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威尼斯之約
The Merchant of Venice
故事大綱
莎士比亞四大喜劇之一。
威尼斯之約安東尼奧（謝洛美艾朗斯飾）為了幫死黨巴薩尼奧（約瑟費恩斯飾）奪得美人歸，硬著頭皮向出名刻薄的猶太人夏洛克（阿爾柏仙奴飾）借錢。夏洛克向來討厭安東尼奧的傲慢態度，於是乘機開出駭人的「借錢還肉」條款──若然安東尼奧不在指定的還款期還清欠債，夏洛克就有權割走他身上一磅肉！
結果，死黨的女人追到手，安東尼奧卻在商場上連番損手，借據到期，卻無錢還債。夏洛克磨刀霍霍要割人肉，巴薩尼奧設法打救老友安東尼奧，卻想不到事情突變，峰迴路轉……
登場人物
阿爾柏仙奴飾夏洛克(Al Pacino as Shylock)
貴利王夏洛克，是搵錢專家，但身為猶太人，被迫住在猶太區，加上妻子早逝、亭亭玉立的女兒又想跟男人走，令他寂寞難奈…在仇人身上割一塊肉下來，或可洩一口氣。
柏仙奴說：「我慶幸自己終於夠老演這個角色！夏洛克因宗教、種族問題被壓迫，他覺得自己是受害者，恨不得反抗、報復，甚至乎做出超乎理性的行為…既然問題未得到解決，他索性割你一磅肉。」
謝洛美艾朗斯飾安東尼奧(Jeremy Irons as Antonio)
安東尼奧在威尼斯行商多年，無往而不利。可惜，他別無所愛，又有反猶太情緒，所以一點也不快樂…直至遇上了巴薩尼奧等一班年輕人，安東尼奧的人生才重現曙光。
艾朗斯說：「安東尼奧很痛錫巴薩尼奧，兩人發展出一段微妙的"親子"感情。即使要他為巴薩尼奧割肉償債，他也在所不辭。」
約瑟費恩斯飾巴薩尼奧(Joseph Fiennes as Bassanio)
生於貴族，活像流氓，巴薩尼奧一生人只懂吃喝玩樂。他利用安東尼奧的感情，把錢拿到手，再利用金錢將鮑西雅贏到手。不過，如其說他是壞人，倒不如說他最懂得享受人生。
約瑟：「巴薩尼奧與鮑西雅之間是一個愛情故事；他與安東尼奧之間是另一個愛情故事。這個三角關係發展下去，出人意表。」
蓮歌連絲飾鮑西雅(Lynn Collins as Portia)
活在這古老年代，鮑西雅跟其他女人一樣，要留守家中，不得招搖過市。她追求者眾，卻從不合眼緣，直至遇上了巴薩尼奧，才疊埋心水嫁人。
歌蓮絲說：「鮑西雅是莎翁作品中最聰明的女主角，她明白要做真正的女人，必須要有『少女的心，男人的強』。結果，她成功地把男人玩弄於股掌之間。」
基斯馬素飾葛萊西安諾(Kris Marshall as Gratiano)
他是巴薩尼奧最好的朋友，兩人一吃胡混，還一起追女仔。葛萊西安諾愛上的正是鮑西雅的女僕尼莉莎。
希花高頓賀殊飾尼莉莎(Heather Goldenhersh as Nerissa)
尼莉莎因家道中落，自小被收留在鮑西雅家裡，兩人雖屬主僕，但情如姊妹。尼莉莎最近邂逅了葛萊西安諾，兩人一見鍾情，打算馬上結婚。
製作花絮
由構思到開拍──阿爾柏仙奴撐起大局
【威尼斯之約】是莎士比亞四大喜劇之一，也是莎劇之中最具爭議性的作品。事實上，過去幾十年來，一直有不少知名大導打算把此劇拍成電影，可惜礙於故事及人物錯綜複雜、題材涉及宗教和種族問題，以及製作、場景、人手牽涉太多資金，結果都一一放棄，當中包括《大國民》(Citizen Kane)電影大師奧遜威爾斯(Orson Welles)也曾嘗試把【威尼斯之約】搬上銀幕，只是最後亦同樣被迫打消念頭。
直至2003年，《事先張揚的求愛事件》導演米高烈福(Michael Radford)在監製巴利尼維迪(Barry Navidi)和加利布洛裘(Cary Brokaw)的全力支持下，才毅然挑戰歷史，把【威尼斯之約】改編成電影。但資金、製作、選角等問題依然令人大傷腦筋。當時布洛裘正擔任由阿爾柏仙奴主演的電視劇《美國天使》，一次午飯時，他跟影帝提及《威尼斯之約》，想不到對方馬上大感興趣，還笑言自己夠老扮演夏洛克一角！後來柏仙奴看了烈福改編的劇本，更是愛不惜手，拍板主演本片。
有了超級影帝撐場，之後在找資金、找演員等工作上，都事半功倍。影片最後得到六大機構集資才足以應付龐大的製作費，並邀得謝洛美艾朗斯、約瑟費恩斯等巨星助陣。
由舞台到銀幕──全影像化、全現代化、踢走莎劇腔
【威尼斯之約】是莎劇之中，被搬上舞台次數最多的作品。雖然這故事的佈局精采絕倫，但因時代洗禮，莎劇之中的對白和語言難免令人望而卻步。導演烈福強調：「要把莎劇搬上銀幕，就要把它拍成一部真正的電影，追求更大的觀眾群。」所以，導演改編劇本時，索性大刀闊斧：只保留有需要的對白，且所有對白要除掉莎劇腔，改為現代日常對話；剪裁要濃縮，取代文學式敘事，改以影像及拍攝技巧如Close-up、剪接、配樂等來推進情節，交代人物的特徵和矛盾，凸顯人性的瑕疵、悲喜劇的色彩。
當正式拍攝時，演員都覺得這個方向十分正確，大家在演的是一齣情節緊湊、峰迴路轉的電影，而不是照辦煮碗重拍莎劇一次。而柏仙奴更感邀導演在拍攝前作了一個月的綵排，讓各演員更了解及投入自己的角色。
柏仙奴笑言：「好彩我以前沒有在舞台上演過夏洛克一角，令我不會依循某些籠統法則！」事實上，烈福亦從未導演過莎劇。想不到沒有莎翁的包袱，令他們更有創意，而影片的節奏則更快更明朗，更富娛樂性。
風格與氣氛──影像：油畫般美麗 人物：粗糙又性感
至今，改編自莎劇的電影，可謂多不勝數，有人把【Romeo & Juliet】拍成「後現代激情篇」，叫偶像里安勒度狄卡比奧來演，亦有像簡尼夫班納(Kenneth Branagh)一樣忠於傳統方式，拍攝《王子復仇記》(Hamlet)。而烈福今次則選擇了原著的背景──16世紀的威尼斯，但全片感覺卻以現代感先行，當中又以美術及服裝兩方面最考心思。
美術上，導演強調他的16世紀威尼斯：「臭氣沖天又污糟邋遢！我不明白為何其他人總把這時代拍得乾乾淨淨，其實那時候的人不太洗身，地方又臭又髒。我想這是因為當地天氣，以及他們常用水路所致，我希望拍出這感覺。」負責表現這種獨特美感的是攝影師賓諾戴爾康(Benoit Delhomme)。曾為越南導演陳英雄《三輪車伕》及台灣蔡明亮《你那邊幾點》任攝影的戴爾康，最愛挑戰難道，今回一反古裝片傳統，用了不少手搖鏡頭，帶出生動又緊湊的觀感。至於燈光，戴爾康更費煞思量，為每個鏡頭設計最美的光線。結果，影片出來後，畫面效果美如油畫，柏仙奴更讚嘆不已：「他像是把電影畫出來一樣！」因為每格菲林都像一幅名畫，美得動人。
服裝方面，由曾經擔任《帝國驕雄》(Gladiator)服裝設計師的森美舒爾(Sammy Sheldon)負責，她強調本片的戲服一定要型格十足：「當時英國的衣服很大，會配以大傘裙，但在威尼斯，服裝性感得多，用料亦柔軟，是文藝復興的時裝風格。」所以雪頓在物料上著手，像油畫中的衣服一樣，在燈光下物料的光位、顏色都會凸顯出來；另外，她亦應導演要求，故意加添骯髒感覺，加強真實感。
主題：最具爭議性的莎劇
對於【威尼斯之約】中猶太人的形象和遭遇，一直以來都被不少人指斥有反猶太人意識，就連柏仙奴也說：「我也一直覺得這劇有一點問題，就是其反猶太人意味，所以我對它敬而遠之…直至看清楚看深入一點，才明白這只是一個關於被迫害的人如何反擊壓迫者的故事，而這是會發生在任何人身上的故事。」
導演亦強調，雖然莎翁把人物清楚分為猶太人和基督徒，但他要談的並非宗教差異，而是充滿瑕疵的人類。他說：「很明顯，莎翁是寫有關種族歧視的故事，他並非種族歧視，此劇亦無此意，其實故事只想表現某一時代的某些真實文化。」
而事實上，莎翁是一個愛質疑權威、道德、規矩的人。相反地，他透過此劇要挑戰的是基督徒（安東尼奧、巴薩尼奧等）的「高尚」人格！此外還帶出嫉妒、偏見、女權向上等至今依然存在的問題，乃一個層次豐富的悲喜劇。
場景：威尼斯景致與特殊文化
雖然事前工作繁複、故事又多層次，但拍攝卻異常順利。特別是在威尼斯取景時，只要掛著導演米高烈福的名義，就通行無阻，皆因他十年前拍過一部大受歡迎的意大利片《事前張揚的求愛事件》！柏仙奴說：「烈福在意大利被捧為神一樣。」監製尼維迪說：「威尼斯市長跟導演說：『你想去里亞爾托橋(Railto Bridge)拍呀？！我把橋封六、七小時給你；你想去總督府(Doge Palace)拍呀？我們劃出一個拍攝區給你。』這是前所未有的厚待，市政府甚至乎為我們封閉了大運河 (Grand River)一段時間！」
對於演員，最高興的是可以親臨書中所寫的景點，去感受一下當時人物的心情。這個全多得威尼斯這個歷史城市，把十六世紀的面貌保留至今，實在難得。
不過，在片中出現的古老習俗──例如猶太人要住在「強制性猶太居住區」，出門時要戴紅帽；娼婦不准穿珍珠首飾、低級的要袒胸露乳證明自己是女人，高級的則要女扮男裝；男人做壞事時，會戴著面罩出街，以便行乞或召妓──等等，都已不再存在於這個美麗的水鄉。
頂級陣容
超級影帝 阿爾柏仙奴
世紀巨星阿爾柏仙奴(Al Pacino)，縱橫影壇三十多年，主演過數經典電影，包括《教父》全三集系列、《疤面煞星》(Scarface)、《黃金萬兩》(Dog Day Afternoon)、《衝突》(Serpico)、《情梟的黎明》(Carlito's Way)等等。他曾８度獲提名奧斯卡最佳男主角，其中憑《女人香》榮昇金像影帝。
柏仙奴其他大熱之作還包括《奪命煙幕》(Insider)、《盜火線》(Heat)、《追魂交易》(The Devil's Advocate)、《忠奸人》(Donnie Brasco)等等。現年65歲的他，依然寶刀未老，單是最近四年，便已完成了近十部作品，包括《致命人脈》(People I Know)、《白夜追兇》(Insomnia)、《虛擬索女郎》(Simone)、《驚天殺局》(The Recruit)等；2003年他憑電視連續劇《美國天使》(Angels in America)，與兩大影后梅麗史翠普及愛瑪湯遜擦出新火花，成為全城熱話。
柏仙奴於今明兩年會有《88 Minutes》、《For the Money》、《Torch》三片推出。
魅力之男 謝洛美艾朗斯
身高６呎２、翩翩君子風範，加上性感的英國口音…縱然謝洛美艾朗斯(Jeremy Irons)已年過五十，但他的魅力依然迷倒萬千影迷。
英國出生的艾朗斯在倫敦的舞台闖出名堂，他曾為皇家莎士比亞劇團(Royal Shakespeare Company)主演《李察二世》(Richard II)，其後在紐約百老匯與格蘭高絲(Glenn Close)合演的《The Real Thing》，更為他帶來東尼獎最佳男主角殊榮。
電影方面，艾朗斯亦主演過多部經典之作，包括與影后梅麗史翠普合演的《法國中尉的女人》(The French Lieutenant's Woman)、講激情忘年戀的《一樹梨花壓海棠》(Lolita)、叫他愛上女兒身尊龍的《蝴蝶君》(M Butterfly)。其他作品還有另類經典《孽扣》(Dead Ringers)、與鞏俐合作的《中國匣》(The Chinese Box)、《第六感之戀》(The House Of The Spirits)、《虎膽龍威第三集》(Die Hard With A Vengeance)、《盜美人》(Stealing Beauty)等。
2005年，艾朗斯完成了烈尼史葛執導的《Kingdom of Heaven》；今秋，會再赴威尼斯為《不一樣的天空》導演賴斯荷士莊的新作《Casanova》開工。
與莎翁有緣 約瑟費恩斯
出身自演藝之家的約瑟費恩斯(Joseph Fiennes)，與莎翁可說有不解之緣，除了多次在舞台上演出過莎劇之外，他更憑《寫我深情》中演繹莎士比亞一角而竄紅影圈，一時之間，風頭比哥哥賴夫費恩斯（Ralph Fienne/《別問我是誰》）更盛。
擁有豐富舞台經驗的約瑟，憑著精湛演技，在短短幾年之間，主演了《傳奇女王伊利莎伯》、《敵對邊緣》等叫口叫座之作，又被陳凱歌賞識，主演了情慾連場的《殺死你的溫柔》(Killing Me Softly)。
繼本片之後，約瑟將有五部新作推出，包括將於2005康城影展首映的《Man to Man》，以及《The Great Raid》、《Darwin Awards》、《Theresa Raquin》及《Running with Scissors》。
情場高手 蓮歌連絲
以高材生姿態，畢業於演藝界高等學府Julliard Schoo的蓮歌連絲(Lynn Collins)，一入行便擊敗眾多對手，贏得在紐約舞台上主演莎劇《王子復仇記》(Hamlet)的機會，之後亦在舞台上主演了另一莎翁經典《殉情記》(Romeo And Juliet)，擔演茱麗葉一角。
2003年，歌蓮絲初踏影壇，兩年間演出的多部人氣作品，全屬愛情喜劇，包括與伊雲麥葵格及雲妮絲穎嘉合演的《愛情唔上身》(Down With Love)、與茱芭莉摩亞合作的《每天愛妳第一次》(50 First Dates)，以及《女大13變》(13 Going On 30)；就連在本片中，她演的鮑西雅也是情場高手。
現年26歲的歌蓮絲今年將有《Searching for Sarah》及《Bronte》兩齣新作推出。
詩人大導 米高烈福
1994年，米高烈福(Michael Radford)以《事先張揚的求愛事件》風靡全球，西西里海邊的美景與男主角完成拍攝後的突然死訊，為觀眾留下既美麗又哀傷的回憶。影片成為美國當時最賣座的外語片之一，並榮獲奧斯卡最佳導演及最佳改編劇本兩項提名。
1946年出生於印度新德里的烈福，父親是英國人，母親是奧地利人。由於父親是英軍，他童年大部分時間都在中東度過；長大後，烈福回英國讀書，考進了牛津大學，其後考入英國電影學院，乃該院第一屆學生。1974年畢業後，他開始在BBC電視台工作，執導了一系列的紀錄片，其中《Another Time, Anther Place》一片更入圍康城影展，同時在全球贏得共15個電影大獎。
八十年代，烈福處於摸索期，他反思在電影上的路，在法國、意大利等地邊寫劇本邊拍廣告為生。後來，他與老朋友－－意大利演員馬士莫托伊斯(Massimo Troisi)──決定合作一部電影，結果誕生了《事先張揚的求愛事件》這齣近代愛情經典，影片亦成為第一部由英國人執導的意大利電影。可惜，電影完成後，托伊斯猝然病逝，未能分享影片成功的喜悅。
烈福其他作品包括：《型男索女》、《Dancing at the Blue Iguana》及《十分大師》(Ten Minutes Older)中的一段短片。
| 演員： | 阿爾柏仙奴 (Al Pacino) |
《致命人脈》(People I Know) 《奪命煙幕》(The Insider) 《女人香》(Scent of Woman) |
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| 謝洛美艾朗斯 (Jeremy Irons) |
《時光凶間》(The Time Machine) 《盜美人》(Stealing Beauty) 《一樹梨花壓海棠》(Lolita) |
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| 約瑟費恩斯 (Joseph Fiennes) |
《寫我深情》(Shakespeare In Love) 《傳奇女王伊利莎伯》(Elizabeth) 《敵對邊緣》(Enemy at the Gates) |
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| 蓮歌連絲 (Lynn Collins) |
《每天愛妳第一次》(50 First Dates) 《愛情唔上身》(Down With Love) |
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| 基斯馬素 (Kris Marshall) |
