Posted on 01/04/2005 9:54:48 AM PST by presidio9
Charges of anti-Semitism are standard fare when it comes to "The Merchant of Venice," but a new film adaptation of Shakespeare's play also raises another controversial question -- was the merchant gay?
An emotionally charged kiss between two men raises the issue of their sexual orientation, but even the actors who play them do not agree about what the kiss means.
The film, which opened nationally Wednesday, is based on Shakespeare's play about the merchant Antonio, whose friend Bassanio is deeply in debt and needs money to woo an heiress named Portia.
To help his friend, Antonio borrows money from the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who has been subjected to past prejudice and anti-Semitic insults from Antonio. In lieu of interest, Shylock, played by Al Pacino, demands a pound of Antonio's flesh if the loan is not repaid.
Despite a speech considered a classic plea for tolerance, "The Merchant of Venice" has long sparked charges of anti-Semitism for its unflattering portrait of Shylock. Director Michael Radford mitigates that characterization by portraying the indignities Jews faced in 16th-century Venice.
While quenching that fire, Radford fueled another.
Early in the film when Bassanio asks Antonio for the money, Radford has the two retire to Antonio's bedroom to talk. They discuss Bassanio's plans and Antonio agrees to help. Before he leaves, Bassanio delivers a kiss that is as passionate as any with Portia.
Fiennes: Language 'the key for me' Joseph Fiennes, who plays Bassanio, is comfortable with the kiss and the idea that the two men may be lovers.
"I would never invent something before doing my detective work in the text," he told Reuters. "If you look at the choice of language ... you'll read very sensuous language.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
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For the Elizabethans, the love between two men was the highest form of love that they could attain. This wasn't a gay love, they weren't full of homosexuals. It was a platonic love.
I'm sick of this nonsense. I hope this film goes the way of the recent film about "Alexander the Great".
Kisses are a local custom - different meanings in different areas.
In some men do not kiss women, but same sex kiss as respectful greetings.
They are not homosexual perverts like the left coast.
I left out a word ....
In some communities, men do not kiss women, but a same-sex kiss is viewed as respectful greetings.
It's probably a stretch. I've spent approximately 3 years living in Europe as an adult and it is not uncommon to see males or females exchange kisses on the cheeks. They also dance as couples in nightclubs. Just because they do doesn't mean they're gay. They do things over there as run of the mill which we don't see here as being commonplace. Also, the kiss as portrayed being passionate in this case is probably the director using poetic license. IMHO I believe it's much to do about nothing.
Shakespeare was not a gay advocate. He was sending up the unfortunate young actors who had to play roles like Portia.
Welcome back from the dead.
Plenty of overlap with these goals.
I'm not so sure about that. I can think of a number of plays where a leading character seems to have way too much fascination with young boys.
LOL!
If you listen to Follywood (or the media), half of the world was and always has been gay!
Was Dorian Gray secretly straight? OMG!
I'm NOT dead yet. I'm getting better...
A century from now people are going to view this "everyone and everything is gay" mania as a sign of mass mental instability. Shylock was a mean SOB, however much he was provoked, and Portia got her guy off with a bit of legal pettifoggery that wouldn't stand up in any but the 9th District Court of Appeals. Why Shakespeare named her after an automobile I just don't know...
But I saw parts of his Merchant of Venice and I was somewhat put off.
Plato was gay.
Hollywood once again inserting their own agenda and ruining yet another movie.
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