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Silvia Cribari, Eleonora Poli

Dr. Love

World Lit Honors

5 April 2021

Film Project Analytical Essay

Through the production of this short film, our team and actors were able to thoroughly

reflect on their characters, view them in a new light, and discover aspects of King Lear

previously unnoticed. Researching a scene to enact was perhaps the choice that we most

pondered upon. We all sought a scene that encaptured what we believe to be King Lear's central

themes while also granting a significant degree of interpretative freedom. The first scene of act

two seemed like a perfect choice to us all due to its broad depiction of characters, all of which

are complex personalities perfectly suited for the extent of analysis required. In addition, the

narrative component of this scene allowed plentiful outside filming, conceding a safer

environment amidst the pandemic. Another aspect of the scene that attracted us was the prevalent

theme of falseness and manipulation, for which we considered Arina, our Edmund, a satisfactory

performer. Edmund's subservient height in comparison to Edgar's, impersonated by Marina,

suggests the inferior moral righteousness that distinguishes him as the villain. Gloucester's

substantial height, on the other hand, emphasizes the ironic component of this character, since

the "noble Gloucester," who physically embodies the authority of his title, ultimately succumbs

to blindness and naivety.

Despite what we first believed, the pandemic did not stall nor compromise the quality of

the production. Instead, the team managed to transform this unfortunate situation into a
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beneficial stylistic aspect of the film, opening a pathway to a deeper exploration of events in Act

two Scene one. The entirety of this scene depicts the repercussions of Edmund's ruse,

highlighting how the interactions and events narrated are merely the consequence of the bastard's

manipulative nature. The choice of having actors wear black masks draws attention to this aspect

of the play since black is the color of mystery, power, evil, aggression, authority, and fear.

Furthermore, the masks' uniformity conceals and unfocuses the actors' faces, hinting at the

difficulty that Gloucester and other good-natured characters have in distinguishing those who are

good from evil. Lastly, the color black, also known as the most elegant and professional color,

adds refinement to the short film, contributing to its sophisticated look. Another occasion where

the importance of color amplifies our production's meaning is Regan and Cornwall's red

clothing. Red, the color of extremes, passion, and determination, denotes Regan's ambition for

power and her willingness to employ drastic measures to achieve her goal. The color also ties

Regan and Cornwall together, emphasizing their complicity in working towards the same

purpose and their relationship as consorts. Aside from Regan and Cornwall's clothing, even

Edgar's apparel plays a role in the play's interpretation. His simple clothes reflect his soul's

simplicity and place him in an apparently inferior position than other vile characters, such as

those mentioned above.

Merging modern aspects of the production with the original ambiance was a choice

partially linked to the pandemic circumstances. The masks' inevitable presence is a prerogative

that compromises a faithful representation to Shakespeare's pre-Christian setting. Starting with

masks, a series of changes and modifications to the text made our production a combination of

the modern and the antique. For instance, during the fight between the two half-brothers, the
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swords preserve the antiquity of the scenario, but both of the character’s attire dates the narration

in the 21st century. Although different from modern speech, the versatility of Shakespearean

English conveys the intensity of emotions such as anger and dismay in modern times. The

ambivalence and spontaneity of Shakespeare's language is the element that harmonizes the

divergent factors belonging to different eras. An ulterior attempt to evoke authenticity from

dialogue is when Edgar, attacked by Edmund, draws a fire poker in order to defend himself,

accentuating the impulsiveness of the scene's actions. Moreover, our film's venue, Casa Fleming,

is a historical building that preserves the magical atmosphere of past times while still granting

accessibility and practicality when recording. Satisfying practical necessities, our location offers

various indoor spaces that aided us in maintaining social distancing whenever possible.

