going to be very bloody in the courthouse but it wasn't at all. I was very sad for Shylock and the way everyone treated him and his fellow Jews. No one deserves to be treated that way. Even though he lost everything he had and loved, I do not believe that he should have wanted to take a pound of Antonio's flesh. First of all what would he have done with it? And second, I don't know if it was proven that Antonio knew about Shylock's daughter running away. He should not have taken his anger out on Antonio no matter how he had treated him before.
ReplyDeleteAntonio proved a good friend, but was very rude to Shylock up until he needed to borrow money. The relationship between the boy and Antonio was very sweet. It was kind of Antonio to help out a friend in need. It was sad, however, when he lost all of his ships and was unable to repay Shylock. He willingly would have died for his friend.
Portia and Nerissa were very crafty. They quickly throwing together costumes and gained knowledge of Venetian law. Portia by far was my favorite character. She was kind and giving. Even though she had just met her husband she wanted to help his friend and did so much to make that happen.
Just as ChemGirl made a comment on how this movie was a comedy. I found only a few parts of this movie, funny and thought wow shakespeare wasn't the best comedian if you ask me. I went online reading about this play and realized a comedy doesn't mean it is funnny, a comedy is refered to someone not dying. That really took me by suprise! All in all I really did enjoy the movie once realizing the genre better. My favorite scene was when all the different kings came pick the correct box to win a queen!
ReplyDeleteAnother memorable part of the play was when Shylock finds out about his daughter and the jewels she stole. I found it quite entertaining how his mood changed from sorrow to extreme happiness as he found out new of his disgraceful daughter and Antonio's recked ship. It was funny how he would cry of his pain of lost jewels and quickly smile a second later hearing about Antonio's loss at sea.
- SCC
The cast of the Merchant of Venice supplied a much needed boost for the corny appeal of the setting. I found Jeremy Irons performance as Antonio to be the most profound. Al Pacino's portayal as Shylock was entertaining but I felt very uncomfortable when he began to weep after his daughter ran away.
ReplyDeleteI was absolutely taken back from Radford's film, and thought the choice to cast a few more well known actors mixed in with multiple unknown faces created intense chemistry on the screen. I loved the use of angles in the court room and the costume technique to hide portia's face from Antonio but to the film audience it was not hidden at all was very creative. Overall a great portrayal of The Merchant in Venice in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI found the movie to give such a dramatic and intense vibe between the characters. Every character had a distinct role and added such a variety of emotion throughout the movie. I felt as if there was so much betrayal in the movie. Between lovers, family and friends. The movie was able to captivate the immense betrayal many of the characters felt throughout the movie.
ReplyDeleteWow i think this was my favorite shakespeare film we have seen this far. Al pacino character was amazing. The twist at the end with the girls actually being the judges was the best part. It was such a twist and made the characters so angry. One question that comes to mind though is why the jews were being persecuted so much in venice. I wonder if every a contract ever existed.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was very interesting in the way that the jewish man ended up having to watch what he asked for. He kept demanding the flesh but when it came down to him actually cutting him, you saw he was hesitating but then when it was said that he could not drop a single drop of blood he soon back pedaled. You could tell that he now regretted taking it this far.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it was interesting to see that the girls actually became the judges and you watched as they had to hide this from their lovers. Though i was starting to wonder if they were ever going to tell them that they were the judges. Though I guess it is for the best that they did tell them cause it added to the drama.
It was also interesting to see the different interpretation of love. The love between the two best friends, the one getting cut and the one trying to pay back his debt and save him from dying, and between the men and women. How love for a friend can surpass the love for a lover. It showed that there will always be connections between the ones you love but different connections with each relationship.
Just like ZP, I think this is now my new favorite Shakespeare film. My attention was on the movie 100% of the time and I enjoyed and followed the story completely. I think Portia and Nerissa were jerks because they were playing with their new husbands, but deep down every girl would want to test their loves and hope they pass their tests. My favorite character was Gratiano and I love how Shakespeare's jokes of his time still translate to people of my generation. (Ex: When Gratiano sold out Bassanio for giving away his ring too.)
ReplyDeleteI literally was squeaming in class when Al Pacino was going to collect on his "bail". I was considering putting my hands over my face or just getting up from my seat and leaving as Shylock's knife was nearing towards Antonio's flesh. I was thinking to myself, "Is this really going to happen? Is this a SAW movie?". Alas he was saved. BUt this was definitely a incredible movie with an incredible story with an incredible cast. It mixed elements of comedy and tragedy, as is the fashion of Shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteThe scene in which Shylock eventually chooses not to take a pound of Antonio’s flesh was really moving. It shows the depth to the agreements made and how perceptions can greatly vary between characters. Shylock, no matter how gruesome his side of the bargain was, goes to the furthest boundaries in order to have his justice. Shylock eventually realizes he must give up, once he finds out he will go to jail. Antonio shows mercy towards Shylock in not taking half of his property, even though Shylock was inches away from killing him. The scene shows that money, or in this case a pound of flesh, can hinder what values truly matter: mercy, understanding, and friendship.
ReplyDeleteI think this movie could have been played out better than it did, i do enjoy the Merchant of Venice and the overall plot but i really did not think the man would actually take his flesh, althought almost got convinced by the end he might. He only did this for vengence and to be cruel but once he understood what friendship really is hes thought of taking the flesh changed because he finally realized.
ReplyDeleteThis movie amazed me somehow i was able to feel sorry for Shylock, and yet hate him at the same time. I love the character Portia, she represents the most brilliant of women, in a time when women were not recognized for their intelligence! Loved it!
ReplyDeleteAs ChemGirl said, I was most surprised by this movie that it was known to be a comedy, but I found very few comedic elements to it. I found Much Ado About Nothing to have more typical comedic bits then Merchant of Venice. Merchant of Venice was much of a darker kind of move that dealt with suspense and drama much more then comedy in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI do see that there are comedic bits in this movie but they are just so overwhelmed by the other aspects of the play that it surprised me.
Overall I was pleased with this movie, but it was one of those instances where I was expecting something completely different then what was delivered.
This was by far my favorite movie that we have watched in class thus far. There was so much emotion between the characters in the film. It was a very drama filled movie that touched upon a very controversial subject. Al Pacino did a great job playing the part of Shylock, a very powerful part in the movie.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was very entertaining. I especially liked how well Al Pacino played Shylock. He was so convincing throughout the entire movie that he was a jewish man. It was also interesting to watch because it kept you on the edge of your seat wondering if Shylock really was going to cut his flesh out or not. By the end of the movie I felt so bad for Shylock because he had lost his daughter, and then his pride.
ReplyDeleteHilary Ingram said...
ReplyDeleteI agree with Deanna and EAI Al Pacino did a really good job playing shylock. He portrayed so much emotion in everything that he did. I think that they did a really good job with makeup as well because i didnt even know that the Judge was Portia at first.
I did get confused at a few points but was always able to catch up and get what was going on. This was a really good movie!
This movie was confusing as ChemGirl stated, as the protagonists seem to be villans in how they treat the Jews. It almost seems to be a game to them at first offering a pound of flesh for the money. The actual funny part is that he calls them out on their offer, this unexpected curveball he throws at them leaves them in a very weak position, thus making them quite weak protagonists in comparison to their antagonist who has great passion in his convictions.
ReplyDeleteI liked this movie, but i am also and Al Pacino fan so it appealed to me more. He did a great job being Shylock and was able to keep his character throughout the whole movie.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fan of the story of The Merchant of Venice, only becasue I don't like the portrayal of the prejudice towards the jews in the story. I did, however, feel that the director did a great job portraying that hurt and anger in Shylock as he goes through this journey of being spit on, literally nd metaphorically, loosing his daughter, keeping his justice and then, in turn, loosing everything. Al Pacino is a phenomenal actor and I am so excited to see him play King Lear in the upcomming remake.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was actually pretty good. I liked the way that the female characters were portrayed. Portia was able to be disguised as a male lawyer and save an innocent life of her lovers friend.
ReplyDeleteI do also like the end where it proves that evilness does not win in the end. Demanding a pound as flesh being the evilness of the story.
I really enjoyed the movie because this is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays and the actors and amazing scenery made for a extremely great movie. The symbolism was easier to understand where as in reading the play it was quiet difficult, the movie helped get across many points that in reading you just don't fully get.
