One More Post about Twelfth Night~ A Comparison of Shakespeare vs. Nunn
Recently, I had watched the movie, Twelfth Night, or What You Will, directed by Trevor Nunn. Naturally, the movie presented similarities and differences in comparison to the original Shakespearean work; but I was pleased to see the differences between the play and the movie were surprisingly minimal.
Viola’s eagerness to serve Orsino as a male servant proved to be a similarity. In both works, Viola does not hesitate to bring up the idea of cross-dressing in order to become close to the duke. One would think she should have weighed her options or at least thought out her plan a little more. Another similarity was the trick played by Maria, Sir Toby, and company on Malvolio. Their desire to drink and party all night is also identical to Shakespeare’s work. Malvolio’s reading of the false letter to him is exactly on point to the text.
The differences start at the very beginning of the movie. The main characters’ entrances occur at different places. Whereas the text starts with Orsino’s famous line, “If music be the food of love, play on” (1.1.1) followed by the shipwreck scene, the Nunn version switches these two scenes, and even backs the time period up to the sea storm itself (*cough, cough* Tempest *cough*). The movie also makes use of Viola’s apparent musical ability by having her (as Cesario) play the piano for the languid Duke, as he rests on a chaise longue with his arm in a sling. In the movie, we also meet Olivia earlier than in the text. She is seen by Viola and her ship’s captain wearing all black, covered in a veil, walking either to or from her brother’s funeral.
One MAJOR difference happens when Feste sings a love song to Orsino and Cesario (in the text, Act II, Scene IV). There is absolutely no theater direction in the text during the song, but Nunn surprises us by drawing Orsino closer to Viola. Viola, bewitched by the music, leans up to Orsino’s lips, and very lightly kisses the side of his mouth. Orsino, in turn, does not reject “Cesario’s” advances, as he, too, is swayed by the hypnotic romance of the “food” that satiates his “appetite”. This shocker lasts a good five or six seconds before Feste abruptly stops his tune, taken aback by the scene before him.
I did have a few notes about the movie, itself, just to be picky. I did not expect Nunn’s Viola to use such a… chipmunk-like voice when acting as Cesario. I understand that Viola is a woman playing a man, but she could have disguised her voice better than that. Also, I imagined Olivia’s gentlewoman, Maria, to be younger or more attractive. This is probably because my eyes have been spoiled by the Hollywood impressions of hand maids in general. Shakespeare is no exception. It matters not, as Maria still ends up with her Sir Toby in the end, anyway.
The final difference I will stress upon is the dialogue change when Orsino learns that Viola is, indeed, a woman. Whereas in the text he continues to call her “Cesario” (“For so [she] shall be while [she] is a man”—5.1.386) Nunn’s Orsino fully acknowledges Viola for her true sex, declaring, “Let me see thee in thy woman’s weeds.” Personally, I believe the Nunn adaptation of that scene was better for the story, as it clears up some of the ambiguity of the love vs. gender ordeal. Certainly Nunn’s Viola, at least, can be rest-assured that she is loved for who she truly is.