《真的戀愛了》(Love Actually) 《再戰豪情》(Four Feathers) |
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| 導演： | 米高烈福 (Michael Radford) |
《事先張揚的求愛事件》(Il Postino) 《型男索女》(B Monkey) |
| 上映日期： | 4月21日 | |
| 發行﹕ | 泛亞影業有限公司 | |
| 片長： | 133分鐘 | |
| 級別﹕ | IIB | |
| 院線﹕ | 嘉禾港威、嘉禾旺角、嘉禾荷里活、嘉禾青衣、UA時代廣場、UA金鐘、UA太古城、UA沙田、IFC、奧海城百老匯、AMC |
Movision Entertainment & Arclight Films
Present
In association with
UK Film Council
Film Fund Luxembourg
Delux Productions S.A.
Immagine E Cinema/Dania Film
Instituto Luce
A Cary Brokaw/Avenue Pictures
Navidi-Wilde Productions
Jason Piette-Michael Cowan/Spice Factory
Production
A Michael Radford film
Al Pacino
Jeremy Irons
Joseph Fiennes
Lynn Collins
William Shakespeare's
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
Introduction
November 23 2003: Nine weeks of principal photography commenced on location in Luxembourgh and Venice, Italy on director Michael Radford's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, which he adapted and scripted from William Shakespeare's classic play.
Set in 16th century Venice, Shakespeare's timeless comedy/drama follows the fates and fortunes of a group of Christian noblemen and their interactions with the Jewish moneylender Shylock. Antonio (Irons) borrows money from Shylock (Pacino) to help his young penniless friend Bassanio (Fiennes) in his quest to win the hand of the fair Portia (Collins). Bitter at Antonio's insults, Shylock stipulates very specific terms if he defaults on the loan. As Antonio's shipping business is devastated by storms, Shylock is further angered by his daughter's elopement with the nobleman Lorenzo (Cox). The loan falls due and Shylock claims his forfeit in the form of a pound of Antonio's flesh. As Bassanio desperately tries to save Antonio from this fate, miraculous help comes from an unexpected quarter.
Written and directed by Academy Award nominee and BAFTA winner Michael Radford (Il Postino, The Letters), THE MERCHANT OF VENICE attracted a high calibre cast headed by celebrated American actor AL PACINO in the role of Shylock. Considered one of the industry's most prestigious acting talents, PACINO has garnered countless awards for films as mesmerizing and diverse as the Godfather Trilogy, Scarface, Scent of a Woman, Insomnia and Heat.
He was joined in the cast by Academy Award winner JEREMY IRONS (Reversal of Fortune, Being Julia) as Antonio and JOSEPH FIENNES (Enemy at the Gate, Shakespeare in Love) as the lovestruck Bassanio. Starring alongside them are newcomers LYNN COLLINS (Down with Love, 50 First Dates) as Portia, KRIS MARSHALL (Love Actually, The Four Feathers) as Gratiano, HEATHER GOLDENHERSH (School of Rock, Nicholas Nickleby) as Nerissa and CHARLIE COX (You don't have to say you love me, Dot the I) as Lorenzo. JOHN SESSIONS (Gangs of New York, High Heels and Low Lifes), MACKENZIE CROOK (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Brothers Grimm) and ZULEIKHA ROBINSON (Hidalgo, Slash) complete the cast.
The film has also attracted top creative technical talent including Cesar winning cinematographer Benoit Delhomme (Artensia, Miss Julie), Academy Award nominated production designer Bruno Rubeo (The Thomas Crown Affair, Proof of Life), Academy Award and BAFTA nominated make-up and hair designer Ann Buchanan (Shadow of the Vampire), costume designer Sammy Sheldon (Calcium Kid, Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and editor Lucia Zucchetti (Movern Caller, Intermission).
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE is produced by Avenue Pictures, Spice Factory and Navidi Wilde Productions in association with the UK Film Council, Studios Delux and Immagine E Cinema. The film is produced by Cary Brokaw for Avenue Pictures, Barry Navidi for Navidi Wilde Productions and Spice Factory's Michael Lionello Cowan and Jason Piette. The film is a Movision presentation. Executive producers are Manfred Wilde, Michael Hammer, Peter James and James Simpson. THE MERCHANT OF VENICE is co-produced by Nigel Goldsack, Jimmy de Brabant for Delux and Edwige Fenech for Immagine E Cinema.
International sales on THE MERCHANT OF VENICE are being handled by Arclight with a number of territories pre-sold. Amongst the leading distributors on board the project are MGM for the UK, Sony Pictures Classics for North America and German speaking territories, Art Port for Japan, Manga for Spain, Paradise for Russia and New Films for Eastern Europe and Latin America.
Long Synopsis
16th Century Venice: Young nobleman Bassanio (Fiennes) has asked his friend Antonio (Irons) to lend him money in order that he might sail to Belmont and try for the hand of the fair Portia (Collins).
However, Antonio's money is all tied up in his business and his ships are all away at various ports. There is nothing they can do but seek out the Jewish moneylender, Shylock (Pacino). Shylock is resentful towards Antonio, as it was he who spat at him earlier in the market. In fact Shylock is all too well aware of the contempt all the Christians have for him and his Jewish brethren. What Antonio is proposing, however, is a business transaction, nothing more. Shylock is persuaded but not before he enacts a condition of his own. If Antonio defaults on the loan, then Shylock will take a pound of his flesh as payment. It is a harsh bargain but Antonio is certain he will have no trouble paying him the money and so agrees. He further invites Shylock, in the spirit of an amicable relationship, to dine with him later that night. Reluctantly Shylock agrees.
What Shylock does not know is that his daughter Jessica (Robinson) has fallen in love with the Christian nobleman Lorenzo (Cox). Shylock has already lost his servant Gobbo (Crook) to Bassanio and has no compassion left for the Christians. While Shylock is out at dinner, under the cover of darkness and masks, Lorenzo along with friends Bassanio and Gratiano (Marshall) steal away Jessica from her father's house. Jessica also takes his hoard of money to help her in her new life. Lorenzo and Jessica then set sail for Belmont and the home of Portia.
Meanwhile at Belmont, Portia is dismayed by the ever increasing numbers of suitors. All are lacking in one way or another but the terms of her father's will mean that whoever chooses the correct casket will win her heart and her fortune. She is relieved that none have so far triumphed. Then Bassanio and his party arrive. She is instantly struck by his good looks and begins to hope that here she will gain a husband. It is that same instance that Gratiano catches sight of Portia's maid, Nerissa (Goldenhersh) and another potential love alliance is formed.