ReplyDeleteRachael Draper said...
ReplyDeletei really couldnt stand this film. its dark and dreary, and sad, and everyone is so contrived. it was interesting that once again we have a female character dressing up as a man. shakespeare does the same thing in twelth night and i think in two gentlemen of verona too. i guess i just hated how the cranky jew lost everything. yes he was kind of a stinker but he didnt deserve to loose everything, the contract he signed was a legitamate one. i guess shakespeare is just catering to the opinion of the time. if the jew won the play would not have been popular during shakespeares time.
I would have to admit that this movie is very difficult to follow but the acting in the movie is full of talent. Al Pacino's portrayal of Shylock is impressive but the way Shylock used the trial to teach everyone not to mess with the Jewish community was a little extreme.
ReplyDeleteI agree with almost every one that Al Pacino portrayed Shylock very well! He did an excellent job. But, I think the women in this play need some credit too, because they were sneaky, clever and witty. They as well did a great job.
ReplyDelete- SCC
It was interesting that Shylock is supposed to be kind of a villian in the play yet Al Pacino makes the audience feel simpathetic towards him. I wonder if Shylock would have been played in the same way back in Shakespeares time
ReplyDeletei guess the obvious statement here is that Al Pacino did serious work. His role was awesome as Shylock, i felt he really made the movie.
ReplyDeleteAl Pacino is amazing in all his works. As the character Shylock, you felt for him but also wanted to hate him. When he was going to take the pound of flesh, I couldn't believe that a guy who knows what it is like to be hated against for being a Jew would not show any remorse for the man. But then so quickly I found myself feeling bad for him when he lost everything in the end.
ReplyDeleteI found the difference in the way Shakespeare spoke of Jewish people and that of modern day really interesting. I also this Al Pacino as Shylock was such a good choice because of the dynamic that he brought to the character. Shylock does seem to be the most interesting character in the play even if he isn't the basic main character and I think thats why Al Pacino wanted to play him.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this movie but thought that it took awhile to get into it. I thought Al Pacino as Shylock was perfect, the anger he put into his role and the portrayal of someone who has been wronged was perfect. Although, I did think it was creepy how much he wanted the pound of flesh but I guess that is Shakespeare's point in his play. I wasn't sure whether to hate him or feel sorry for him.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this film more than I enjoyed the play. It helped me to better understand the play even though there are differences between it and the film.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't really that excited about this movie going into it, but I was pleasantly surprised, especially with the acting of Al Pacino. Shylock was in essence "screwed over" big time in this plot and the unjustness of it actually got me kind of riled up
ReplyDeleteMichael Radford did an excellent job making this film adaptation of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. Also Al Pacino does great job in his portrayal of Shylock.
ReplyDeleteI thought this film was very interesting, with a lot of twists that made the outcome ironic. I think that the way the court case turned out was good.
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was just ok, Al Pacino's acting was the only part of the movie that kept me going. I was really grossed out with his character when he was actually serious about the pound of flesh that was owed to him.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this movie. I have seen the play and was put to sleep by the under stimulating stage actors, I was actually kept quite alert by the movie. Jeremy Irons is one of my favorite actors. And I like how Shylock's extreme desire for revenge back-fires on him.
ReplyDeleteI actually liked this movie a lot more than I thought I would. The actors did an amazing job at portraying Shakespeare's characters. It was a rather dramatic movie but there were some funny scenes. I was however confused in the beginning of the movie because I wasnt sure who everyone was in relation to eachother.
ReplyDeleteI liked this movie a lot. The casting was done extremely well. Although Shylock was very extreme, I felt very sorry for him when his daughter left him. Also, the scene where Shylock is going to take a pound of flesh was very intense.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I enjoyed this movie, except for Al Pacino. Although I love him as an actor, I honestly feel that he didn't resemble Shylock whatsoever. Shylock's attempts at revenge seemed fake to me, and I could not take the character seriously.
ReplyDeleteI found this movie hard to follow, the lines were confusing; however, the scenes and background helped a lot. Al Pachino's character Shylock was great, I by far thought he was the best character in the movie. Although, this movie was hard to follow, and was not as good as other, I enjoyed it to see for the first time.
ReplyDeleteI thought Al Pacino did an excellent job playing Shylock, and I found this film to be pretty entertaining. The plot confused me at first, but once I began to understand what was going on, and each of the characters roles, I found myself really getting into the film. I thought the director did a good job handling the racism part, without being too offensive in today’s society, but still staying true to what Shakespeare had intended.
ReplyDeleteI agree with some who commented on the whether the play should really be considered a comedy. I thought the play and movie had much darker elements to it, instead of the lighter subjects we saw in Much Ado About Nothing for example. Personally, I would have to disagree on with some of my peers who said Al Pacino made a great Shylock. I read the whole play in high school and while discussing the play there was an emphasis on how evil Shylock was and how creepy he was to everyone not just because he was a Jew, but because of his own attitude and how he presented himself. Though I have no suggestion on who would have made a better Shylock I think they could have found someone better or at least made Pacino portray him differently.
ReplyDeleteI agree with aaron c, about how the movie was hard to follow. I thought it was very difficult to understand. Though Alpacino did a great job playing the character of Shylock, I still prefer his other roles more entertaining.
ReplyDeletei really enjoyed the trial sceene in this movie i think the director and the actors really worked weell together to produce an entertaining scene without loosing the credibility of the work from shakespeare. i also really like how in the film the opening scene where shylock is spat apon is included earlier it gives good background to why he doesnt want to loan the money and collect his debt of flesh. JR
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this movie. I think that it was the actors that really made the movie flow so well. i thought it was a very easy movie to follow. i enjoyed Al Pacino's role as a Shylock and his intense desire to seek revenge.
ReplyDeletevery good movie with a great story line. Al Pacino role as Shylock was excellent. Did a very good job at portraying his intensity that he has in the play.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Portia. I felt that she was a great character all around. She was strong and extremely intelligent. Her wit and mind made her capable of so many things and she was extremely persuasive. I loved the fact that she represented a woman's many abilities and strengths.
ReplyDeleteThe merchant of venice is a very confusing movie in that it is not clear as to what Shakespeare wanted the viewer to get out of it. It is apparent that the merchant at the end is left with nothing, and most of his possessions were stolen. Yet, there are some scenes in the movie which give the merchant a chance to explain his position and thoughts about how he has been treated.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of my favorite films we watched in class. It was the most simple for me to understand and i dont feel like characters exagerrated too much like they did in the other plays. I liked the length Portia and Nerissa went to in order to try to help. There weren't any dull moments and i was interested the entire time waiting until the end to see what Shylock would do.
ReplyDeleteThis movie struck me as very serious and almost corrupt. There is so much of a duality between Jews and Christians that it just seems wrong. Shakespeare really made this play shocking when Shylock was converted to a Christianity. Shylock's plan backfires of course, but it leads to his worst possible fate. The whole entire play feeds off of two colliding religions. If it wasn't for Antonio approaching Shylock, the deed would have never been a part of this play. The deed is created entirely out of greed, hate and revenge. This play really kept me interested and I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the director did a good job of modernizing this movie. I love Al Pacino, and I think that he was perfect as the role of Shylock. He did a beautiful job at getting across Shylock's emotions.
ReplyDeleteI loved this film. Al Pacino did a magnificent job in his portrayal of shylock. i also liked how radford chose to make the film in italy. i thought that was a nice touch. All in all, great movie based on a great play
ReplyDeleteI was really shjocked how they portayed the hatred of jews in this film. Al Pacino was great in teh role as Shylokc and he excelled in the part where he got to revenge all teh tim ethat he was being put down. The women in this film were also excellent and did a great job of portraying women in te culture of the 15th century at that time.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this movie but I felt sorry for Shylock at the end. Even though he was a total AH about the money loan he didn't deserve to lose everything like that. I can understand losing your money and estate but having to leave your religion is just brutal, although I guess that these were brutal times.
