Controversial Shakespeare film ‘Anonymous’ opens Friday

Having had scholars up in arms and residents of William Shakespeare’s home town, Stratford-upon-Avon, cover his name on signs in protest, German director Roland Emmerich’s film, Anonymous, that questions the legitimacy of the famous English bard’s work, had its London Film Festival premiere in Leicester Square on Tuesday evening.

Emmerich, screenwriter John Orloff and stars of the film, including Rhys Ifans, Joely Richardson, David    Thewlis, Sebastian Armesto, Rafe Spall, Edward Hogg and Jamie Campbell Bower, all attended on the night, showing a wealth of support for the controversial film that has a strap line that states: ‘Was Shakespeare a Fraud?’

The film tackles the controversy that for centuries has intrigued thinkers: who actually wrote the body of work credited to William Shakespeare? The story suggests that the true writer was Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford (Ifans), who gives his works to playwright Ben Jonson (Armesto) to stage because his peerage would be under threat.

However, Shakespeare, who is portrayed as a scheming actor and illiterate charlatan in the film, takes credit at the last moment, resulting in all of de Vere’s later works, such as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet being penned under the name of ‘William Shakespeare’.

Meanwhile, the Cecil family have an iron grip on Queen Elizabeth I’s reign — played by real-life mother and daughter team, Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson, resulting in an upset to the rightful heir to the throne that is deeper and uglier than anyone could imagine.

Asked what his response was to the anger some feel towards his new film, Emmerich told Reuters Television that he was surprised by how big it was in England.

“I always thought there would be a strong reaction in England, but I would have never have thought that it would be that strong,” he said.

“In a way I welcome that because this is partly what I wanted to achieve with the film, to encourage this discussion and that people are talking about it, and in that way I actually feel quite good about it.”

Ifans, who plays the true aristocratic writer behind the great sonnets and plays in the film, was pleased that   the film had fuelled controversy and debate.

“There is no, absolutely no definitive answer as to who the author of these works are. All we’re doing is proposing a very valid and convincing candidate. I challenge any Stratfordian to come up with a better one,” he said.

Thewlis, who plays the devious, older William Cecil, the Queen’s council, also believes that the reaction from some scholars and people in the bard’s hometown was a little over the top, considering Anonymous is merely a film.

“You know, noboby’s saying this is absolutely true. It’s just a film. Nothing that Shakespeare wrote is  absolutely historically true, and I think people are getting far too upset — but it’s all very good for the film,” he smiled.

Richardson added to the debate, but then argued Anonymous was pro-Shakespeare.

“That’s the conversation I want to have: Is there a debate over the authorship — there is a genuine one that’s been going on for hundreds of years so, by great minds, some academics absolutely refuting it, whole societies believing it. So our film regardless is a celebration of Shakespeare’s works,” she said.

Spall who plays a scheming and illiterate version of the famous bard believes his role is goes further than that.

“To make the guy our story suggests [Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford] actually did write the plays look like more of a genius. So the dimmer and the thicker I am, the better it makes Rhys Ifans look, and if my role in life is only to make Rhys Ifans look better, I’ll be happy,” he laughs.

Campbell Bower, Caius in The Twilight Saga, plays the young Earl of Oxford who falls for Elizabeth (Richardson) in the film. He said Anonymous not only sparks debate, but educates.

“I’m proud that we can educate people, and proud to be, to have been educated by Roland and by John Orloff [writer] and by this piece. I just hope that people can take away that and really think about it, and just, I don’t know, even if you go home and just Google ‘Edward de Vere’ I  think that’s, we’ve done something, hopefully,” he said.

Anonymous opens in Toronto Friday.
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