Bassanio wastes no time in making the choice and when he chooses the lead casket, he also wins the girl. Everyone is thrilled and a huge marriage feast is planned. Drinking and merrymaking abound until news comes from Venice that Antonio has lost all his ships, all his money and now forfeits his loan and his life to Shylock. Bassanio must return to Venice to try to save his friend. Portia entreats him to take double the money Antonio owes in a bid to stave off Shylock's forfeit. Reluctantly he leaves with Gratiano.
Shylock meanwhile has gone quietly mad from the loss of both his daughter and his ducats (money). Further he hears rumours of his daughter's terrible conduct and not even his faithful Tubal (Corduner) can now contain him. Now obsessed, Shylock will not accept anything but his pound of flesh. He shall have his bond no matter what.
As Antonio's trial unfolds, it seems Antonio is doomed until a wise young doctor mysteriously arrives. Surprisingly young, he and his clerk argue the case from both sides. At first it appears that they will allow Shylock his bond but then there is a change. He can take the flesh but he is not allowed anything else, no blood, no sinew, no muscle. He must also take exactly one pound, no more, no less. It is an impossible task to fulfil. It is clear that Shylock has lost and not only has he failed in this but the court now seeks its own form of justice on the man who would show no mercy to his enemy. Shylock is forced to give up half his money and the rest is to go to his daughter on his death, furthermore, and most cruelly he is forced to give up his religion and become that most hated of all things, a Christian. It is indeed a heavy punishment.
Meanwhile Bassanio is overwhelmed with thanks for the doctor's actions. He promises him anything. The doctor asks for his ring, the ring Portia gave him, that she bid him never remove. He is extremely reluctant but he owes him such a debt of gratitude that he cannot refuse. The clerk takes Gratiano's ring for his payment.
So they all return to Belmont, along with Antonio. But more revelations are to come. When both Bassanio and Gratiano are questioned by their wives, as to the presence of their rings, they are forced to reply that they gave them away. Shockingly Portia and Nerissa then reveal the truth, that they had disguised themselves as the doctor and his clerk and they had saved the life of Antonio. Suitably chastised by their wives, the couples retire leaving Antonio to contemplate his life, once more, alone. And Jessica struggles with her feelings for the father she has abandoned.
The History of the Project
As one of Shakespeare's most compelling plays, the complexity of The Merchant of Venice has frequently produced reluctance on the part of many directors and producers to attempt to bring it to the screen. In fact veteran director Orson Welles had once attempted the project but was finally forced to abandon it as too challenging to transform onto celluloid. Navidi comments. "Nobody's ever made it. I believed audiences would be interested in watching this movie, simply because after all these years nobody has filmed this extraordinary play."
Navidi continues the story. "Years later, I met Michael Radford in LA and I'd always wanted to work with him. I suggested The Merchant of Venice to him. He said, well, that sounds interesting but I've never done Shakespeare. I said, even better." Navidi broached the subject with producer Cary Brokaw with whom he was working on another film project. Brokaw, who had always been fascinated by the play, loved the idea of pursuing a film adaptation of it.
Brokaw had known Radford since the late 80's and had always been interested in working with him, so, when Navidi mentioned him as a possible director Brokaw immediately embraced the idea. Michael Radford recalls the events. "Barry approached me at a dinner party and asked if I'd like to make Merchant of Venice and I said I'd never really thought about it. I hadn't directed Shakespeare on stage or a Shakespeare movie but I read the play, and said I'd be interested in doing it if we could get the right actor to play Shylock. There's no point in making a Shakespeare film without trying to reach a wider audience."
Radford, Brokaw and Navidi were of a single mind as to how to best approach the play. Their goal was to create a dynamic balance between the plays' tragic and comedic elements while keeping the drama alive and accessible. Perhaps the most important decision in adapting The Merchant of Venice was the question of who would play the legendary and complex role of Shylock, one of Shakespeare's most memorable characters. Brokaw suggested Al Pacino with whom he was working on Angels in America and Radford and Navidi were again in full agreement. Brokaw explains. "Al and I had become very friendly while working on Angels together. One day at lunch I brought up the idea of filming The Merchant of Venice. Al said, that's really interesting, I just started to think I was finally old enough to play Shylock. Like me, Al thought of Shylock as one of the greatest roles of all Shakespearean characters."
When Pacino expressed strong interest, Brokaw organised a dinner between him, Radford and Pacino in New York. "Al felt immediately comfortable with Mike and the exceptional first draft of the adaptation Mike had written." Brokaw recalls.
Further to his meeting with Pacino, director Radford returned to the business of further refining the script. "I sat around wondering what on earth I could do because if someone asked you to write a script, you expect to be writing characters and dialogue but it's all already there, and it's all theatrical." It was on the advice of a close friend that Radford decamped London to the source of the play - the city of Venice. "I immediately started to get an understanding of how I was going to do this thing." He comments. "Because Venice basically has still remained a 16th century city."
Radford jokes. "So I wrote the script with my collaborator William Shakespeare. He just contributed the dialogue, the plot, the story, and the characters and I did all the rest."
As the script took further shape under Radford's touch, producers Brokaw and Navidi enlisted the help of Peter James and James Simpson from Movision along with producers Spice Factory to pull together the remaining portion of the film's financing. Spice Factory producer Jason Piette explains what drew them to the project. "Shakespeare delivers something that is immediately intelligible and dramatic and there is no reason why that picture should not be as broadly popular as a more commercial film. And of course The Merchant of Venice is a pitch in itself because it has not been made as a major movie before. It's a great adaptation of a great play."
Michael Cowan continues: 'I remember first meeting Barry in London with Cary and then reading the script. I have to say that a teenager I was not one of those 'I love Shakespeare' type of guys but what attracted me to the script was that I thought the film had strong themes which was very much about today's society - jealousy, prejudice and empowering of women. I thought there could be a crossover market if the film was cast right. I then met Michael Radford in Mezzo's on Wardour Street and after a long afternoon left thinking here is a guy that will deliver a great film as he's so passionate.
As Spice Factory came on board, by Cannes in May 2003, the picture began to become a reality. "We had to close the banking, the tax deals, section 48, sale and leaseback, pre-sales, Italian pre-sale and so on and so forth," explains producer Barry Navidi, "It was actually an impossible mission but somehow we were all driven to bring this venture to life. The entire producing team including Peter James and James Simpson focused night and day on the extraordinary task of closing co-production agreements and financing and banking agreements involving no fewer than six key parties contributing to the film's financing. Brokaw recalls. "This process was phenomenally difficult particularly in addition to the normal effort of preparing a film of this scale for production. It is a strong testament to the character and professionalism of all involved that we got the picture financed and remained friends." Navidi adds. " Not all producers have the privilege of having the one to one relationship and of course, if it wasn't for Cary Brokaw bringing Pacino on board, there wouldn't be any picture. He brought Al, his experience and he gave the picture prestige."
Navidi continues, laughing. "It was like we were pregnant and it was everybody's baby at that point. That's why Cary and I worked so well together and Jason and Michael the same. We trusted each other completely and we just said, let's do this. It was a fairytale actually, when you think about it."
Casting
The attachment of Pacino in the role of Shylock proved the production was already attracting the beginnings of the high profile cast necessary to elevate this project beyond the realms of yet another Shakespeare adaptation. However in order to create the calibre of film the producers were aiming for, they needed to ensure that the remainder of the cast would be equally as comfortable with the Shakespearean words as with their own individual characters throughout the complexity of this text.
Michael Radford comments on the process. "Casting has nothing to do with writing, it has to do with thinking broadly and then letting go of the ideal. You strive to find someone who fits your imagined ideal of the character and then you immediately forget about it, you must, because you now have in front of you a human being who cannot be fitted into a rigid straightjacket and this is a mistake I think a lot of directors make. If you adapt your character to your actor, you'll never be miscast."
In counter-balance to the energy of Shylock, Jeremy Irons was cast in the complex role of Antonio. Mike Radford says. "I think I would have been very upset if he'd said no because I think he was perfect. Jeremy is not only a great Shakespearean actor but he's a great movie actor. He's just wonderful and of course he approaches things in a much different way from Al. Al is very precise, comes to it in a very painful way, but Jeremy is pure technique."
Irons himself had no qualms about taking on the role. "I chose to do it because Mike and I had talked in the past about different things and it had never happened. I know Al, but I've never worked with him. I'm a great admirer of his and it's nice to have a chance to do Shakespeare on film. Shakespeare is the playwright with the most meat. He's an extraordinary writer of the human condition so it was an easy one to choose."
Alongside these two heavyweights of the acting profession, the production was left to fill the other critical roles in the script. Producer Barry Navidi recalls the experience. "Sharon Howard-Field did a wonderful job casting this movie. She had never had this long to cast a picture and she's an expert in casting these kind of movies as she was head of casting for the National Theatre for five years. She interviewed everyone, all the usual suspects out of the UK but Michael wasn't excited about some of the English actors here and so we looked into the US and she came up with Lynn Collins who blew everybody's mind."
"Portia's part is larger than Shylock's in terms of number of lines and so this was a critical role." Says producer Jason Piette in agreement.
In fact this relatively unknown American actress became something of a casting coup for the production. Michael Radford has nothing but praise for her performance. "I think Lynn Collins is just the best Shakespearean actress of her generation. She is just extraordinary. She came in for a small role and that's where casting was important, when you see somebody come in and you realise they have an immense ability." For Collins, who had started her acting career in the role of Ophelia, the chance to play one of Shakespeare's most interesting heroines alongside some of the industry's greatest talents, was nothing short of an honour.
In comparison with the challenge of casting Portia it was almost anti-climatic how easily the production cast the role of Bassanio. As producer Brokaw remembers. "Joe Fiennes was our first and only choice to play Bassanio from day one. From the first day of rehearsal he delivered all colours you ever wished the character could have."
The other roles slowly started to fall into place. Barry Navidi takes up the story once more. "Gratiano was a tough one to cast and Kris Marshall was brilliant. He apparently drove down from Scotland for the audition and was so aggressive in getting the part. I admired that. He came in and he read and he was brilliant."
"Any job you passionately decide to do, or you have a passion for, you obviously want to operate at the highest level you possibly can and be given the most challenging arenas to work in and any opportunity to work with some of the best, well known actors, Oscar winners, people who are at the top of their game, top of their profession and to be able to stand either side of that person and ply your trade, I feel very fortunate that I've had the opportunity to do that." Stresses Marshall.
Sharon Howard Field also guided Radford to cast Mackenzie Crook as Lancelot Gobbo, Heather Goldenhersh as Nerissa, Charlie Cox as Lorenzo and Zuleika Robinson as Jessica."
From the Stage to the Screen
"The Merchant of Venice is interesting because it is the most produced play of Shakespeare's plays the world over, which I was really startled to learn, and it's daunting, difficult because it combines such disparate elements." Comments producer Cary Brokaw on his first impressions of trying to adapt this text. Yet still, despite being frequently produced theatrically this play has never been committed to the screen. This in itself already presented a challenge for writer/director Michael Radford. Brokaw elaborates. "I think Shakespeare is sometimes perceived as a tough sell because there's a sanctimoniousness about his language and the words get in the way and eventually it just becomes verse."
This was precisely what Michael Radford was seeking to avoid. He was looking to create a cinematic Merchant of Venice, not merely putting a theatrical production on film. Aware that the medium of cinema allows for closer focus on individuals where emotions can be played out in expressions and subtle gestures, rather than just words, Radford took that into consideration when he was adapting the text. "Cinema demands a certain speed." Explains Radford. "You get there faster not because the words are not beautiful in the cinema but because you see so much closer what people are feeling. They don't have to explain it to you. I just tried really to set it in as real a context as I possibly could, to make everyone feel as real as possible."