ReplyDeletei really enjoyed this movie, not such a comedy though. I was very impressed by portia's ability to investigate the law and despite her husbands fitfulness, she delivered a man that she didn't even know for the love of her husband. It was also interesting to see the role reversals, from the beginning where Antonia spat on Jesica's father to being in the death seat then back again to the punishment of jews. This might be my favorite film.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was really great, Al Pacino played a great role as Shylock. He was very firm on his contract and had envy toward Antonio already. I can't believe no one realized the girls as the judges and that Portia played a awesome part. I really think Shylock would of took a pound of flesh if he really could have. He had so much hate in him he resented Antonio so much, and I was upset that he got pretty much everything taken away from him at the end. His daughter was taken away from him half his wealth. He was like set back for something that should of not been looked down upon from his view. This was my favorite film in this class so far it was really interesting and kept me waiting in my seat to see what was going to happen next.
ReplyDeletei really liked the trial scene in the film. There was suspense and drama and the actors did a great job playing their parts. Overall the film was pretty good in my opinion, i was able to comprehend what was going on at all times and thats really important in a movie; especially one based on Shakespeare's plays.
ReplyDeleteI found this film to be one of the best that we have seen yet. The character choice, music, lighting, scenery, and of course acting was very well done. Although this is supposed to be considered a comedy and may not be seen that way through modern eyes, i realize what was humorous in Shakespeares day is not always humorous today. There were some things in the play that were not exactly portrayed,information on the characters lives and background, in the film which might confuse the audience. The story of the daughter of Shylock was not very well shown, nor is the background of Antonio. The actors selected to play these parts, along with all the others did a phenominal job.
ReplyDeleteThis film was very suspenceful and graphic which gave this movie a very intense twist, even the love scenes came off very serious.
This movie really surprised me. I expected something a lot more monotonous, but I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire film. The hatred and conflicts between the Jews and Christians stood out to me the most. This chaotic divide between religions proves the brilliance behind Shakespeare’s writing because even to this day, society can relate this film to modern times. Wars between Jews and Christians still very much exist currently and have been for generations. The storyline itself was great and the acting couldn’t have been any better. Also, I thought it was funny the way the prostitute’s breasts were just hanging out of their clothes all the time…. a very distinctive characteristic.
ReplyDeleteAlthough hard to follow, I do believe this is probably the best and most intruging film we have viewed so far. There are so many intertwined stories, as usual, but something about this play really draws you in. The clash between cultures (mainly relating to relgion, again playing a big part) and the actors picked to play the charachters I feel were spot on. The man who plays Shylock did a great job portraying the part and I think really brought the charachter to life. The realness of the scenery, acting, and situations really had the ability to intrest the audience and keep you wondering what was going to happen next.
ReplyDeleteI personally enjoyed this movie. It was easy to follow and I thought the twist at the end with the women disguised as lawyers was absolutely brilliant. I think the way everything happened in that movie was so clever and great. I did feel bad for Shylock. He is a jew that tried to stand up for what he believed and tried to stick up for the Jews by not having everyone just walk all over him but in the end he still got screwed. Even though he did the best to gain respect and be just as equal as the Christians he failed miserably.
ReplyDeleteStephanieB:
ReplyDeleteI feel that this has been the best film we watched so far. It was not as hard to follow as some of the others were such as Henry V, which made it more entertaining. I think Al Pacino did a great job playing Shylock and expressed his various frustrations well. In the beginning of the movie I could not help but feel sorry for Shylock,but as time progressed I grew less and less sorry for his character. For example, at the court scene he should have taken the large sum offered to him instead of pushing it away and only requesting Antonio's flesh. I feel that Shylock's character at the end of the movie was just plain greedy and only thought of revenge. But this just goes to show how hard things were for Jews at this time.
I feel that this has been the best film we watched so far. It was not as hard to follow as some of the others were such as Henry V, which made it more entertaining. I think Al Pacino did a great job playing Shylock and expressed his various frustrations well. In the beginning of the movie I could not help but feel sorry for Shylock,but as time progressed I grew less and less sorry for his character. For example, at the court scene he should have taken the large sum offered to him instead of pushing it away and only requesting Antonio's flesh. I feel that Shylock's character at the end of the movie was just plain greedy and only thought of revenge. But this just goes to show how hard things were for Jews at this time.
ReplyDeleteThe film version of The Merchant of Venice did a good job of portraying the darker side of mercy. The court assumes that Shylock should be merciful yet deny him of it in the end. Portia turns the law against Shylock and backs him into a corner. The final decision that takes away half of Shylock’s property and forces him to convert to Christianity really isn’t merciful but spiteful. Mercy is just an idea which can mean different things in different situations. The movie depicts how mercy is not always black and white.
ReplyDeleteI think that Al Pacino was not the best charecter to portray Shylock, I wasnt too keen on how he portrayed Shylocks emotions in the movie as well. either than that I think the movie was easy to follow and It didnt keep me interested.
ReplyDeleteHarrison33
ReplyDeleteMy overall impression of the movie was very good. I liked the way Radford portrayed the hatred of Jews throughout the length of the film. He did so in a historical and realistic way. When it came to the court scene, I was just mezmorized about how everything was handled. The court was literally going to allow shylock to cut flesh from antonio right there in the court room. This too represents reality to the time period. All in all, I enjoyed the movie!
I truely enjoyed this film. The particular scene that caught my attention was the courtroom scene. The fact that the courts were willing to watch and allow Shylock to cut a piece of flesh from Antonio was shocking. But Portia and Nerissa, choosen wives by Bassanio and Gratiano, disguise themselves as lawyers to stop Shylocks plan. I couldn't tell at the time that the lawyers were even Portia and Nerissa. Thats what makes that scene so enjoyable. Overall, a great film
ReplyDeletei thought this film was kind of confusing. at times i could not tell if the affection between antonio and bassanio was just a friendship or more than that and i didnt not know if that what how it was supposed to be in the play. i did however enjoy the court scene i thought it was very smart and tricky the way portia and nerissa went to the court to save antonio. i had never seen or read this play before so i thought it was very clever how portia brought up the fact that shylock was only allowed to take flesh and not a drop of blood which is obviously impossible. overall i thought the movie was okay, not one of my favorites though.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the cast Radford chose. How he chose the familiar faces and the not so familiar faces. The scene that Shylock was at court and had to convert to a christian was played really well. I think the emphasis was great on how depressed he was that that was his sentencing.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I totally missed something...but I didn't see how Merchant of Venice was a comedy. There were so many things about it that I found to be very sad...Shylock loosing his daughter, then being forced to give up a huge portion of his money, then to add salt to the wound, he is forced to convert to Christianity. This means he has to stop money-lending and find a new profession. He didn't just convert to a new religion, he had to give up his very identity and lifestyle. I suppose in a way he brought the punishment upon himself because he insisted on having justice carried out to the letter of the law. It seemed like Shylock had practically everyone against him from the very beginning, and seeing Al Pacino's performance made me feel even sorrier for him.
ReplyDelete-GMW
This is one of my favorite movies that we have watched because it has so many popular actors being put into roles that are so full of emotion and passion that you really get to see them act. I think it is always a trial for an actor when they do Shakespeare because you get to see them play a role that has been around forever and played by so many. The spin that they put on it is always interesting. The Al Pacino does an amazing job, he really plays his part. Usually you see him as some Italian player so it was interesting to see him play a profound Jewish man dedicated to his religion.
ReplyDeletemy favorite movie this semester by far!! i loved the language the humor and the emotion though this entire film! i felt that all of the characters brought equally strong performances to the film and this is the first play i actually understood and witnessed humor in one of Shakespeare's comedies!i felt the jews were portrayed in a very respectful and tasteful way and i enjoyed the entire film!
ReplyDeleteNicole r
I thought it was interesting in the portrayal of the characters. Although Shylock was the villan, I felt he was also a victim. He is taunted for being a Jew. Then, his daughter leaves him and takes his money. Next, when he demands for what is to be his, he is riddiculed and stripped of everything including his religion. Although he was malicious in demanding a pound of flesh, it was Antonio's own fault for agreeing for such a deal. Antonio tried to take advantage of Shylock.
ReplyDeleteAl Pacino's presence in this film had me locked from the beginning. Al did a suburb job at expressing his emotions. The hatred that existed between the different religions really built up this story. One thing that we continue to see and continues to bug me is how women are dressing up not as themselves. I don't feel that it's always necessary to take things that far, no matter what is trying to be portrayed. My favorite seen was where Shylock is talking about receiving a pound of flesh. The women also in my view portrayed women of the 15th century very well.