The filming and editing process allowed the unveiling of the scene's aspects we perceived

as most significant. When shooting, our primary goal was to achieve a pluridimensional

representation through a dynamic succession of frames to overcome the dull look that a

student-made film could fall into. When depicting Edmund's interior monologue, the videotape

shifts from a colorful portrayal to black and white, highlighting how his words are unheard,

private thoughts willingly shared with the audience only. The protagonist's snap of fingers

alludes to his power in contorting, through manipulation, the other characters' lives as he does

with the color change in this fraction of the scene. The climax of Act two Scene one is when

Edmund inflicts a wound on his own flesh to increase the credibility of his deceitful words, and

therefore, our focus was making this a remarkable instance in the short film. We opted for an

unconventional representation of the action and filmed Edmund's shadow rather than the

character himself. This technique elevates the depiction's mystery since the audience better
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perceives the tension and suspense of the instant. The editing played a key role since it added

what we could not physically entail when filming. These additions include cuts in the scenes,

sound effects such as trumpets and steps, as well as the opening and closing soundtracks. In

Vivaldi's "La Stravaganza" (our closing track), the frenetic rhythm of the violin and the sound

precludes a sense of closure regarding the narrative events, portending the plot's continuation and

the surprising turn of events in following acts.

Bringing the characters to light implied a careful delineation of their character and

emotional traits. To ensure compliance with Covid-19 regulations and retain focus on the main

actors, our group opted to eliminate secondary characters such as servants and unnamed

attendants. While superbly snapping his fingers following his monologue, Edmund's joyful

expression represents his ability to deceive others, as well as the pleasure that pervades him in

doing so. The villain's repetitive attempt to victimize himself reveals his perverse nature and

inclination towards sadism. The constant display of his wounded arm to Gloucester reifies his

desperate seeking for fatherly approval and attention, in addition to his concealed, weak nature.

Meanwhile, Regan's pursuit of power and authority manifests itself through the distinctive

firmness of her tone. Balancing her strong figure, Cornwall's poised and more submissive

character serves as a means to assert the levels of dominance within the couple. He opposes

Regan's malice and egotistical ambitions while personifying empathy between the two. Thus,

Cornwall's thoughtful touch of Regan's shoulder, and her decision to rudely interrupt him,

illustrate the couple's dynamic and contrasting roles. Furthermore, another moment where

physical gestures convey facets of the characters' personalities lies in Edgar's susceptible
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behavior. His emphasized vulnerability towards the cold weather allegorically symbolizes the

impotence of his figure concerning his brother's mischievous intentions.

Witnessing the characters undertake a physical form led to major changes in our various

perspectives. The light in which we studied the characters shifted from scientific and analytical

to emotional and sympathetic, diverging from a scholastic scheme of knowledge, usually based

on theory. Their seemingly straightforward and simple emotions revealed complexity within all

characters whose natures may seem dull. For instance, Edmund is not as self-reliant as he

endeavors to appear, and exhibits a great sense of attachment to Gloucester due to his

internalized fear of abandonment and need for approval, which comprises his constant necessity

to attest his worthiness. Having to analyze the play from each character's perspective encouraged

us to deeply consider secondary figures as if they conducted a primary role in the unfolding of

events. This analysis elicited an extensive understanding of characters such as Curan, whose

purpose we better acknowledged when attempting to grasp the meaning in his actions. The

servant is reverent to his master, and simply focuses on transporting information rather than

contemplating its significance. This notion of dependence serves as a foil for Edmund's

reverence and hegemony among servants and trivial figures.

Overall, our team worked to the best of its ability, displaying great dedication and

achieving the best possible outcome. Our limited budget and our scarce expertise in editing,

filming, and acting were the toughest obstacles to overcome. Having access to advanced lighting

and sound equipment, as well as more cameras to include even more angles and shots, would

have allowed us to further elevate the quality of the filming, overcoming those small but

noticeable elements that curb the professionality of our project. This betterment would have also
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prevented difficulties in filmmaking, although the team could still circumnavigate these

aggravating circumstances, as it initially exemplified when adjusting to the pandemic factor.

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Roles

Arina Kalashnikova: Edmund

Karolina Skrastina: Curan & Costumes

Marina Krasovskaya: Edgar & Assistant director

Spencer Legresley: Gloucester

Silvia Cribari: Cornwall & Essay writer

Eleonora Poli: Regan & Essay writer

Helga Gradeci: Director

Simone Primo: Editing & Filming

Victoria Svetlova: Lighting & Costumes