He continues. "No-one talks about the actual plays anymore. They talk about how it's been done this time so I thought it might be rather fun to make a film of the play like a real movie, that affects you so that it actually grips you viscerally, so you care about the characters and you care about their dilemmas and all of those human flaws and weaknesses."
In the spirit of revitalising the Merchant of Venice for today's cinema, Radford left himself open to cutting and changing sections of the original text to make it more accessible for the audience. Brokaw was impressed at the resulting adaptation. "He found just the right things to cut." He says. "It's very dense and in adapting the film, he preserved virtually all of the great speeches and the great moments but found a way to bring it to life so the characters are real and vibrant and you never felt that it was actors doing Shakespeare."
Producer Jason Piette elaborates. "If you acted it out on film from page 1 to the end, it would be over 3 hours long so the adaptation was already an interpretation just in terms of the approach it takes."
Whilst removing certain inessential moments from the original text Radford also unusually insisted on a month of rehearsals so the cast could come to grips with this new adaptation. Radford laughs as he remembers his feelings during the rehearsals. "They just fooled around and I got incredibly frustrated but what actually happened in the process was they got to the real nitty gritty so when they walked onto the set, they were absolutely focused on what they were doing and where they were going and that helped us shoot this film in a brutally short schedule. It helped us understand what we were doing."
The cast themselves were extremely thankful for this extra preparation time as actor Al Pacino praises the director's decision to rehearse. "We found a way to rehearse because there's no way to even think about doing this kind of stuff without getting together and rehearsing with the group. We sort of committed to each other and we talked to each other and engaged in a way that turned us into a troupe. There's no other way to do is. You have to be a troupe and my hat's off to Michael Radford for letting it happen."
However despite the unexpected rehearsal time this very much remained a cinema production where all the cast remained conscious that though this was a stage play, nonetheless they were acting for the screen. Pacino found both advantages and disadvantages to playing this pivotal role straight onto celluloid. "I'm happy I didn't do the stage version of Shylock before I did this film because I think it helped me not to get into certain habits that the stage automatically leads you to because you have to project in theatre and it's a different style because there is no close up."
He muses. "Though I wish I was in a situation where I'd played a lot more Shakespeare than I have, because it's good with Shakespeare to go through it once or twice and in a play, even if you've played a spear carrier, you were involved and engaged because you learn about a play when you do it, in a way that you can never learn by just reading it so the experience of going through it brings with it a lot of knowledge." He concludes. "So the Shylock I do is really a film performance, it's not a film Shylock but it's not the way, probably, I would do it on stage. It's just that with Shakespeare, there are times he gives you so much because he wrote for the theatre. I'm sure if he was alive today, and writing for films, a lot of these speeches would be different and they'd be cut down or sheered, turned into something else."
Joseph Fiennes says in agreement. "I think Michael's done a great adaptation and he's pared it right down. It's lean, it's fat free, it's to the point and it works beautifully with the camera. You can afford to cut a lot of those lines because that look can say so much between two people and you don't get that on stage."
As well as cutting sections from the play and replacing them with equally powerful visual images, Michael Radford also controversially added moments that he felt the play was lacking. Though he is quick to comment that did not include re-writing any of Shakespeare's actual dialogue. "I began to realise that Shakespeare tends to come into his plays in the middle of the action and he doesn't have any back story but it's related by the characters as they appear on the stage, and that's no good for a movie. So I decided to enter this one before the play started, without writing any Shakespeare lines. People say each other's names, that's not writing Shakespeare, that's just people saying each others names so I constructed, while not a whole prologue, an introduction to the movie so you know exactly where you were, you knew what the quarrels between people were and are and you know the relationships between people. I think that was essential to the success or failure of this movie."
Radford succeeded in his endeavour to establish the protagonists visually at the beginning of the play. "The first 20 pages of Michael's script are all visual, introducing every character in the play and basically setting the mise en scene of the entire movie." Says Barry Navidi.
"When he showed me the script and laid out the preambles to each scene, the moments of visuals that accompanied the verbal scenes and then the actual visuals within the verbal scenes, I thought there's a chance here that there'll be an understanding of Shylock in a way that you can't quite get on stage." Concurs Al Pacino.
The Look and Feel
The popularity of Shakespeare's texts have clearly led them to not only countless stage productions but also to a variety of unique screen adaptations, all resulting in different reactions from the audience. There have been the more traditional Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, to the updated West Side Story version of Romeo and Juliet, the modern Baz Luhrmann Romeo and Juliet and the teenage version of The Taming of the Shrew; What I hate about you. However, Radford and his production team knew how they wanted to present The Merchant of Venice.
Producer Navidi explains. "I spoke to Michael Radford about this at length. Michael agreed, he didn't want it contemporary and in fact he finds those very uncomfortable. So he said we have to do it as 16th century Venice and the way we would blend in modern aspects, is by how they deliver the text and how we can introduce some of the production design and costume as far as bringing fusion into it."
Director Radford was very certain how he wanted his Venice to appear on the screen. "I tried to make it smelly and dirty. I don't like people appearing in neat, pristine costumes. People didn't wash a lot in those days and the place was smelly and dirty. I tried to make the weather count, I tried to make the fact people travelled by water all the time count."
One of those most pivotal to bringing 16th Century Venice to cinema reality was cinematographer Benoit Delhomme. Cary Brokaw describes the vision. "We talked about the look the movie needed to have and he absolutely delivered. It's incredibly real but it's also rich and painterly. There's tremendous depth and really interesting use of light in every frame. A significant portion of the film is shot hand held which gives the film a lively and immediate quality. Period films ttend to be shot in a way that's studied and formal. Mike and Benoit decided that this film would be different."
Producer Jason Piette also lavishes praise on Delhomme's technique. "If you print straight off the film, you'd think this was actually a painting. It's so extraordinary as it's matching studio with real Venice but more than that, it's really creating a place that you can walk through and feel you are there." He continues. "There's a murky, foggy feeling for it, there's furtive, secretive desires going on in this place, and that's really the feeling of it, but it's also very rich and luscious. There's this golden look to the thing but it's within this sombre, very serious world."
Actor Al Pacino was also awestruck by the cinematographer's work. "The thing I really admire about Benoit is that when you look at this picture, you're there in 1596. You wonder how this is happening but you're there. The way he's painted this picture, it draws us in, it's riveting."
"Benoit has created a very mysterious, dark atmosphere, kind of seedy, sexy Venice." Notes Joesph Fiennes. "It's not bright and beautiful, it's dark, dank and dirty. And yes, it's sexy."
Standing alongside the masterful filmmaking in creating 16th century was the costume design by talented designer Sammy Sheldon who had previously worked on a variety of period productions including Gladiator, The Canterbury Tales and Plunkett and Macleane. In this case, Radford did not want a strict depiction of costume during the period but a rather more stylised overall look. She comments. "English costumes of this period was very big and decorated with triangular skirts but in Venice all through that century everything is much sexier and softer, really the proper kind of renaissance style. One of the big motivations for it was paintings, Mike liked Sargeant paintings, the whole kind of feel, texture, the lighting in it. They were used as a colour reference."
Sheldon describes the final look as it tied in with Radford's vision for the film. "I wanted it to be very organic, very comfortable. We tried to do it grungy as well, dirty realism. Stripping the period bare to the point where it becomes clothing."
Realism is the key word to Radford's view of the film and this extended beyond the visual aspects to the characters themselves. In addition to stripping down the script to its bare essentials Radford ensured that every line delivered by the cast was natural and real, conversation not a Shakespearean oratory. "I don't like people declaiming." He says firmly. "The one word which was a no-no on this movie was Shakespearean. I said, I'd like you to deliver your lines as if it's natural speech. I tried to make everybody feel as real as possible."
"It became real people talking and I think that's been surprising to all of us in this film, how easy it is to do that." Claims actress Lynn Collins. "All of a sudden, it doesn't sound like you're speaking verse. That's been magical."
Al Pacino speculates. "This picture is trying to do something that is quite ambitious in its own way, it's staying with the text, it's staying with the period but at the same time it's employing a wonderful approach and a modern approach to the delivery of the language."
"I think the challenge is to make it clear, precise, the audience doesn't want to hear an actor sounding beautiful and Shakespearean." Remarks Joseph Fiennes. "They want to understand the inner motives of this character, their drive, their wants, their sort of, redemption. They're not looking for an actor who's sounding wonderfully beautiful with iambic pentameter. The discovery is bringing it back to 2004, making it relevant to an audience now, to an audience 10 years, 20 years down the line."
"It won't be milkmaidens and the colourful days of Good Queen Bess". Jokes John Sessions. "There's some very bad Renaissance clichés you can fall into and I think Mike was very concerned to make it real. You've got to take the costume out of the costumes and the verse out of the verse, while understanding obviously what you're saying.
Altogether the production were creating a Venice that was real and alive and vibrant, more approachable and comprehensible to an audience in the 21st century whilst remaining true to the original spirit of Shakespeare's writing. Actor Mackenzie Crook observes. "It's great that we're doing it in authentic period. It's fantastic to be doing it in a way that Shakespeare presumably would have envisaged it. I think that Mike's making the film that Shakespeare would have made."
Themes in The Merchant of Venice
"It's a love story, it's a romance, it has humour yet it's also this profound, tragic, intensely powerful story about discrimination and prejudice and revenge. Balancing these disparate tones is an exciting challenge." Reflects producer Cary Brokaw.
And in fact, as with the majority of Shakespeare's plays, he takes a variety of themes and interweaves them together so the complexity of the writing is a challenge for any production to take up. Pacino himself was originally wary of one of the main issues frequently raised in connection with this play. "I always felt there was a sting in the play that was Anti-Semitism and I felt this is interpreted in our world today. I felt it was prevalent in this piece so I personally stayed about from it but at the same time, I still felt the play should be performed. Then, as I delved deeper into the play, I see its relation to our world today and at the centre of it is this person who was persecuted and over-reacts to the persecution which could happen to anyone."
"This is a play about Anti-Semitism." Agrees Brokaw "And about discrimination and about prejudice but it is not Anti-Semitic. Shylock is a very sympathetic character. We understand his pain, we understand the toll of discrimination he's faced throughout his life and we understand why he acts in a way that is perceived to be extremely vengeful."
For Michael Radford the contentiousness arose because Shakespeare made that distinction between the Christians and the Jews but for him, the play is not about religious differences, it is about flawed human beings. Producer Jason Piette sees it very simply. "It's mainly a play which is more interested in the forgiveness that it is in whether or not Shylock is Jewish. We're in a society now that is rent and torn apart by racism so obviously that aspect of the play is going to come under a big magnifying glass but to my mind that is not even an issue. It's so clear that Shakespeare is writing about racism but he's not racist and the play is not racist. It's a true statement about culture at a particular time."
Allan Corduner also saw those aspects in the play. "It's a play about intolerance, jealousy and people who go too far."
Actress Lynn Collins considers that the depth in Shakespeare's play could never solely be trivialised under the guise of racism. "What I want people to take away from this is it's about human forgiveness and how do we rise above the norm for us, the prejudice and the differences. It's not Christian versus Jew. It's human and personal."
Piette continues. "The message of the play is simply that forgiveness is absolutely key in the way that society works; in the interplay of individuals, in their love lives and in their daily live. Without forgiveness, the society will become murderous."