ReplyDeleteMerchant of Venice is a great Shakespeare play that i had never herd about. The story was interesting especially how everything came together in the end. In was a few intertwining story's that all had one ending. The one thing I didn't like was that it was hard to get everything while watching this movie. But all in all great movie and love Al Pacino.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a great movie. I had never heard of the play until I watched the movie in class. I enjoyed Al Pacino because he is one of my favorite actors as it is. It was a little bit hard to understand right away so I watched it again at home. When I watched it again alot of things I didn't understand came together and the ending made more sense.
ReplyDeleteAl Pacino is one of the greatest actors of all time and I was eager to see him in a Shakespeare play. The only thing I was disappointed about was the fact that he was not used enough in the movie. I thought he did a great job evoking emotions in the movie. I felt both hatred and sympathy for him the entire time.
ReplyDeleteAl Pacino is one of my favorite actors and i felt like he did a sensational job in this Shakespeare play. He did a great job in the end of the play when he was demanding for his pound of skin, he defiantly convinced me through his emotions and allowed me to to get sucked into the movie.
ReplyDeleteThe Merchant of Venice is one of my favorite Shakepeare films. I love how modern the storyline is and the different ways that directors handle to delicate situation. And I must say that Pacino is one of my favorite casted in a Shakespeare film. Amazing performance.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this movie. Not only was the story amazing but the acting was phenomenal. the way each character was transformed by the actor was amazing. I really enjoyed watching this in class.
ReplyDeleteThis movie covered some pretty deep issues. It was hard to watch how the Jews were being treated and I think they portrayed that really well. Also, the deep friendships in this movie were touching, It shows how much best friends will do for each other, and also how far people will go for love. Al Pacino was a great choice for playing Shylock and he made me feel sorry him in the movie. All he wanted was to follow the religion and be with his daughter.
ReplyDeleteThis play is considered a comedy but I didn't feel that a majority of it was funny. There were many deep issues included in the movie. Casting Al Pacino as Shylock was definitely a good choice though. He was very convincing and made me feel sorry for Shylock.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was an interesting plot that Portia and Nerissa came up with to trick their husbands. They knew everything they needed to know to go undercover.
This movie was by far the most entertaining one that we have watched this semester. Al Pacino was a perfect actor to cast as Shylock, he alone brought the movie from good to great. I also feel like this story is very deep and rich compared to other work by Shakespeare. I found myself enthralled in the story.
ReplyDeleteMan how do i begin to show how an amazing plot this play has... I guess i can just say that alpacinno had his hand full. I really felt bad for Shylock and how everything he was trying to do was just based on a lie(that his daughter was a slut and that she gave away that ring). If i was a father in his place i would want the same as him, if i was a jew at that time i could not imagine the hardship they went through. I get the whole Vengeance thing, i guess there is a reason why it is such a tragedy, but i was hoping the whole time for a happier ending. Things don't always go as planned though.
ReplyDeleteMerchant of Venice was definitely one of the most interesting movies that we've watched. The portrayel of the Jews in those times was extremely accurate and Al Pacino was simply amazing. He represents one of those characters that will never give up no matter what the odds are against him. He pursued what was rightfully his (the pound of flesh) and would not deny what was his until he was given an ultimatum. To be honest, I was on his side the entire time of the film. He went through the most pain and ended up with the short end of the stick, which was the ultimate portrayel of how the Jews were treated.
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely one of my favorite movies. I thought the actors played their roles really well and the film depicted the feud between religions really well. It was packed full of drama and suspense that made it even more interesting to watch. The father daughter relationship between Al Pacino's character and his daughter was heartbreaking at some points. Overall the movie was one of my favorites and made the play a lot easier to understand.
ReplyDeleteIts hard to view this film as a comedy. Although the bantar amongst Bassanio and Gratiano with Portia and Nerissa is humorous, and the situation amongst them is comical, the rest of the film is quite depressing. The Shylock's spite did get the best of him, but the manner in which it happened was less than funny.
ReplyDeleteBefore watching the Merchant of Venice, i had never heard about the play before. I believe this is one of the reasons such strong actors were cast in the movie, such as Al Pacino. This not only brought great acting to the movie, but big name actors to attract crowds that maybe have never heard of The Merchant of Venice before it was transformed into a movie.
ReplyDeleteI found this play to be offensive when i first read through it due to its anti-Semitic material. However, this is set in a time when anti-Semitism was at its height, and I believe that the patently offensive material was handled well in this film. Pacino was able to portray Shylock as a very strong character, and I believe that helped the cause.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that antisemitism was rampant throughout Europe during this time period, Shylock's demise almost needed to occur. As the villain of the story, he was bound to loose. While we are unable to know exactly what Shakespeare was thinking, Michael Radford's version can be see as commentary on how Jews are vilified, and despite the hardships experienced by Shylock and Jews in general, they still came out on the bottom, because of who they are.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was interesting, I was expecting a comedy because thats the classification it is given but it turned out to be quite tragic what happens to Shylock. I was surprised on how well they dealt with anti semitism in the film because it is a very touchy subject today
ReplyDeleteAl Pacino was amazing in this film. he really caught my attention and his emotions really jumed out of the screen. you could really feel the hurt that Jewish people felt in that time. while Portia and Nerissa were hidden as judges, i felt awkward for Portia when she saw the relationship between her husband and his so called friend. the connection between them really made me wonder if they were actually lovers
ReplyDeleteSara-
ReplyDeleteI read this play in high school and have seen the film before. It is a very powerful story. Al Pacino plays the character of Shylock beautifully. He really captures the characters intense emotions during the film. I know that this play is a comedy, but I always find it terribly depressing. Shylock, who I view as the victim of racism, is the villain of the story. And everyone that persecutes him is seen as the hero or protagonist.
As you like it reminded me a lot of other Shakespeare works. It especially reminded me of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream for multiple reasons. One of these reasons is the forest setting. This is a very simple reason but it certianly played into the flashback to A Midsummer Night's Dream. And then again, in the last scene we see an incredible similarity between the two stories. There is a group marriage. At the end of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, we see the whole play work itself out with a group marriage. The tangled love triangle is solved and all ends well. The same goes for As You Like It, There is a massive group marriage scene to end the final act. I enjoyed seeinf Al Pachino in this film.
ReplyDeleteI believe this movie was done pretty good. Al Pacino did an excellent job as Shylock. This play covered all the genres, from being a comedy, to a tragic ending for Shylock
ReplyDeleteThis film is very interesting in the sense that it has two very important elements to it men seeking true love and a man seeking revenge, retribution, and justice it was bizarre to see how a film could hold some many elements in it and how this film ended sort of with a comedic element was bizarre
ReplyDeleteIn a generally sad movie in which there is clear antisemitism it was hard to see the humor. While women deceiving their men was meant to be a humorous scene it was so overshadowed by Shylock's public humiliation that it failed to gather any humor. Keeping in mind who Shylock supposedly was before the film starts you can't help but feel bad for the man. It was almost heart breaking to see the man outside the church at the end of the movie so clearly dejected.
ReplyDeletethis was my favorite movie of the semester. i found the film very enjoyable despite its length. i found the story itself to be intriguing and captivating. Al Pacino is one of my favorite actors and did a fantastic job portraying shylock, especially in that despite his malice throughout majority of the story line, his performance gets pity from the viewer. i dont think you could find a better actor to portray revenge
ReplyDeleteI liked this movie a lot, I liked the romantic stories of each character and games played. Also how the women were able to trick the men and everyone I believe got what they deserved and there was a good message to each chest.
ReplyDeleteAl Pacino did an amazing job and portraying Shylock in this film. The intense arguments and overwhelming desire to find and be loved was very well portrayed in this film. It really showed the man's desire to be the alpha male and gain what he wants. I think they handled the sensitive issue of him being a jew quite well and over all I loved the movie.
ReplyDeleteThis film was definately on of my favorite protrayal of shakespeares famous play. The acting by Al Pacino as Shylock was spot on in the mistreatment of Jews back in their time. The way they were treated was completely unacceptable and I felt their pain just watching the film. The story of a bueatiful women marry her man from a locket was also a fun and interesting twist.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the relationships of this film. Each one brought their own spin the film and I enjoyed watching them. The best aspect of this film was deception. It brought what was needed to the film for it to be exciting and fun.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite Shakespeare films. It was beautifully acted and relevant tour times today. I loved how the end scene showed Antonio left alone by all the couples, then transitioned to Shylock being locked out of the Jewish ghetto. Both men ended up in the same place- it didn't matter that one was Jewish and the other Italian. These characters hated each other, yet they were much more alike than they realized. When it came down to it they were both lonely human beings.
