Elements of
production play a large part in the interpretation of a text especially if the
audience have never come across the text before. As a class we have watched 2
versions of act 2 scene 4. One interpretation was Kenneth Branagh’s and the other involved Helen
Mirren.
Both of these interpretations were very different in
the way they presented characters and the way that parts of the scene were
portrayed. If this was presented in these films as it would have been in Shakespearean
times, all of the actors would have been males, some interpreting and playing
female characters, this has not been included in either of the versions, which
takes away an elements of the humour and witty banter which the Shakespearean
audience would have encountered.
The Kenneth Branagh’s interpretation of
the text shows a much more engaged cast, we as an audience have much more
interest in the characters as they appear very involved in their roles. The way
the characters are involved with their roles allows the audience to become more
engaged with the storyline. The Forest of Arden is also presented to look very
naturalistic, which I feel is how it would mostly be imagined to be for any
reader of the text.
The Helen Mirren version is much less engaging as the
actors do not seem as involved in their roles they merely seem to recite lines
in a very robotic manor, with no emotion added. This interpretation also shows
the Forest of Arden as more of a spiritual garden, which I feel does not seem
appropriate to the text.
Overall elements of production do have a large impact
on the interpretation of a text because they portray characters and setting in
very different ways and overall give an audience a chance to engage with the
plot, or not. If the audience cannot engage with the plot they are very
unlikely to understand or be interested in the text.