And in fact that is the situation that occurs with Shylock, who, given the opportunity to forgive, to let go of the hatred, finds himself unable to show mercy and as such his hatred ends up poisoning him and taking away everything of value he had left in his life. But that extreme courtroom scene remains ambiguous as neither Christian nor Jewish society retains any victory from the events. Shylock may have ostensibly lost his battle but for a man already so persecuted, how just was the punishment he received. "Shakespeare was a sceptic." Expands actor John Sessions. "He was a man who constantly questioned all moral certainties and all moral commonplaces. He's the first to take a look at the supposed integrity of Christian morality and to see the cracks."
A further aspect of The Merchant of Venice that Michael Radford wanted to draw out but not underline too harshly was the relationship between Bassanio and Antonio. "We talked a lot about the homo-erotic story between Antonio and Bassanio." Explains Radford. "I do know this, I don't know if they've ever had sex, but I do know that when Bassanio comes in and says I am going to get married, it's as though a knife has gone into Antonio's heart. It's as though all the joy has gone from his life." The ambiguity of Shakespeare's writing allowed the scene to be interpreted in almost any way as is evidenced by the debate that ranged in the cast.
"I don't think it's an undertone." Reflects Fiennes. "I think it's very palpable and I also think sexuality in the Elizabethan era is very different from today. I think the film is at its heart a love story but he never nails it into a homosexual love story or just a father/son story, it's what the audience wants to take out of it, where you feel you read between the lines. I think in our day and age we get so obsessed with sexuality."
"I think we're terribly two dimensional in our understanding of sexuality nowadays." Says Jeremy Irons in agreement. "Male friendships in Elizabethan times were regarded as the highest form of friendship. So there's this strange sort of paternal/filial relationship whereby an older man would befriend and maybe fall in love in a platonic way I believe, with a young man, lend him money if he needs it, support him and sort of dread the day when the young man falls in love and goes off and makes his own life. It's what parents do in a way with their sons."
Kris Marshall encompasses the complexities of the play. "It's quite a paradox in a way. It's a tragedy but it's a comedy. It's a love story and it's a story of hate. It pretty much covers the gamut of human emotions; envy, jealousy, trust, love, money, racism and beauty. It covers so many different things and weaves between them almost effortlessly. And Antonio, as the Merchant of Venice is kind of the main theme that links these stories together. I guess he's the fulcrum of the piece."
General Production Information
Unexpectedly for a film that at first sight is so multifaceted and intricate, shooting itself proceeded extremely smoothly. Due to budget and time constraints the locations were split between exterior shots in a studio in Luxembourg and, most unusually, in Venice itself. Producer Barry Navidi credits the production's access to many of Venice's most treasured attractions to the popularity of cast member Al Pacino. "He's kind of a god in Italy." Laughs Navidi. "I mean, the Mayor said, you want to close the Rialto bridge? We'll close it for you for 6 or 7 hours. This has never been done before. You want to shoot in the Doge Palace, we'll give you a section of it, which again has never been done before. We'll even close the Grand Canal once in a while." Navidi enthuses on how co-operative and how helpful the Venetians were to the film and concludes in awe. "The company moved four times in Italy and we had a very tight schedule and budget and yet we were on schedule and budget."
For the cast members, shooting in Venice was an unprecedented privilege to be able to see the exact locations where their characters might have walked as Venice itself had remained relatively unchanged since that era. "I'll tell you something it was a buzz filming on the balcony of the Doge Palace." Smiles actor Allan Corduner. "We had to stop at one stage because the sun came out and there were these shafts of light. There's something ironic about being in Venice and stopping because the sun had come out."
Some of the history of Venice itself related closely to the film which brought it to life in many ways for the cast. Allan Corduner explains the background. "The merchants in Venice weren't really the Jews, because they weren't allowed to be. Jews were basically moneylenders. They weren't allowed to leave the ghetto without wearing a red hat which was the 16th/17th century version of the Star of David. So the whole notion of ghetto comes from Venice because that was the very first and after that the notion of ghetto sprang up as a word."
Radford expands the history. "It was the area they would jetare, which means to seal molten metal and it's where they made the lead shot for cannons and muskets and things and what they did was they sealed up this area and put all the Jews in there for their own safety at that time. It was very overcrowded and there were lots of things going on, not just people looking sanctimonious but also a lot of prostitution, thievery, skulduggery went on there."
Costume designer Sammy Sheldon made certain that her designs were in keeping with the laws of the time, which included the red hats for the Jews but there were other legal twists. She says. "Prostitutes, courtesans were not allowed to wear pearls and they had to bear their breasts to prove they were women, and that they were courtesans. They also used to dress up as men, which is an issue in this film as they all dress up as men."
Sheldon also researched the part that masks played in Venetian life as some of the characters, especially when the younger noblemen are carousing or when they come to take Jessica, are hidden behind their masks. She found that in Venice masks were worn all the time to hide you if you were doing something you should not have done or did not want to be seen to be doing. "If you were a man and you wore a mask outside, you could do things that you didn't do if you didn't wear the mask." She mentions. "You could go and beg, you could visit a prostitute. There were times when you could and couldn't wear it, set periods and they weren't just for the carnival."
As Sheldon worked hard to ensure the authenticity of the costumes whilst keeping to the vision that Michael Radford was creating on the screen, she found that with the crowds of extras and changes in shooting locations proved to be one of her biggest challenges. "The whole logistics of shooting in Luxembourg on the Venice set, knowing that you've got a limited budget and limited stock and then have to come to Venice and know that half the stock has got to be on bodies here. It's kind of like a jigsaw." She smiles. "The prospect of doing a Shakespeare, anyone would jump at, and the fact that it was 16th century, filming in Venice, with Al Pacino, I really wanted to do it."
She smiles more on remembering her first meeting with Pacino as she flew to New York to discuss his costume. "On seeing my drawings, the first thing he said was…I'm wearing a dress? And I was like, no, no it's a tunic."
For authenticity the production ensured not only that the costumes were on a par with 16th century Venice but for the main banquet scene after Bassanio's and Portia's wedding they brought in a home economist to create the perfect Venetian wedding feast. She says. "Vegetables were available in Europe like garlic, aubergines, broad beans, turnips, leeks, onions, parsnips, beats and then fruit." With the help of an Italian chef, they prepared an authentic boars' head and fully cooked rabbits garnished with various herbs for that extra visual impact. She continues. "But there are little things that you don't think of when you're doing food, you have to be aware of people with allergies, as you don't know what every single actor's allergies are, you have to be pretty basic. You should be aware that there are certain things that people shouldn't eat or drink. But a lot of it is just for show."
Director Michael Radford considers the production overall. "It was so difficult this film that everybody felt they had to pull together. People remarked on the intensity of what was going on, saying that there's a real intensity that you don't often find on a film set. People were really concentrating and a lot of it was down to Al. He set a tone and nobody would feel comfortable if they didn't match that intensity."
Cast on Their Characters
Al Pacino on Shylock
My initial read on the character was a man who was seemingly depressed, who had lost his wife, but who had come to a certain point in his life where he had a lot of confidence in his work, able to deliver and be very good at what he did but at the same time he was feeling the sadness because of the loss of his wife and also now feeling he was losing his daughter in the same way. There was the oppression of being in a ghetto and unable to really have the freedom. He had his religion and the synagogue and he had some friends but he was becoming more and more isolated. He is almost a victim, you feel he is victimised and he's ganged up on. It's almost like this pound of flesh that he wants, it's like he goes too far. He won't let it go. It's his way of saying, stop spitting at us just because we're of a different belief than you. Stop this because we're the same. Shylock is defying the oppression that he's faced with. He's having, if you will, his day in court, his need to express how he really feels about the conditions of his life and life itself and to appeal to those ironies and bring them out. He gets caught up in it and there's an eloquence in his delivery because he's almost inspired by the conditions that are going on. It's insane of course, and it's irrational but it makes sense to him. In order to commit to something like that, an action like that, one would have to have gone pretty far in themselves and probably have been driven somewhat insane to execute that. The question that is there and unanswered, is will he take the pound of flesh.
Jeremy Irons on Antonio
Antonio's a man who's really subjugated his emotional life, who's put all his time and energy into his work, into his trading and he, like many people, have sacrificed their personal life to that. Or what comes first, were they not finding a personal life that enthralled them and therefore they put all their energy into their work and became successful. Antonio's a very successful guy. I think he's come to the conclusion that financial success doesn't bring a lot of happiness and he finds himself very happy in the company of young men. Particularly one young man who is sort of everything he'd like to be. You only have to look in the play at the people that Antonio surrounds himself with and the people that Bassanio surrounds himself with to realise where you're going to have more fun and it's going to be with Bassanio's. So there is a strange sort of paternal/filial relationship between Antonio and Bassanio. Antonio adores Bassanio. I claim that Antonio had had a wife who'd died in childbirth so he had once been married and he'd never found another woman. He hadn't re-married but he wanted friendship.
Sadly he is as Anti-Semitic in Venice at that time as anybody else. He's a proud man and when he spat towards the group, towards Shylock, it was a self defence, there was a riot happening around him and he didn't like it but basically he's a reasonable man. I also think that Antonio has lived his life. He's in the twilight of his life and he's got himself into this situation, he cannot get out of it so he says, fine, I'm a realist, I'm giving this for my friend and at least I will be doing something noble and loving through my death.
Joseph Fiennes on Bassanio
Bassanio is an interesting, sort of roguish character who possibly plays on Antonio's affections. He's a bit of a card, he's a bit of a lad, likes to go out with the boys, drink, gamble, but he's of noble blood and he's squandered everything so he borrows countlessly from Antonio because there's this bond between them, father/son perhaps but certainly from Antonio towards Bassanio there's a deeper love but all these things are ambiguous. It really takes the journey of the film for Bassanio to really understand; the quality of love and the quality of forgiveness. There's a love story, certainly, between Bassanio and Portia and then we have Antonio and for him it's a love story as well. So there's this triangle. Antonio clearly loves this younger man and my feeling is that Bassanio manipulates that love. Not in a bad way, not in a negative way, but he knows he has a very rich man who is prepared to pay and take care of his every whim and Bassanio's a bit of a spender, he loves the good life. He's madly in love and a bit of a fortune seeker perhaps and he's quite happy and prepared to exploit Antonio. And in a way Antonio is quite happy for that exploitation to take place because it's a relationship and he's having a relationship with the boy that he dearly loves and looks after.
Bassanio just has to realise that maybe he's seeking somebody, he thinks he's in love with this girl, he's seeking her for her fortune and maybe not for her real qualities and it takes the play for him to really get to know her or her to really get to know him. And my belief is that it's those three and one of them has to let go.
Lynn Collins on Portia
She's a young girl at the beginning. In this time period women were so sheltered and she wouldn't be walking around Venice, she wouldn't know her own city and then she gets thrown into the 'real world' in the courtroom scene and through it just grows up, has no choice but to mature from what she sees.
She's considered the most intelligent of Shakespeare's heroines and it's so difficult to match the intelligence and the innocence. It's like to fully realise who she is, to become a woman, she had to go through being a man. In the modern day it's using your masculinity, knowing what you want and knowing who you want to be. The girl and the man sort of combine to form the woman. She sort of claims her own power. And in the last act her comedy starts taking off where she's playing with the man she loves and manipulating everyone.
Kris Marshall on Gratiano
Gratiano is one of the friends, possibly the best friend, of Bassanio. He's a good friend of Antonio, Bassanio and Lorenzo. He's an odd character because in a way he had absolutely no reason to be there whatsoever. He has no story of his own. I've tried to view him as a noble, a fallen noble who's completely broke and somehow affiliated or assimilated himself onto Antonio and Bassanio and other nobles to ensure his lifestyle. He's a bit of a leech actually. He's loud, he's rude, he's pretty much what you'd expect of someone who's a noble in 16th century Venice and he's a pretty unpleasant character. The Christians seem to like to have him around because he is quite wise although he's quite bombastic at the same time. He's a comic character and like the play, he's a paradox; a comic character but in the courtroom he's the most vocal and the most nasty even when Shylock is really on his keens, the dagger still keeps going in as he twists that knife. I think he's a bit petulant and a bit of a stupid young man. If he ever met someone Jewish and got to know them, he might actually quite like them but it's that brainwashing that he's grown up with and he's following that trend. He's probably the most vocal person of that trend without any kind of substance.