ReplyDeleteIn Michael Raford’s film Merchant of Venice reproduced in 2004, created Shakespeare’s idea’s in his play in a great way with the acting and scene play. Radford pick a great cast to recreate the film with well know actors such as Al Pachino playing Shylock, and Jeremy Iron’s playing who I hadn’t seen in any other plays Antonio. The mixer of actors benefited the film, making it interesting for the audience to see faces they knew and faces they didn’t know
ReplyDeletei think this is my favorite Shakespeare movie i have seen. The language i found very understandable and the acting,set and plot all seemed like a modern cinematic production. Kudos to Radford
ReplyDeleteShylock was a very interesting character to me. He was the hated person in the play and no one seemed to feel any pity for him. I on the other hand felt terrible for him. He deserved to seek revenge. He had been bullied and taken advantage of throughout the entire play. Antonio showed no respect for him. I feel any person put through that much torture would want revenge that they rightfully deserve. Antonio agreed to give a pound of flesh if he could not play. Shylock was simply asking for what was owed, and seeking revenge at the same time.
ReplyDeleteL.
Very intriguing film. I felt Redford preserved the mechanics of the plot, but also offered the audience heroes who are as flawed as the nominal villains, if not more so!
ReplyDeleteBrigg
What i thought made Redford stand out as a film director for a Shakespeare play was the fact that anybody could watch this film if they were a fan of Shakespeare or not because of the backstory he created before the film. It introduced all the characters and showed their relationship status so one was never confused through out the film.
ReplyDeleteThe highlight of the film was al pacino's acting as the main character of shylock. he did a superb job and stuck to his role completely. the portrayal of how the jews were treated really showed his true in depth character. he did an excellent job.
ReplyDeleteThe Merchant of Venice was a great story of a truly amazing character, Shylock played by Al Pacino showed how dynamic of a character he really was in this story. He played the role of a blood thirsty Jewish man as well as playing the role of a mistreatment minority that is simply trying to take revenge against the wrong doing that has been done to him.
ReplyDeleteThe Merchant of Venice which stared Al Pacino as Shylock was a very interesting film and he played a great part in this film. The portrayal of the treatment of the jews really showed his depth as an actor and character
ReplyDeleteThis 2004 version of The Merchant of Venice was a great way to show a Shakespearean inspired film that shows the villain, Al Pacino as Shylock, as not just a manipulative character but also showed signs of being a victim. He was cast from everything he had loved and known into a new life all because of a crooked bet gone wrong. However, this is just a single reason why this was a great film with too many other reasons to list.
ReplyDeletethis film was one of my favorites because i liked how well it followed the play and all of its scenes. i felt Al Pacino was a good shylock, i have only seen him in the god father and this was a much different role, but he played it very well. it is strange to see how the jewish people were treated back then, compared to today.
ReplyDelete- slightlystoopid
I really enjoyed this movie because Shakespeare finally made a heroine. I liked how even though he made the distinction that women were not equal at the time because Portia's father could decide who she married even in death, he still made a strong female character.
ReplyDeleteGoing into this movie i had no expectations but by the end this movie really moved me and had me feeling sorry for the characters. For example, in the courthouse, one would have thought that Shylock would have gained his way because he had a contract that was broken which meant consequences for the opponent. But for some odd reason the judge turned on Shylock and completely changed the outcome of it all. Going into court Shylock wanted is agreement of a pound of flesh if his loan was not paid. But instead the judge ruled that SHylock was wrong and he would have to give up much of his possession and become christian. I thought this was very harsh and unreasonable.
ReplyDeleteShakespeare does a great job of playing with our emotions in this play. He has us feeling back for Shylock for the way he is being treated, but we also feel back for Antonio, because he was just trying to help his friend Bassanio.
ReplyDeleteThe quick turn of events in the courtroom were unexpected. Shylock was in power for a short time before he ended up losing his religion and half of his worth. Interesting twist, Shakespeare.
JR
When I think of a comedy I think of slap stick humor like a modern day comedy like “Superbad”. I now understand what a Shakespearian comedy is after this movie. It consist of a for the most part a happy ending, no one dying or less of it, a few witty scenes, and usually a love story. Although this kind of comedy always catches me off guard, I can now really appreciate it for what it is.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this film, i like how decieving it was and how the characters were very unexpected in there actions. I thought this was supposed to be a comedy but there were parts in the film that were very emotional and moving.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great movie. There was comedy, love, hate, and everything in between. There was deception and heroism. I think the fact that Portia would disguise herself to help her husband was funny, and then to give him a hard time about the ring even though she knew why he gave it up. People were willing to give up many things for the ones they loved in this movie.
ReplyDeleteI think it was a very interesting movie
A Merchant of Venice uses a mix of themes throughout the story, making for a versatile film. Al Pacino as Shylock was a great addition in my opinion considering he is a well known and loved actor. The vibe of the film is comedic but also adds a twist of love and hate to make it more passionate and create tension among the characters that is seen in William Shakespeare's play.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was a wonderful version of this play. I have to agree with everyone that Al Pacino played his character Shylock wonderfully and i believe that the acting is what really made this film. This is the type of play where the characters emotion is everything and this film captured that for me which made this story really come to life and become a lot more interesting than just reading it because you could see their pain.
ReplyDeleteThe Merchant of Venice is definitely my favorite film we have watched so far. It was intense in many ways, and Al Pacino as Shylock was superb (as always)! I had heard of this play before, but never knew exactly what it was about, and this movie was an exciting way to find out. Even though there are criticisms about the story being anti-semitic, I thought the script was very well written, especially Shylock's speech about Jews being just human too. With romance, friendships, conflict and revenge, The Merchant of Venice was overall a great movie.
ReplyDeleteThe merchant of Venice is a movie that is the typical Shakespeare film that follows the correct time line of 1596, and Radford did a great job by placing the time set in 1596 since the play was written between 1596 and 1598. I didn't think that the movie was really a comedy and saw it more as a tragedy
ReplyDeleteI personally really enjoyed this film a lot. I found the film to be very very different from the rest of Shakespeare's stories. I loved how Shakespeare gives women much more power in this play. For example, with the scene of Shylock, Antonio, Bassanio and the court, Portia who is Bassanio’s new bride, decides to help Antonio and her husband by dressing up as lawyers to help save Antonio from Shylock who wants a pound of Antonio's flesh. If it was not for Portia Antonio would have died. It was great to see a woman figure save the day for once. Also I really enjoyed the happy ending that the film had. It was a very nice change.
ReplyDeleteThe merchant of Venice was a very good movie. I liked how the characters controlled the emotions of the film without the assistance of deep overwhelming music to tell the audience how to feel.
ReplyDeleteThe true love story that is told in the film, the Merchant of Venice, was so exciting and warming to watch. I thought that Al Pacino's role as Shylock was one of the best actor match-ups that I had seen in any of Shakespeare's films. I also liked how this film was not so "old", that it was set in a time frame that was directed more towards our generation. I thought that the revenge that was played out by Shylock was also a great kick to the film! What more a perfect character to play his rorle than Al Pacino!
ReplyDeleteI thought that Al Pacino played a great Shylock. You felt sort of sympathetic for him throughout the movie. The play was categorized to be more comedic but I felt that the play was more dramatic than anything. It seems that when Shakespeare’s plays are remade and changed, the movie or play can be great or make the play actually worse.
ReplyDeleteWhen I watched this film, it was apparent to me that Al Pacino was a fabulous actor. The way he played Shylock intrigued me and made me want to continue watching. The drama and comedy mixed together was very entertaining.
ReplyDeleteBassiano asked to borrow money from Antonio so that he could go and ask for his lover’s hand in marriage. Antonio invested all of his money in ships. He borrowed this money from Shylock. Antonio has been told by Shylock that he must pay him back in full within the next 3 months with interest. In the end there is a battle over the ships and who gets to have what, and when Shylock is going to be paid back. Out of all the Shakespeare movies we have watched this semester I think this by far has been the most recently made one. Watching more modernly made movies is what helps audiences of our age group understand them better.
