No such Thing as Tradition!

I remember very well the first time I went to a play with my parents. Everything was glorious and I was little. It was Molière’s The Miser. Last night, while McCarter Theater Center protected me from the heavy rainstorm, I was one of the many delighted audiences of another Molière’s play: Tartuffe [The Imposter].


What I really liked about the last night’s performance is Daniel Fish’s (the director) lively approach toward Tartuffe. Although the performances were not as engaging as they ought to be – too much hands and a lot of shouting didn't make this comedy funnier – Daniel Fish’s mise-en scene was brilliant and made up for the feeble moments of actors' performances. The use of Video recording and the museum like setting truly harmonized with Roger Plancchon’s claim as Janice Paran wrote on Tartuffe Unmasked: "When I decided to stage Tartuffe I studied all the previous productions. That’s when I realized that there is no such thing as tradition."

The legend says that Molière died on the stage. Well, he didn’t exactly die on the stage but collapsed during his last performance. He died couple of hours after the play had finished in the middle of a February, in 1673.


Recently Seen Movies :

Hot Fuzz (2007): a British action, comedy, crime and so on; I liked the first half and really didn’t enjoy the idea of the secret society. I am sure there are far better films about innocent looking villages where everyone is involved in a crime. B is my vote for Hot Fuzz.

Vertigo (1958): was a revisited movie. I have seen it two times before. I should admit that this time I liked it more. Yet it is not my favorite Hitchcock movie. I generally do not like to get involve in supernatural when it comes to crime. Vertigo is perhaps an exception in my book. Although at the end we get to the point of “No Supernatural Reasons” for the most part in Vertigo we are trapped in a sort of illusion that suits the title: Vertigo. Nicely done! And about Vertigo vs. Rope: I still enjoy the straight forwardness of the story in Rope. Why should I choose at all? James Stewart plays in both of them!
Mar Adentro or The Sea Inside (2004) a controversial story and indeed a very touching film. Directed by Alejandro Amenábar who also directed The Others in 2001. My vote is A+ :for its performances, for its courageous position on the controversial issue of euthanasia and for its simply smart narration. I am sorry that I didn’t catch it sooner. If you haven’t seen it yet, please put it on your Must-See-List.