Yet he's also a romantic character because he gets married and I think he truly loves Nerissa. Even though these guys are serious playboys who enjoy hanging out with whore, prostitutes, ladies of ill repute, he genuinely has love for Nerissa. I think he's one of those characters that doesn't think things through, everything has to be instantaneous. He's a brat, a complete brat.
Heather Goldenhersh on Nerissa
She and Portia were kind of raised together. We talked about that there was maybe a plague and Nerissa came from a noble family but less well off, so was taken under the wing of Portia's father and brought up and received the same kind of education and sort of manages the household, takes care of the more practical affairs around Portia in a sisterly type of way. I think Nerissa is both responsible but then very irresponsible, playful. Very clever. She's a kind of presence there with Portia, mischievous, playful, likes to play games and tease and I love her coupling with Gratiano. He's like the wild guy and it's just an amazing combination.
Mackenzie Crook on Lancelot Gobbo
Lancelot Gobbo is a comic character and I have some hilarious jokes. The jokes are different from todays though not just in the words they use but comic timing as well. Gobbo is Shylock's assistant at the beginning of the film and then he swops and becomes Bassanio's jester and servant. Jester is his profession really. At the beginning of the play, as Shylock's assistant, he doesn't have much opportunity to be a clown, to be a jester in the company of Shylock and he's very keen to go to Bassanio because he can start entertaining, being an entertainer and when I've got my new liveries on, Shylock tells me I won't have such an easy time in Bassanio's court.
Allan Corduner on Tubal
The whole thing with Tubal is very complicated. It is important for Shylock to have an ally, a friend, a presence who may not say very much but is kind of there. Just to represent the politicisation of the two sides but Shylock becomes an embarrassment to the whole Jewish cause in Venice, because he loses it personally, he's on a personal crusade and consequently is a political kind of firework and it's not in Tubal's interest to let it get out of control too much so he keeps trying to say, quiet, we have to think of our future as well, it's not all about you.
John Sessions on Solario
I play Solario and I think that he and Solario, Bassanio, Gratiano, they're all sort of drones, parasites really round Antonio. They're rather like 19th century English chinless wonders who spent all their time playing cards in Pall Mall and living off investments in northern cities. So they're not, if you look at them, particularly admirable characters and certainly the last people to be standing there in high moral dudgeon.
Charlie Cox on Lorenzo
I play Lorenzo who is a friend of Bassanio's and Gratiano's and who steals away Shylock's daughter Jessica. In fact I throw a rope up to her in Shylock's house and climb up and take her back down along with the money she steals. We go to Belmont where Portia is living, on our honeymoon I think.
Cast Biographies
Al Pacino
Shylock
Al Pacino is an eight-time Academy Award nominee. After receiving Best Actor nominations for AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, THE GODFATHER PART II, DOG DAY AFTERNOON and SERPICO, Pacino won an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in SCENT OF A WOMAN, for which he also won a Golden Globe. He received three nominations as Best Supporting Actor for his roles in THE GODFATHER, DICK TRACY and in David Mamet's screen adaptation GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS.
Recently seen in HBO's television adaptation of Tony Kushner's play ANGELS IN AMERICA for director Mike Nichols. Earlier in the year he was seen on-stage in Oscar Wilde's SALOME both on and off Broadway and as Arturo Ui in THE RESISTABLE RISE OF ARTURO UI at Pace University. His most recent film credits include PEOPLE I KNOW and THE RECRUIT.
In 2002, Pacino starred in Christopher Nolan's INSOMNIA and in Andrew Niccol's SIMONE. In 1999, Pacino was seen in THE INSIDER for Touchstone Pictures as 60 Minutes reporter Lowell Bergman. The film received 7 Academy Awards. Pacino also starred in ANY GIVEN SUNDAY. In 2000, Pacino completed his second directorial effort CHINESE COFFEE and also directed and starred LOOKING FOR RICHARD, a meditation on Shakespeare's Richard III.
Pacino's other film credits included DONNIE BRASCO, THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, TWO BITS, HEAT, CITY HALL and CARLITO'S WAY. Additional films include FRANKIE & JOHNNY, THE GODFATHER PART III, SEA OF LOVE, REVOLUTION, SCARFACE, AUTHOR!AUTHOR!, BOBBY DEERFIELD and SCARECROW.
After studying with Herbert Berghof and Lee Strasberg at the Actor's Studio, Pacino made his professional acting debut in off-Broadway productions of THE CONNECTION and HELLO, OUT THERE. He won an Obie Award for THE INDIAN WANTS THE BOX. He won two Tony Awards for THE BASIC TRAINING OF PAVLO HUMMEL and DOES A TIGER WEAR A NECKTIE? He is also a longtime member of David Wheeler's Experimental Theatre Company.
Pacino won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Independent Feature Project (IFP) at their 1996 Gotham Awards. In 2000, Pacino was honoured by the Film Society of Lincoln Centre. He also received the Cecil B. De Mille Award by the Hollywood Foreign Press in 2001.
Jeremy Irons
Antonio
Jeremy Irons began his career in England in theatre at the Bristol Old Vic and then debuted in London in GODSPELL as John the Baptist. His work in the West End and at Stratford upon Avon culminated with his performance of Richard II for the RSC. He made his Broadway debut in Tom Stoppard's THE REAL THING opposite Glenn Close, for which he won both the Drama League and Tony Awards for Best Actor.
Irons has played many roles for television, most notably in LOVE FOR LYDIA and TALES FROM HOLLYWOOD. His performance in BRIDESHEAD REVISITED brought him worldwide acclaim and nominations for an Emmy Award, the BAFTA and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. In 1996, he directed and co-starred in MIRAD, A BOY FROM BOSNIA, a Channel 4 film about refugees.
On the big screen, he has starred in such films as Jerry Skolimowski's MOONLIGHTING, Harold Pinter's BETRAYAL, Volker Schlondorff's SWANN IN LOVE and THE MISSION with Robert de Niro. Irons played opposite Meryl Streep in THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN, for which he received the Variety Club Award for Best Actor and a BAFTA nomination and Roald Dahl's DANNY, CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. His performance in DEAD RINGERS brought him a Best Actor Award from the New York Film Critics Circle and a Canadian Genie. Irons starred again with Glenn Close in the film REVERSAL OF FORTUNE. For this, Irons received the 1990 Academy and Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor.
Irons went on to work in such films as Steven Soderbergh's KAFKA, David Cronenberg's M. BUTTERFLY, Bille August's THE HOUSE OF SPIRITS further to creating the voice of Scar for Disney's THE LION KING, followed by the action film DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE and Bernardo Bertolucci's STEALING BEAUTY.
Irons' more recent films include Wayne Wang's CHINESE BOX and MAN IN THE IRON MASK. He played Humbert, Humbert in Adrian Lyne's controversial film LOLITA and also co-starred in LONGITUDE, an A&E Granada film. Further film credits include AND NOW…LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE TIME MACHINE, CALLAS FOREVER, LAST CALL and MATHILDE. In 2003 Jeremy Irons debuted in the New York City Opera production of Stephen Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. He also shot BEING JULIA. In 2004, Irons shot Ridley Scott's KINGDOM OF HEAVEN and he will be in Venice this autumn shooting CASANOVA, a film by Lasse Halstrom.
Joseph Fiennes
Bassanio
Joseph Fiennes worked with the Young Vic Youth Theatre for eighteen months and went on to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He left Guildhall and went straight into the West End into the production of WOMAN IN BLACK. He continued in the West End starring with Bernard Hill in Arthur Miller's A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE. He then went on to star opposite Helen Mirren in
A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY, directed by Bill Bryden. Fiennes again worked with Bill Bryden on SON OF MAN at the RSC. He went on to play numerous roles at the RSC including TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, THE HERBAL BED, AS YOU LIKE IT and LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS. Fiennes has also played Edward in EDWARD II for Michael Grandage at the Crucible in Sheffield, and most recently, played Berowne in LOVE'S LABOURS LOST at the National Theatre, directed by Trevor Nunn.
Fiennes grasped worldwide fame through his role as William Shakespeare in John Madden's smash hit SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE alongside Gwyneth Paltrow for Miramax. He played opposite Cate Blanchett in Shekhar Kapur's ELIZABETH. Other screen credits are Jean Jacques Annaud epic ENEMY AT THE GATE with Jude Law, Milcho Manchevski's DUST, KILLING ME SOFTLY with Heather Graham and LUTHER co-starring Alfred Molina. Fiennes will be next be seen in John Dahl's THE GREAT RAID alongside Benjamin Bratt and Connie Nielsen, followed by Regis Wargnier's MAN TO MAN opposite Kristen Scott-Thomas which will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2005.
Lynn Collins
Portia
Actress Lynn Collins will display her tremendous range and versatility this year with supporting roles in numerous films. Collins appeared in the Box office hit 13 GOING ON 30, alongside Jennifer Garner and 50 FIRST DATES, with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.
Collins was born and raised in Texas but moved to New York when she was accepted into the esteemed Juilliard School in Manhattan to study acting. While at Juilliard, Lynn was honored with the two most prestigious awards given to drama students: The Houseman Award, for exceptional ability in classical theatre and command of language and The Michel St. Denis Award, given to one member of the 4th year graduating class for outstanding achievement and commitment to the ensemble.
After graduating, Collins landed her first starring role on the New York stage, playing Ophelia opposite Liev Schrieber in The NYSF Public Theatre's production of HAMLET. Numerous roles followed, both Shakespeare (Juliet in Sir Peter Hall's production of ROMEO AND JULIET at the Ahmanson Theatre and John Barton's Shakespeare special for PBS) and otherwise, including her first lead role on Broadway in Scott Elliot's production of THE WOMEN at The Roundabout Theatre.
Collins resides in New York City.
Zuleika Robinson
Jessica
Actress Zuleika Robinson is an exotic in beauty and spirit as she is in name. She is of Indian, English and Arabic heritage, and her upbringing is equally as interesting. Born in London, Robinson was raised in the Far East, Thailand and Malaysia.
At 15 years old, she developed a penchant for acting that eventually lead her to Los Angeles where she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Her unique beauty coupled with her honed talent helped garner her first lead role opposite Viggo Mortensen in Disney's hit Western epic HIDALGO. The film tells the true story of long-distance endurance horse rider Frank T. Hopkins. Robinson portrays his romance Jazira, daughter of Omar Sharriff.
She next travelled to London, Italy and Luxembourg to star as Al Pacino's daughter in the film version of Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE alongside Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes for Sony Classics. (December 04). She previously appeared with Stellan Skarsgard and Selma Hayek in Mike Figgis' unconventional feature film TIME CODE and was a series regular on Chris Carter's Fox drama THE LONE GUNMAN.
Kris Marshall
Gratiano
As winner of the Best Newcomer 2002 at the British Comedy Awards, Kris Marshall found success in the role of Nick Harper in four series of the BBC Television's hit comedy MY FAMILY. Amongst his other television appearances are in the series LIKELY LADS, THE BILL, TRIAL AND RETRIBUTION II, METROPOLIS, DR ZHIVAGO and more recently MURDER CITY and MY LIFE IN FILM.
Marshall's film credits include the recent romantic comedy hit LOVE ACTUALLY directed by Richard Curtis. He had also worked with directors Shekhar Kapur on the epic FOUR FEATHERS, Richard Eyre on IRIS and Dudi Appleton in THE MOST FERTILE MAN IN IRELAND. In the theatre Marshall has taken on roles in THE INVENTION OF LOVE, HAPPY SAVAGES, THE UNEXPECTED GUEST, WINSLOW BOY and MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.