ReplyDeleteBefore I watched "The Merchant of Venice," I was a bit skeptical because I had never heard it mentioned when discussing Shakespeare in any of my previous classes, but I was pleasantly surprised by the creative story line and the talented acting (Al Pacino). I thought it was creative of the film, and Shakespeare to make the villain (Shylock) also appear as a victim because of the way he was treated by Antonio, Bassanio, etc. Overall, I thought the plot was creative and I liked how the director helped audiences relate to the movie by modernizing it.
ReplyDelete-Jordan Williams
"The Merchant of Venice" is a pretty well done tale about injustice and what is right. Pacino plays a "villian", but he really isn't one at all. The film has some comedy, but the overall feeling was a drama with some sadness. The film shows that people need to disreguard their differences and treat everyone like they would treat themselves; settling debts with a mutual agreement.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very well done film of what honestly isn't one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. Shylock is obviously the most intriguing character througout the film due the the entanglement he gets in with Antonio. Shylock was holding onto a grudge that ended up giving him nothing in the end, and he becomes a character you love and hate at the same time.
ReplyDeleteAl Pacino was out of place, I couldn't wrap my head around him in one of Shakespeare's history plays. Other than that the movie was mediocre, it dragged on too long.
ReplyDeleteMP said...
ReplyDeleteI thought that this movie was a little racist towards the Jewish religion. I know that was how Shakespeare intended it to be, but I thought that it was offensive (and I am not Jewish). I did enjoy how Portia was so nervous with the first two suitors and prayed that they got the wrong chest. It grossed me out how one the suitors was super old and looked like he was about to die. If I were portia I would be so upset having to marry an old man! I thought it was really cool how Portia pretended to be the doctor during the trial. At first I thought that the person playing the doctor looked weird, but then I realized that it was Portia dressed up as a man!She did a good job convincing the crowd and even fooled her husband!
Al pacino did a good job a playing Shylock, and it was nice to see him play role that you normally would not tie him to.
ReplyDeleteI liked this version of the play because in the end it makes both parties appear to be at falt. Though there is much use of racial stereotyping, I feel that the director managed to present the play from a different perspective. I also enjoyed seeing Al Pacino as Shylock, it is always interesting to see actors performing different types of roles.
ReplyDeleteOut of all the plays this one was one of the easiest to understand. considering it had more modern day actors and was made more recent seemed to help me understand it. all the characters were casted very well and Al Pacino was a great Shylock.
ReplyDeleteAl Pacino's performance as the Shylock was a great performance. I did not think that he would be able to play a convincing Shylock, but he did a great job and I thought that his performance was one of the best we have seen this year.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of my favorite movies of the whole year. I really enjoyed the story line. It had some real comedic effects with the 2 possible candidates to marry lady Portia but in the end, Bassanio wins her over with his lucky intuition. I thought it was a pretty offensive movie to Jewish people but that's how things were at one point in time.
ReplyDeleteI felt that this movie was extremely intriguing. At one point in the film, I actually felt sorry for Shylock compared to the hatred you felt for him as well. I also really enjoyed Portia's character. I felt she represented brilliant woman especially during this time where women were not recognized for their intelligences.
ReplyDeleteOne character I paid close attention to in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice was Shylock, played in Michael Radford’s film by Al Pacino. Shylock’s character walking the tightrope of hero and villain throughout the entirety of the film. Shylock is a trivial character because he jumps back and forth between hero and villain so much throughout the plot. I found him one of Shakespeare’s most interesting characters yet.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Shakespeare gives us unmistakably human moments, but he often steers us against Shylock as well, painting him as a miserly, cruel, and mundane figure. Shylock’s largest fault was that he used his revenge for wrongdoings and used it stupidly.
ReplyDeleteI felt that Al Pacino as Shylock was a great actor choice. But You can’t call Shylocks acts anything but bloodthirsty. Although I still felt bad for him because of abuse that he is forced to endure from the Christians he is turned into a ruthless businessman
ReplyDeleteI loved Al Pacino as Shylock in this movie. I think that is a very hard role to play because of the way he is portayed in this movie as someone who is after the money and all, so to be able to play this role well is not an easy thing to do. Whenever he was on the screen i could not wait to see what he was going to say or do next. Very intriguing film
ReplyDeleteIt might have just been me but i thought this movie was pretty crazy. I thought it was crazy how this play was originally designed for the audience to be laughing at Shylock the whole time too.
ReplyDeleteThis film was a very warm and comfortable film to watch. It was very enjoyable and possibly could be one of my favorites. Like the rest of my classmates i really enjoyed the acting of Al Pacino playing the role of Shylock. It couldn't of been played any better
ReplyDeleteThe major struggle in this movie was Bassanio’s quest to marry Portia and his attempt to free Antonio from Shylock, so Bassanio is the likeliest candidate. I also agree with anthony on the role of Shylock, he kept the audience entertained and it was a enjoyable mysterious film.
ReplyDeleteThe character of Shylock is the most important in this film without him and his money nothing could get done in the first place. I felt bad for Shylock for getting put down basically the whole movie. He gets his money stolen by his daughter, the money he loans to doesn’t get paid back and he has all of the Christians messing with him because he is Jewish. Also, no one was nice to him at all up until they needed money and then there’s a change of heart. Additionally, I liked that Al Pacino played the role because he is a great actor in many films today and it is a pleasant relief to see actors I’m familiar with doing Shakespeare
ReplyDeleteThe Merchant of Venice, directed by Michael Radford was a moving film that turned into one of my favorite Shakespeare adaptations. I felt like my eyes were glued to the screen the entire time the movie was playing. Al Pacino did a great job acting as Shylock, and the rest of the crewmembers were equally as entertaining.
ReplyDeleteAll throughout the movie Shylock was the character most focused on. I could not help but feel sorry for him for what had happened in the court room. He got played. The actors casted for the movie were great. One of the better shakespeare films to watch out there.
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was going to be bloody and kind of gruesom as well. Instead, the scenes that I thought were going to contain gore and revenge ultimately contained some of the best wit and logic battles I've seen during a movie. Right when the viewer thought that Al Pacino was going to exact his revenge there would be a new twist that changed what might happen and who would be punished. I think throughout the movie the director did a great job of portraying this tension and intensity.
ReplyDeleteI was hoping that this movie would be really funny, at times it was, but I saw more sadness than comedy. Also there was a lot of negativity that was directed at the jewish people, although this might have been the intened point, some people might have taken offense to this.
ReplyDeleteI think Radford had to deal with a large amount of controversy because of some of the things this play dealt with.As Bashar says there was a lot of negativity directed towards Jewish people, I feel radford dealt with it the best way he could. The way he opened with a short explanation with the mindset of the time and the outlook people had, even though it was offensive, stereotypical and wrong. I feel that Radford nailed this issue by coming out and addressing it because it is definitely hard for the movie creator as blame could easily be mistakenly pointed at Radford for being accused of issues dealing with ethnicity and religious identity.
ReplyDeletethis movie it seems was not so much of a comedy although the central plot point was brought out in somewhat of a comedic fashion when shylock jokingly demanded that a pound of flesh would serve as the resolution to any debt owed to him. I found it interesting that shylock was at once the outsider and became essentially the the same as all those around him...not being wealthy and a christian. By the end of the movie he resembles his opposite number bassino more then himself at the beginning of the movie.
ReplyDelete-Jameson Lohnes
I felt that turning away from shylock the one getting mocked to the one getting pitied was a powerful choice and really gave the play much more depth. Good move and in modern times Shakespeare would have done the same.
ReplyDeleteI think this movie was good and was played out perfectly. The Merchant of Venice and the overall plot is real enjoyable easy to follow but i agree with Jessie that people cant go around taking pounds of flesh of people come on now. Money, or property maybe but that would not fly in any legal setting ever.
ReplyDeleteThis film does an excellent job of portraying Shylock as both a monster and a villain. I think Al Pacino did a good job playing this role. Radford made the film easy to follow yet very intriguing. I loved all of the scenery and costumes as well. The Merchant of Venice is probably one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteNicola Lore
I thought pacino was a great choice for shylock because shylock at the end of the movie was a bit out of his mind psychologically and no one plays a crazy person like pacino. Shylock was at the end of his wits when his daughter ran away from home, that was the only thing keeping him sane.
