STAGE BEAUTY
Starring:
-Billy Crudup
-Claire Danes
-Rupert Everett
Directed by: Richard Eyre
Screenplay Credits: Jeffrey Hatcher
MPAA Rating: R – sexual content and language
Claire Danes plays a female theatre dresser who longs to be onstage. During this time, however, women are forbidden to perform. The general view back then was that the scandalous scenes and stories portrayed onstage would damage a sensitive female’s psyche far beyond repair. Know why this was the general view? Because MEN ARE STUPID.
Stupider still, all female roles in those days were played by men. This movie is about one such actor. The premise is really neat here: what happens to these female impersonators when women are finally allowed to take the stage?
Years of training in the art of acting like a woman have confused poor Billy Crudup’s character to the point where he no longer knows who he is, or what gender he’s attracted to…
The movie builds to a dramatic, powerful rendition of Desdemona’s murder from OTHELLO, with Danes played Desdemona and Crudup (who used to play Desdemona) as Othello. This is an incredible scene anyway, but its passion is even more intense when in the hands of two dedicated actors.
I would eagerly recommend this gender bending theatre tale to anyone interested in the time period, theatre history, seeing the guy who played Uncle Vernon in that random Harry Potter movie play a flaming fop, or watching Billy Crudup kiss other men.
FINAL GRADE: A
Off in search of the handkerchief I so loved,
M.
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I think Claire Danes is really cute.
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