Charlie Cox
Lorenzo
Newcomer Charlie Cox graduated from Sherborne School having won the Gerald Pitman Award for Acting. Whilst at Sherborne, he played Mugsy in Patrick Marber's DEALERS CHOICE, Leo in THE WRITING GAME, Weasel in Andy Wilkinson's CODE CRACKERS, Martin and Arthur in Alan Aykbourne's CONFUSIONS and Nym and John Bates in HENRY V. Since graduation, Cox has had a guest role in BBC Television's hit series JUDGE JOHN DEED alongside Martin Shaw. His feature credits include the short film HOME FROM HOME, directed by Benji Fowler and the role of Theo in writer/director Matthew Parkhill's love triangle thriller DOT THE I for Arcane Pictures. His next role will be that of Giovanni for acclaimed director Lasse Halstrom in the feature of CASANOVA.
Heather Goldenhersh
Nerissa
Heather graduated with a BFA from the very prestigious acting conservatory, Juillard in New York, which also boasts amongst its other graduates Kevin Kline, Robin Williams and Lynn Collins. She immediately entered the theatre community in New York, working in the plays PSYCH, GOODNIGHT CHILDREN EVERYWHERE, FREEDOMLAND, LONG DAYS JOURNEY INTO NIGHT and THE CHERRY ORCHARD earning herself a very formidable reputation as one of the best young theatre actresses around, both in classical and contemporary comedy and drama.
Goldenhersh made her first foray into television appearing in the A & E movie of the week, THE GREAT GATSBY playing the tragic character of Myrtle opposite Toby Stephens' Gatsby. In the film world she worked with PJ Hogan in UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, Doug McGrath in NICOLAS NICKLEBY as Fanny Squeers and Richard Linklater in SCHOOL OF ROCK with Jack Black. Prior to Mechant, she filmed KINSEY starring Liam Neeson and directed by Bill Condon, THOUGHT CRIMES directed by Sydney Lumet for HBO and THE HEIGHTS by Ishmail Merchant. She will next be seen in Academy Award winner John Patrick Shanley's new play DOUBT.
Mackenzie Crook
Lancelot Gobbo
A hugely popular face on British television since the success of the BBC's BAFTA and Golden Globe award winning series THE OFFICE, Mackenzie Crook was the recipient of a 2002 Chortle Award and a 2001 nominee at the British Comedy Awards.
Transferring his talents to the big screen, Mackenzie's most recent feature film credits include, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN for Disney, NEVERLAND, THE GATHERING, THE LIFE OF PETER SELLERS, CHURCHILL THE HOLLYWOOD YEARS, PRINCIPALS OF LUST and STILL CRAZY. He will next be seen in Terry Gilliam's new production THE BROTHERS GRIMM alongside Heath Ledger and Matt Damon.
John Sessions
Salerio
Well respected comedian, film, television and theatre actor John Sessions has had successful solo work both in the theatre and on television. Amongst his solo work are the shows UNLIKELY STORIES, TALL TALES, SOME ENCHANTED EVENING, JOHN SESSIONS' NEW YEAR SHOW, THE AMERICAN NAPOLEON, TRAVELLING TALES, AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR and PAINT SAID FRED. A selection of television work includes JUDGE JOHN DEED, THE KEY, MIDSOMER MURDERS, MURDER ROOMS, GORMENGHAST, IN THE RED, STELLA STREET, NICE DAY AT THE OFFICE and THE STATESMAN. Theatrically Sessions has starred in Scorcese's GANGS OF NEW YORK, Mel Smith's HIGH HEELS AND LOW LIFES, Kenneth Brannagh's IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER, Michael Hoffman's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and Carl Francis' THE HOLLYWOOD TEN.
Gregor Fisher
Solanio
Gregor Fisher is one of television's most recognisable actors for his portrayal of the notorious comedy character Rab C Nesbitt for over ten years. His television career has seen him appearing in SCOTCH & WRY and five series of NAKED VIDEO, sketch shows for the BBC, as well as dramas such as BLOOD RED ROSES and THE TALES OF PARA HANDY. He won great acclaim in the role of Perks in Carlton's new production of THE RAILWAY CHILDREN, played the lead in BBC sitcom BROTHERLY LOVE and triumphed as Squeers in Company Television's NICHOLAS NICKLEBY.
His numerous theatre credits include AS YOU LIKE IT, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK and THE HOMECOMING. He appeared in Tom McGrath's play ONE, TWO, THREE at the Traverse which went on to the ICA and the Toronto Festival.
His film credits include ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE, 1984 and WHITE MISCHIEF and LOVE ACTUALLY.
Allan Corduner
Tubal
A veteran actor of stage and screen Allan Corduner has a variety of high profile productions to his name. Amongst his feature credits is the blockbuster epic from Ridley Scott, GLADIATOR, Mike Leigh's BAFTA nominated, New York Film Critics Circle winning and London Film Critics Circle nominated TOPSY TURVY, Stanley Tucci's JOE GOULD'S SECRET, Sandra Goldbacher's ME WITHOUT YOU. Further credits include ALIVE AND KICKING, EDWARD II, YENTL, MOONLIGHT MILE, THE GREY ZONE and A HIGHER AGENCY.
Television credits include the series' TRUST, DANIEL DERONDA, FOYLE'S WAR, FAT FRIENDS, LIVERPOOL ONE, MAD ABOUT YOU, INSPECTOR MORSE, MINDER, BUCCANEERS and NOSTROMO. Cordunner's diverse theatrical background ranges from London's West End, the Royal Court, the Birmingham Rep all the way across to Broadway. THE COMEDIANS, the Olivier Award winner Dominic Cooke's FUCKING GAMES, TITANIC, ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, SERIOUS MONEY, AMADEUS and MISALLIANCE.
Anton Rodgers
The Duke
Easily recognisable from a variety of stage and screen roles, Anton Rodgers has been a popular figure for many years. Amongst his television successes were lead roles in series FRESH FIELDS which led to FRENCH FIELDS, UPRISING, NOAH'S ARK, ZODIAC, MAY TO DECEMBER, AFTER THE WAR and THE FLAXBOROUGH CHRONICLES. Further small screen credits are on shows MIDSOMMER MURDERS, AFTER THE DANCE, STAR STRUCK, TALKING TAKES TWO and COMEBACK.
Theatrically Rodgers was a success in the children's classic CHITTY, CHITTY, BANG BANG at the Palladium, as well as starring in UNDER THE DOCTOR at the Comedy Theatre, A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, SOME SINGING BLOOD at the Royal Court and ST JOAN at the National. Feature films range from DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS and THE DAY OF THE JACKAL to THE SON OF THE PINK PANTHER, SECRET PASSAGE and IMPROMPTU.
The Filmmakers
Michael Radford
Director
Michael Radford was born in New Delhi, India to an English father and an Austrian mother. He grew up mainly in the Middle East, where his father served in the British army, and was educated at Bedford School and at Worcester College, Oxford. At the age of 25, having been a teacher for a number of years in Edinburgh, he went to the National Film School as one of the first 25 students in its inaugural year.
Upon graduating from the National Film School in 1974, he embarked on a series of documentaries, mainly for the BBC, including THE MADONNA AND THE VOLCANO (Grand Prix Nyon 1776) and LAST STRONGHOLD OF THE PURE GOSPEL. In 1980 he wrote and directed his first feature for BBC Scotland entitled THE WHITE BIRD PASSES adapted from the novel by Jessie Kesson. It was the success of this collaboration that led to the writing and making of ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE, one of the first films commissioned by Channel 4 for the cinema, selected for the Quinzaine des Realisateurs at Cannes in 1983 and winner of fifteen major prizes at festivals around the world. The critical success of this film launched his career in feature films.
Redford's next film, in 1984, was the cinematic adaptation of George Orwell's book of the same name and starring Richard Burton and John Hurt. Radford's 1984 won the British Film Award for best film and best actor, as well as numerous other international prizes. WHITE MISCHIEF for Columbia Pictures starring Greta Scacchi and Joss Ackland, followed this in 1987. Although this has now become a cult film in the USA and round the world, it was a commercial failure at the time and Radford did not make another film for 6 years. During this period he went to live firstly in France, then Italy, writing screenplays and directing commercials.
It was his long-standing friendship with the Italian actor, Massimo Troisi that led to his writing and directing IL POSTINO, the first Italian film made by an Englishman. The film became one of the biggest grossing foreign language films of all time as well as being nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best director and Best screenplay and winning over thirty-five international awards including BAFTA's for Best Director and Best Foreign Film. It was a film made, however, under the most tragic of circumstances as the star of the film was dying during production and was not to live to enjoy its success.
Since IL POSTINO, Radford has co-written and directed B-MONKEY for Miramax, starring Asia Argento and Rupert Everett, his first British film for 8 years, in 2001, DANCING AT THE BLUE IGUANA for Moonstone, an improvised film set in LA strip clubs. This was made with an ensemble group of actors including Darryl Hannah, Jennifer Tilly and Elias Koteas. He also directed Darryl Hannah in the highly successful London stage revival of THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH.
He has also, along with fifteen other major directors around the world, completed a compilation film entitled TEN MINUTES OLDER. Radford's sci-fi film entitled ADDICTED TO THE STARS, starring Daniel Craig, premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2003. He has recently returned from Santiago de Chile where he directed the Chilean actor on stage in the South American version of Allesandro Baricco's NOVECENTO.
Cary Brokaw
Producer
Cary Brokaw is a highly respected producer and film executive with extensive experience in film production, development, marketing and distribution. He has been President and CEO of the Avenue Entertainment Group since 1994 and Chairman and CEO of Avenue Pictures since 1987.
Cary Brokaw received a BA from USC Berkley and a MBA with honours from UCLA School of Management, beginning his career in the film industry at Fox, where he held a variety of marketing and distribution positions. He was integrally involved in overseeing the marketing and distribution of such pictures as JULIA, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, BREAKING AWAY, ALL THAT JAZZ and STAR WARS.
In 1980, Brokaw became Executive Vice President of the Cineplex Odeon Corporation overseeing the company's acquisition of Odeon Theatres before assuming the presidency of Island Alive Films in 1983. In 1986, Island Pictures films received seven Academy Award nominations and won Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress, unprecedented for an independent company.
Brokaw formed Avenue Pictures in 1987, which produced DRUGSTORE COWBOY, AFTER DARK, MY SWEET, SWEETIE and THE FIELD. In 1992, they produced the 5 time Academy Award nominated THE PLAYER. Brokaw also produced AMERICAN HEARTS and SHORT CUTS. Further features are RESTORATION, VOICES FROM A LOCKED ROOM and they are in post-production on MINDHUNTERS.
As supervisor of Avenue Pictures Television, Brokaw and the company have produced the successful television movies SEE JANE RUN, A STRANGER IN TOWN, THE ALMOST PERFECT BANK ROBBERY, TWO MOTHERS FOR ZACHARY and TELL ME NO SECRETS. They produced AMELIA EARHEART: THE FINAL FLIGHT, PATH TO PARADISE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE BOMBING and TIME SHIFTERS for Cable and also the Emmy Award winning WIT for HBO.
Last year Brokaw produced the Emmy nominated PATH TO WAR, directed by the late John Frankenheimer starring Sir Michael Gambon, Alex Baldwin and Donald Sutherland for HBO. Brokaw also produced NORMAL which was nominated for 6 Emmy Awards and the multi-award winning ANGELS IN AMERICA, winner of five Golden Globes, nominated for twenty-one Emmys, based on Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize winning plays, for HBO, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Mary Louise Parker and Jeffrey Wright.