ReplyDeleteAl Pacino is perfect for movies based on Shakespeare. He was awesome in Richard III and plays Shylock perfectly in The Merchant of Venice. His performance when faced with the Duke, arguing for his bond to be honored is impeccable. One of the most enticing Shakespeare movies I have seen.
ReplyDeleteThis movie had a lot of powerful scenes that enveloped me into the story. My favorite scenes in this movie were all the times that suitors chose the three chests. The first two times were suspenseful to say the least. The final time where he won the princess was a breath of fresh air because all the others who tried would have been a horrible fit. In addition I didn't like shylock's character at all but I think that Al Pacino was fantastic at the end, so much suspense!
ReplyDeleteThe movie gave me a lot of mixed feelings. In the beginning I was disgusted with Antonio for spitting on Shylock, but when Shylock became crazy, I pitied Antonio. However in the end I ended up feeling sorry for both of them, because they didn't anything in the end.
ReplyDeleteThe girls being in disguise reminded me of "Twelfth Night". This time it was a surprise because the watcher was not informed ahead of time that the women would dress up as the judge and judge assistant; quite a surprise.
ReplyDeleteIn this film i feel al Pacino, the original scarface, did a great job. The scenes where he is pushing to get his money, I just fel there could be nobody better. watching an older Al Pacino collect his bail.
ReplyDeleteThis film was very well done with superb acting and incredible sets. Al Pacino made me both despise him and care about him, which is quite a feat! The girls being in disguise also reminded me of Twelfth Night, which made me realize just how much Shakespeare enjoyed the confusion brought on by disguise.
ReplyDeleteThis was a most riveting story of revenge and love. Al Pacino played his part as Shylock magnificently. By the end of the movie I felt disturbed when he wanted his bond, or pound of flesh, however, when he was unable to fulfill his revenge and after everything was taken from him I felt deeply unnerved because he had been wronged. The end of the story did not give me the same satisfaction, when thinking of Shylock. However, I loved the part in the end that showed his daughter with his ring.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this movie was one of the best ones yet. It was extremely interesting and thought-provoking. Shylock's character was one of the most intriguing characters. In the beginning, he is portrayed as innocent and the victim. But at the end of the film, he is portrayed as the villain and cold-hearted. He has made a loan to Antonio, who he makes out to be rude and inconsiderate. But when the time comes for Shylock to be repaid, he is overcome by revenge. We see a side of him that the audience does not expect. Although Shylock seems villainous in the end of the movie, he gives a few very enticing soliloquies.
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was extremely interesting and thought that it's worth watching it. This movie had a lot of powerful scenes that enveloped me into the story. My favorite scenes in this movie were all the three suitors chose the three chests and also when the girls went in disguise. shakespare made the stroy to where you'll have mix feelings.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how Shakespeare portrayed Jews in this movie. He isolated Jews through humor to separate them from the rest of society. I noticed that he also portrayed them to only value money and business over love and relationships. Christian merchants lent money with no interest, putting themselves at risk for their loved ones. Jewish merchants, on the other hand, dramatized their loss of money and wanted to kill the person to satisfy their loss. When Shylock cries out, “o my ducats, o my daughter, ” it seems as though he is just as upset over losing money as he was over losing his daughter.
ReplyDeleteI think this film was done great and I really enjoyed watching it. I have noticed that a lot of people don't really like Shylock or place him in the villan role so it is easy to dislike him. Honestly towards the end and even in the beginning I felt bad for Shylock. First he is treated differently only because he is wearing a red hat and claims Judaism. Then he looses his daughter; after that he seems to just be looking for some type of revenge or redemption. Shylock never gets it, in fact he gets punished even more by having to give up his religion. I don't know if I became sympathic towards Shylock because it was Al Pacino or because his character really showed me how much he was hurting. My favorite scene of Shylock is when he is talking about the difference between Jew's and Christian's and you find that the only thing really dividing them is the prayers etc. That everyone is still a man and has the right to live just like everyone else. This enlightened me, but I believe that Shylock's should have enlightened himself. If Shylock really heard what he was saying when it came time to cut the flesh off of Antonio he may have forgave him because he should have realized that he is the same man as him but just share different religions. I don't believe Shylock was an evil person, I believe revenge got the best of Shylock and he wasn't able to be himself and in body his religious views because of the distractions. Over all I don't think Shylock's punishment was just, because I think that eventually the guilt of the situation he was in would have caught up to him.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the film and reading gives you very mixed feelings. Its like you don't know who is exactly right and who is wrong. I think this is because the film brought sympathy to both parties and you could understand both sides. I liked that because usually in Shakespeare the villan is easier to find. Unless it was like King Richard were you almost wanted the villan to be more evil because it added to the story and the character. I also think its funny how everyone keeps mentioning Al Pacino's role in this compared to Scarface, I don't know if I see the connection, but he definitely is a very good actor.
ReplyDeleteI agree with ffike, the fact that Al Pacino played Scarface seems to be irrelevant to the discussion of the Merchant of Venice. I also agree that it is hard to choose sides, the film makes you sympathetic towards most characters. I find it interesting that Shakespeare uses religious tension and racism in this play as a driving factor for the problems in the play, its a topic that is always relevant in any time period.
ReplyDeleteHEYhay
ReplyDeleteThe portrayal of Shylock by Al Pacino was interesting though his unfounded anger against Antonio seemed overplayed. Although Antonio spat upon him in the beginning scene, I did not understand where Shylock believed that he was justified to cut a pound of flesh. Many chapters in the Torah attest that murderers surely go to hell. IF Shylock was honestly a true believer he would spare his foe. On the other hand, Antonio who portrayed himself as a devout Christian could have also found wisdom in the testaments. He shouldn't have entered into a deal with his enemy if he wasn't willing to suffer the consequences of default. The Christians of this movie were shocking. Jesus was a man that abandoned all of his worldly possessions and died a horrific death to pay a debt to society. In my opinion, Antonio should have died.
Movie reflects the best scenario of ancient community, how Christians used to discriminate other religion, how minority group in the community suffering. The movie also has a great sympathy to the villain because the villain has been suffered from the discrimination of minority religion. This kind of taste is rarely found in the modern movies. The movie have taste of comedy, romance, I mean this movie is mixture of everything.
ReplyDeleteI think that Antonio valued his friendship with Bassanio a lot more than Bassanio valued their friendship. Antonio put his life at risk for the sake of Bassanio. He did not benefit from making the deal with Shylock.
ReplyDeleteI think this play illustrates the conflict between Christianity and other religions, especially Judaism, quite well. Shakespeare portrays shylock as a merciless villan, while the other characters, the Christians, are of course merciful. It seemed to me that Shakespeare might have not fully believed in this, and this is why I have the urge to pity Shylock and even grow a liking for him. A man of Shakespeare's intelligence, I feel would have been able to notice the similarities between the two religions, and maybe this is why he gives the dastardly jewish villan a little more focus and depth than you would your normal villan.
ReplyDeleteI think the movie is little off the title, may be I could not get everything that movie is trying to deliver. The title character, The Merchant, does not seem to have strong position in the movie. He is trying to help his "very close friend" but not clear the closeness of friendship. His friend gets marriage with a girl not with the merchant, Antonio. on the other hand, he is not success in his business either. he is broke, and begging money from shylock, jeopardize his life. Its hard for me to see the title character with strong position, rather, Shylock seems to have strong position in the movie. He has money and hence power to change other people's life. even though, in the beginning, he was suffering from racial discrimination, but later in the movie there are no any sign of discrimination. so, I got a hard time to figure it out whose position is strong in the movie.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this movie and thought that Shylock was fabulously played by Al Pacino. It was interesting that the character who was pitied in the beginning of the film later became the villain and was portrayed by Radford as somewhat monstrous. Shakespeare might have wanted to show that many people who dealt with injustice in his time felt discrimination before people understood it drove themselves insane. The build up of resent towards people who wronged Shylock was revealed when he insisted on cutting a pound of flesh off of Antonio. This scene's intensity exemplified how the play seemed much too serious to be a comedy. The film showed the concept of how negatively some people were treated and what might happen as a result.
