Post by Michael PendragonPost by Will DockeryPost by Michael PendragonPost by Will DockerySonnet #119
What potions have I drunk of Siren tears,
Distill'd from limbecks foul as hell within,
Applying fears to hopes and hopes to fears,
Still losing when I saw myself to win!
What wretched errors hath my heart committed,
Whilst it hath thought itself so blessed never!
How have mine eyes out of their spheres been fitted
In the distraction of this madding fever!
O benefit of ill! now I find true
That better is by evil still made better;
And ruin'd love, when it is built anew,
Grows fairer than at first, more strong, far greater.
So I return rebuked to my content
And gain by ill thrice more than I have spent.
-William Shakespeare
Well, this is a rather creepy one... more like something I'd expect from
Baudelaire or Rimbaud in a grim funk.
An enjoyable change of pace from the old Bard.
Shakespeare can be very dark (Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear), but I think this sonnet ends on an upbeat, redemptive note. The poet has erred, but through his errors come to realize the true worth of a good person's love (be it a lover/wife, self love/respect, God, or a combination of all three).
I first watched this one when I was about 16 or so. I last watched it about a year ago on youtube. I've probably seen it a half dozen times or so altogether.
I was fortunate enough to catch his Othello in its theatrical rerelease 20-ish years ago. Welles on the big screen is a glorious experience. Caught the reconstruction of "It's All True" on the big screen as well.
"Chimes at Midnight" is the ultimate Welles-Shakespeare film, though. I wasn't able to find a screening or vhs copy of it for many years, but one night on youtube, there it was. If it's still up, it's an absolute must see. Welles used scenes from 5 different Shakespeare plays to create the story of Falstaff (played, of course, by himself). He often cited it as his favorite of his films.
Haven't managed those yet, but in late 1980s & early 1990s collected almost all the basic classics, including, finally, the odd Mr. Arkadin.
Magnificent Ambersons, Touch of Evil (with a young and swarthy Charlton Heston, this one caused a bit of a stir in the Library when I found it. I got on the elevator with Kathy and said "I found Touch of Evil!" on VHS. A little old lady riding in the elevator kind of freaked out, thinking I was saying I /have/ the touch of evil, or something. I mean really, she ran to the security man and told him something... I was ready to show him the tape, and title, but nothing was said to me so I let it ride.) Citizen Kane, of course, at that time about the only video of Welles easily found on the shelves, The Stranger, Third Man, Lady From Shanghai, most of these taped off late night television from Ted Turner or AMC, a couple from local Libraries. Macbeth was from the Phenix City Library. Since I so often live on both sides of the river, I had cards for both Georgia and Alabama libraries back then. Never got the see The Trial, Chimes At Midnight or Othello, but will one of these days when they manifest at the right time. I found the DVD for "It's All True!" for like two bucks at Big Lots a while back, which was okay, but fragmented, unfinished, as we know.
All-time favorite Welles film must be Lady From Shanghai, with The Stranger, touch of Evil, Third Man falling in along there, Citizen Kane of course but I've watched it too often to know for sure, it got kind of overexposed. Magnificent Amebersons has too many rich, demanding PJR-Corey types to be really enjoyable... too much doom and gloom with no action.
Post by Michael PendragonPost by Will Dockeryhttp://youtu.be/Z1_I36qHDts
Michael, had a funny moment this morning watching "I Love Lucy" when the guest star on the episode shown turned out to be Orson Welles.
This was early 1950s Welles, got a bit chubby but still fit and still very much the "superstar" on the level of Lucy and Desi, and he was there to do a charity show with Desi... with a special request to have Lucy as his assistant for his magic act, a great episode that mixes the "real life" people with the actors playing characters on a sitcom.
Funny to see Lucy swoon while talking with Welles... that chick sure had some weird taste in men!
Hey, Orson Welles got his share of babes. Even when he was old and morbidly obese. Dolores Del Rio, Rita Hayworth,
Oh, Good Lord yes... the Lady From Shanghai!
He also had Agnes Moorehead, who may or may not have lived up to her name.
Later famous as Endora the Witch.
Post by Michael PendragonEartha Kitt, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Paola Mori, Oja Kodar, half the NYC Ballet ...
Post by Will DockeryBut yeah, that ending where Shakespeare dusts himself off and prepares to carry on is good, all in all sonnet #119 is one of his more successful ones, imo.
Definitely a cut above.