Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Another new toy
Having had three read errors on our Samsung DVD player decided that the time had come to retire it. After all, not only did it generate read errors, it did not even have a USB port through which I could upload firmware updates; a regular antique. So, knowing more or less nothing about these devices, made some enquiries. Decided that Blue-ray was far too grand and expensive for our modest needs and mainly charity shop and/or older DVDs and that a basic Panasonic, matching the branch of the telly, was the way forward. From there all downhill. Establish that Argos do a suitable machine, halved in price down to £40 or thereabouts, presumably because no-one much was going to pay the full price for such an antique any more. Establish that the Argos at Leatherhead have one. Reserve it, and 15 minutes or so later we are in the establishment flashing the plastic at the cheerful young probationer whose lot is was to serve us. She just about kept her tongue out of her cheek as she suggested that we might like to add gold plated leads to our purchase at £20.
Got the thing home to find that not only did it come with USB port and plug but also with batteries for the remote. Things have moved on from the days when you had to faff around buying the batteries to drive expensive Christmas presents for the sprogs.
Decided that the thing to do was try out one of the read failures on the new machine, the Mel Gibson version of Hamlet. A version which I rather go for, despite my objections to Mr. Gibson, a person far too much into Jesus, blood, gore and pain for my taste. Not to mention stray remarks about Jews. Or perhaps not so stray. Read OK on this occasion.
Then moved onto the Kenneth Branagh version of the same play. A version which, once again I rather go for, despite the modernish setting and the fact that Mr. Branagh does not convince as a Hamlet in the way that Mr. Gibson does. He has fire and passion (rather too much in some scenes), but most of the time he comes across as a 20th century business man. A bit hard, not above playing a bit rough. Which is perhaps what he mainly is these days? But I do like the fact that it is a full text version. This spins out the running time to something which I could not cope with in a real theatre, let alone the Globe with its bus shelter seats. But at home, in the comfort of our arm chairs, the length is not a problem.
What came across in last night's viewing of the scenes up to the meeting with Fortinbras on his way to bashing the Polacks, was confirmation of my notion that Hamlet has had a bad press. He is not indecisive, rather he needs some evidence to go on. He is sufficiently modern not to put blind faith in a ghost and needs to build his case against his uncle; something more substantial than distaste for his hasty marriage with his mother. And it is not until we get to the play within the play that we have it. But after that his uncle is onto him and packs him off to England.
And then we had a new to me turning point, handily at the end of DVD 1 of 2, when Hamlet, observing Fortinbras off to wreak death and destruction over a mere patch of land, is brought to the sticking point over the murder of his far more important father. The point where he will stick at nothing. Which suddenly makes his murder of the relatively guiltless Guildenstern and Rozencrantz seem more reasonable. A turning point which only turns because of our exposure to the seeming irrelevant sub-plot about Fortinbras. Much of which is often cut.
All in all, getting near the time when the Samsung and the box of the Panasonic can be carried off to the waste transfer station.
# posted by Jim @ 2:36 AM 