ReplyDeleteThe movie displayed great controversies and imbalances that existed throughout history. The treatment of the Jews during that era of enforced Christianity was quite discriminating. Al Pacino was the perfect man for the job, playing the Jewish money-lender named Shylock. The film hinted at his soon to be partial insanity as well as isolation and betrayal from the Christian rulers. Once his daughter was gone he acted as though it was 'him against the world.' In aiming to obtain the true prize of a pound of Antonio's flesh, the "lawyer" threw in a great twist for Shylock. Seemingly he, even though actually it was a she in disguise, said that he may claim his flesh however if he drops any Christian blood, he will be greatly punished. The directors implemented great pity among the audience once everything Shylock stood for and loved was gone. His daughter gone, stealing his valuables; and now even justice itself has been taking from him. He leaves the film alone, and predictably insane.
ReplyDeleteThis film was one of my favorites that we watched in this class. What I found most interesting is the way the women of this film were portrayed. In Shakespeare’s other plays, women typically obey the men and show great respect for them, however, in this film, Portia and Nerissa are still respectful of their husbands, but they exhibit a certain stubbornness when they disguise themselves as lawyers during Shylocks case. The fact that Bassanio and Gratiano go out to sea and expect their women to stay at home waiting for them, when instead the women trick them men and help save Antonio just shows how different Portia and Nerissa are from Shakespeare’s other female characters. Another example of a headstrong women in this movie is Shylocks daughter, Jessica. Women were expected to obey their husbands and fathers, but Jessica abandons her father to run away with her lover and steals her father’s wealth. This movie surprised me with its unexpected roles for the female characters.
ReplyDeleteThis movie is strange because i dont know who to be sad for i feel bad for all the members of the play. you also see the greed of man kind in this play and how it comes out in a human being. You also see so much vengeance through out the play with the Jew which he eveuntly losses and losses a=half of his stuff and his daughter and his religion. that is the last that u see of the jew in the movie and it it a very moving seen
ReplyDeleteThis play is a very complex play with a lot of things going on that make it one of Shakespeare's complex plays. Shylock, I should have feel bad for him because he lost everything that he cares in his life, but at the same time, he deserves it because he got insane about the pound of flesh. At the court scene, Shylock just kept on focusing on vengeance that he couldn't think straight.
ReplyDeleteThis play was quite interesting. I really began to feel bad for Shylock and how he loses everything in his life. He also becomes obsessed with this pound of flesh idea that he also loses his sanity. Even though everyone leaves the film happy, this character loses everything in the end and is left to be alone which was actually depressing.
ReplyDeleteI found this play to be disjointed, largely because of its direction. Though Shylocke is a well rounded older villain character, as Professor O'Brien pointed out, he is still something of the greedy hoarding father archetype. The amount of weight he is given unmakes the amount of comedy which lies in other parts of the play. I wasn't wild about the acting in this performance, either. I didn't find any of it particularly compelling. Al Pacino was gripping during some parts, but I felt he was largely just Al Pacino speaking in verse. All in all, the movie was taken in too dark a direction to allow the comedy to read and make sense, and for the young lovers to really blossom into the sort of comedic revelry the plays demands they end with.
ReplyDeleteI left this movie feeling very sad. Although he was greedy and materialistic, I felt bad for Shylock, who lost absolutely everything. This movie did a good job at revealing the bad in everyone.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was very interesting! I feel like this movie shows you to not be to greedy with your wishes. The whole scene with Shylock in the courthouse was my favorite part of the movie because this shows you to be completely persist in what your agreement is. Shylock lost everything in the courthouse because of his greediness. Shylock had his full paid load sitting right in front of him but he still wanted that pound of human flesh. With Shylock's greediness it ended up in him leaving the courthouse with nothing but the clothes on his back and the shoes he was walking on. This was a movie to show you how life can sometimes pan out in not the way that your legal document reads.
ReplyDeleteI think this movie was very interesting. I don't think it was very fair though. Shylock had every right to demand his fair share. I think that Anthony should have had to pay his debt. He was racist and treated Shylock with no respect and Shylock never did anything. Now that Anthony needs Shylocks help the tables have changed and I believe Shylock was treated unfairly
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a pretty interesting movie but overall it was pretty boring. Out of all the characters I felt the worst for Shylock. Living in a time of complete religious prejudice, he displays a character who has lost everything. In an attempt to get back at those who have wronged him the viewer get a first hand look at what jealousy will get you.
ReplyDeleteThe film portrays many different types of scenes reflecting sadness, comedy, and injustice. I was pretty surprised by the comedy in the film since it is Shakespeare that wrote it and I feel after seeing a lot of his films he usually doesn’t have much comedy in his writing or other films.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting how his mood changed from sorrow to very happy. In the film, there were some pretty gruesome parts as well.
The merchant of venice i found very good and very politically accurate of the time it was set in. I did however find the film strange with the key to the hearts of the women in the boxes didn't make any sense to me.
ReplyDeleteI liked the element of trickery shown in the trial by Portia and Nerissa. Although they were only women in this time of men leadership, they were able to be faithful to their husbands and support their cause in trying to help their friend, Antonio, avoid injury and death. It seemed like their plan was not going to work when Portia agreed with the legal documentation, which caused suspense. Then, when Portia came up with the idea that no blood must be shed there was a feeling of unexpected relief.
ReplyDeleteI thought this film was very easy to follow and had a concrete storyline that could be easy for anyone to follow. As for the acting I think Al Pacino did a great job as did the women who disguised themselves into men. It made me think back to the middle of the film and I liked it. I thought this film was a little to dark and weary.
ReplyDeleteRJack (CSUC)said...
ReplyDeleteOne of Shakespeare's masterpieces that I greatly enjoyed. I was intrigued by the great amount of symbolism and themes that Shakespeare put on display in this play. Michael Radford’s remake captured all of the crucial aspects of the play allowing The Merchant of Venice to keep all its essence. Radford couldn’t have picked a better cast to make this film. Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, and Lynn Collins all did an amazing job. However, I believe most would agree that Al Pacino stole the show with his outstanding performance as Shylock. Definitely one of my all time favorite Shakespearean films!
This film was amazing! The sets were spectacular, the chemistry between the actors was extremely believable, and the emotion/drama of each scene was so well portrayed that it made the whole story interesting and colorful. Al Pacino was fabulous as Shylock- he made me believe his vengeful intent and yet I felt compassion for him as well. Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes were also amazing in their roles, although in my opinion, the leading ladies just about out did them. The women were so sly and intelligent with their gender-switching that you cannot help but feel they thoroughly out-witted the men. A well done film from every aspect.
ReplyDeleteFelt like this movie really could captivate everyone with all the intense drama. Great mixing up of known actors and some new fresh faces. Also found the camera work to be magnificent. Another play done well!
ReplyDeleteI found the courtroom scene to drag on for way too long. I also don't understand why the two women had the desire to act as lawyers; they didn't seem to be yearning for the kind of freedom a man has during the film. I did think the acting was perfect.
ReplyDeleteThis film was really well rounded. I liked that it had many different aspects of a good film, dramam love,greed, betrayel, and a little lightheated comedy.Overall I enojed the film.
ReplyDeletePortia is without a doubt the greatest hypocrite of the play. She is able to pass judgement on Shylock who manages to take advantage of the bond he and Antonio made, after she blatantly told Shylock to be merciful. But when she guilt trips Bassanio into giving her his ring, she refuses to give him mercy.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised how antisemitic “Merchant of Venice” was. The film makes the Jewish people out to be deceitful, greedy, and evil. They were spit on in the market place and accused of unfair percentage rates on loans, today that's called business. Also depicted by when the Christians enter the Jewish ghetto they put on masks with long hooked noses with long bright red hair staging hideous caricature of Jewish people. In the end when shylock was tricked out of his deal by the Christian women and ended up making shylock convert to Christianity and loose all he had this was seen as a happy ending to the Christian people of the time for this character because now the shylocks soul could be saved and he could enter heaven. wasn't so sure about the movie as a whole.
ReplyDeleteThe play definately kept me interested through out the whole film. Although there may have been some questionably offensive, this is what kept the audience pulled in. The dynamic of this movie overall was good. I enjoyed it mainly because of the actors and roles they played.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was kind of hard to follow but i liked it. I think the acting was great and the film was nicely done. The ending was a twist which was unexpected for me. Overall I liked it and it was a surprise to me that I kind of actually liked it.
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