Most recently Brokaw produced CLOSER for Columbia Pictures. Based on the play and adapted by Patrick Marber, the film is directed by Mike Nichols and stars Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen. CLOSER will be released in December.
Barry Navidi
Producer
After graduating with a Masters Degree in The Technique and the Art of Film making with special distinction in writing, directing and producing from the London Film School, Navidi worked as personal assistant to legendary director John Huston. Navidi formed a partnership with Danny Huston in 1986 and made the documentary of SANTA CLAUS THE MOVIE for ABC US network. In 1987 Navidi produced the film MR CORBETT'S GHOST directed by Danny Huston, he followed this by overseeing the production of MR NORTH in 1988 and producing AUGUST HEAT for the BBC in 1990.
In 1992, Navidi moved his operation to Los Angeles where he developed a number of projects with a variety of studios including Columbia, Universal, Fox and Warner Bros. In 1996, he began the production of DIVINE RAPTURE starring Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp, Debra Winger and John Hurt. Three weeks into production the picture was halted permanently due to the inability of financial backers to fund the production. It is anticipated that it will go into production with a different cast in late 2004 under the title of HOLY MACKEREL.
Navidi was President of Sun, Moon & Stars productions in London from 1998-2000 developing and overseeing projects primarily for Europe. He executive produced BIG BAD LOVE in 2001 for IFC Films and currently has a number of projects in development.
Michael Cowan and Jason Piette (Spice Factory)
Producers
Since starting in 1994, producers Jason Piette (43) and Michael Cowan (38) have built Spice Factory into one of the UK's leading independent film production businesses.
To date, Spice Factory has actively produced, co-produced and co-financed more than 45 films. While many of their films have attracted top directors and star casts, Jason and Michael have also broken new writing, directing and acting talent. Their films span all genres and budget levels and have a combined production spend of approximately US$350 million.
2003-04 productions for Spice Factory include: Michael Radford's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes, HEAD IN THE CLOUDS, directed by John Duigan (Cast: Charlize Theron, Penelope Cruz, Stuart Townsend and Thomas Kretschmann), THE STATEMENT directed by Norman Jewison (Cast: Michael Caine, Tilda Swinton, Jeremy Northam, Charlotte Rampling), A DIFFERENT LOYALTY directed by Marek Kanievska (Cast: Sharon Stone, Rupert Everett) and THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY directed by Mary McGuckian (Cast: Robert de Niro, Kathy Bates, F Murray Abraham, Harvey Keitel, Gabriel Byrne)
Other recent production highlights include $TEAL directed by Gérard Pires (Taxi) (Cast: Stephen Dorff and Natasha Henstridge), UNDERTAKING BETTY (aka PLOTS WITH A VIEW) (Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Alfred Molina, Lee Evans, Naomi Watts), JERICHO MANSIONS (Cast: James Caan, Maribel Verdú, Geneviève Bujold, Jennifer Tilly), BOLLYWOOD QUEEN (Cast: Preeya Kalidas), PILGRIM (Cast: Ray Liotta), HONOUR THY FATHER (Cast Gérard Depardieu) and NAPOLEON (Cast: John Malkovich, Isabella Rossellini).
As well as having theatrical releases, Spice Factory productions have also featured well in numerous film festivals as well as winning awards. PLOTS WITH A VIEW was awarded a Welsh BAFTA, BOLLYWOOD QUEEN was selected for Sundance 2003, STRAYED (aka LES ÉGARÉS) was selected for competition in Cannes 2003, MR IN-BETWEEN was awarded best feature at Raindance 2001 and ANGEL FOR MAY has picked up 14 awards since 2001.
Spice Factory's joint ventures include, Movision (the UK tax and equity fund for film financing), Arclight Films (the film sales company with offices in Sydney and LA), Bluespice (a joint venture with leading Italian producer, Peter Maggi, and his company Bluestar Movies), La Fabrique.FR (a French distribution and production joint venue already slated to do a French re-make of Bend it like Beckham).
Spice Factory's current slate, in various stages of production, includes PERFECT CREATURE (Cast: Dougray Scott and Saffron Burrows), BEOWULF AND GRENDEL (Cast: Gerard Butler) and M (Cast: Jim Cavaziel).
Peter James
Executive Producer for Movision
After a film school education, his career began in scriptwriting and producing in North America.
He co-founded Quadrant Films, which became English-speaking Canada's largest film company during the 1970's, produced 9 movies and invested in and acquiring rights in many more including SHIVERS, the film which launched the movie careers of David Cronenberg (The Fly) and Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters).
Subsequently, during the 1980's and 1990's, he became an international best-selling author with fourteen novels published in 23 languages and world sales of over £50 million. In 1994, with Ian Steel, he co-founded Pavilion Internet plc, which was subsequently sold to EasyNet plc.
In 1998, he co-founded the film and television development company, Ministry of Vision Ltd (MOV), in partnership with James Simpson.
Executive Producer for the films: A DIFFERENT LOYALTY, HEAD IN THE CLOUDS, THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.
James Simpson
Executive Producer for Movision
He is a celebrated music writer and a pioneer of harnessing artificial intelligence to computerised music. After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama as a teacher, at the age of 24 he wrote and directed ULYSSES, a children's rock opera, which had a sell-out run at the Rainbow theatre, was filmed for BBC Television and won the Italian best International Children's Film Award.
He has written music for numerous television programmes including Spitting Image, Through the Keyhole, Noel's House Party, and major commercials include Peugeot, Ford, Kelloggs, Natwest, Barclaycard, Fiat and Cadbury's. In 1997, he started writing with Peter James and in 1998 formed Ministry of Vision Limited (MOV).
Executive Producer for the films: A DIFFERENT LOYALTY, HEAD IN THE CLOUDS, THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.
MINISTRY OF VISION
MOV has recently produced, with Objective Television, the successful series for Channel 4, BEDSITCOM. It has been nominated in the best sitcom category for the Rose d'Or awards. Also, he is creating for Rocket Science Laboratories (the producers of Temptation Island and Joe Millionaire) MURDER MYSTERY - 13 episode reality drama set in a haunted castle in Scotland.
MOV has just completed ten episodes of TIME TRAVELLER, a past life regression series starring celebrities and members of the public. MOV has a number of movies both in the UK and USA, including PAGE POSSESSION, DEAD SIMPLE, LAZARUS ASH, MAFIA WOMEN, MAKEOVER AND HELL PAGE.
Nigel Goldsack
Co-Producer
Nigel Goldsack has worked as associate producer - line producer - co producer on a wide variety of projects. These range from the documentary EVEREST - OCEAN IN THE SKY filmed all over Tibet and up to 21,000 ft on Mount Everest, to features including Jane Campion's PORTRAIT OF A LADY, MY LIFE SO FAR, the 19th James Bond film THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH and Michael Hoffman's 1997 film of Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM with Kevin Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer. Prior to that, working as UPM/Location Production Manager on Brian de Palma's CASUALTIES OF WAR, RUBY CAIRO, SPIES LIKE US and TOMORROW NEVER DIES.
Currently involved in developing a number of his own projects including action-adventure film NATURAL CAUSES with director Andy Armstrong and the cold war thriller SITUATION VACANT.
Benoit Delhomme
Director of Photography
Benoit Delhomme was nominated for the Cesar for Best Cinematography in 1998 for his work on the film ARTEMISIA, directed by Agnes Merlet for Miramax. He also won the Chalon Festival award for Best Lighting in 1994 for THE SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA. Delhomme has used his talents to create the unique atmosphere for films WITH OR WITHOUT YOU for director Michael Winterbottom, THE WINSLOW BOY for David Mamet, L'IDOLE, directed by Samantha Lang and DRAGON ROUGE for Helene Angel.
Delhomme has collaborated with director Mike Figgis on THE LOSS OF SEXUAL INNOCENCE and MISS JULIE and director Benoit Jacquot on SADE and ADOLPHE. He also filmed WHAT TIME IS IT THERE which won the Special Grand Jury Prize at the Chicago International Film Festival in 2001. Further credits are WHEN THE CAT'S AWAY, CYCLO, UN AIR DE FAMILLE, MADEMOISELLE PERSONNE, L'IRRESOLU. Amongst his commercial work are Thomas Cook, Tetley, Total, Dulux, Olivio and Rexona.
Bruno Rubeo
Production Designer
Production designer Bruno Rubeo is a four time collaborator with high profile directors Taylor Hackford and Oliver Stone. For Hackford he created the eerie atmosphere for DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, the strong, emotional background for PROOF OF LIFE along with the looks for BOUND BY HONOUR and DOLORES CLAIBORNE. Rubeo worked with Stone on SALVADOR, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, starring Tom Cruise, the critically acclaimed PLATOON and TALK RADIO.
Rubeo received an Academy Award nomination for his designs on Bruce Beresford's DRIVING MISS DAISY. He has also brought to life post-civil war America in SOMMERSBY, updated the classic film THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, as well as showing the hectic life behind the scenes at the air traffic control in PUSHING TIN. Other big screen designs were THE GREAT RAID, EVENING STAR, KINDERGARTEN COP, WALKER and BLOOD RED.
Lucia Zucchetti
Editor
Editor Lucia Zucchetti has previously already collaborated with director Michael Radford on his short film 10 MINUTES OLDER before taking on the editing of his feature THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. Zuccehetti has also worked on the Best Newcomer winner at the British Independent Film Awards, RATCATCHER directed by Lynne Ramsey. She further worked with Ramsey on the feature MOVERN CALLER starring Samantha Morton, as well as Ramsey's short films GASMAN which won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, KILL THE DAY for which Zucchetti received the French Cesar Best Editing nomination and SMALL DEATHS which also won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Other credits range from Stephen Frears' TV drama THE DEAL starring David Morrissey and Michael Sheen, the feature INTERMISSION starring Colin Farrell, directed by John Crowley, LONG TIME DEAD for Working Title and Jamie Thraves THE LOWDOWN.
Sammy Sheldon
Costume Designer
Costume designer Sammy Sheldon who received a BAFTA nomination for her work on the BBC production of CANTERBURY TALES, also has styled various features, television programmes, commercials and promos in her career. Currently at work on HITCHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY with Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich for Disney, she has also styled THE CALCIUM KID with Orlando Bloom, BLACK HAWK DOWN, GLADIATOR and PLUNKETT AND MACLEANE. For television Sheldon has created looks for the shows ANCIENT EGYPTIANS, WANTED and DIY HARD.
Sheldon has worked on commercials as diverse as Coca Cola, Quorn, Orange, Yell.com, Magnet Kitchens, Ali G, Longines Watches, Chase Manhatten Bank and Sony Playstation. Her music promos include Badly Drawn Boy, Jemilia, Beverly Knight, The Brand New Heavies, Pulp, Eternal and the Cardigans.
Ann Buchanan
Make-Up and Hair Designer
Make-up and hair designer, Ann Buchanan is one of the most experienced and well-regarded creatives in her field. Her career has encompassed BBC drama, advertising and editorial stills, commercials, opera and feature films. Her work has earned her both BAFTA and Oscar nominations.
Ann has worked with numerous acclaimed directors, including Mike Newell, Mike Figgis, Chen Kaig and legendary photographers Snowdon, Donovan and Lichfield. Her artistes include Al Pacino, Paul Newman, Emily Watson and John Malkovich and singers from Sting to Pavarotti.
The prosthetic make-up for Willem Dafoe earned Ann an Oscar nomination for the film THE SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE. She is perhaps best known within the British film industry for her work on the commercial hit, FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL. Further feature credits are DOT THE I, KILLING ME SOFTLY, DUST, THIS YEAR'S LOVE, BEDROOMS AND HALLWAYS and AN AWFULLY BIG ADVENTURE.
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