Notes - on the film, "Anonymous" / the German credits

       Very late morning, and you finished your walk at Pine Hill City Park. This time you walked another sixty yards to the next bench (along the other lake), surprising Carol in the process. Also, for breakfast, no Cheerios, just a banana and twelve ounces skim milk. Carol is still on her walk. You saw a large dead goose white belly up in the water with white feathers scattered about along the path. You deduce a fox or coyote chased it and once safe in the water it died of a heart attack. I find it strange that you were more content knowing it was not eaten, but it might have been of better use had it been so, at least from the fox or coyote’s point of view. – Amorella.

         It is my kind of day for walking, temperature in the mid-fifties, a cool breeze and a cloudy sky. Reminds me of the weather in the “Cold Case Files” on Masterpiece Theatre – the setting is in Edinburgh, Scotland. A very good new three-part fall series on PBS. Blood sugar is still high – I need to have smaller portions.   

     

         Later in the afternoon. You and Carol had breakfast lunch at First Watch in West Chester and arrived at the film on time. You want to write a short review you can put in the “What’s on your Mind” space in Facebook, something short and to the point. I will help you with this for passion’s sake. – Amorella.

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Carol and I saw Anonymous and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. In the early eighties I read the immense two-volume work, Shakespeare Identified, by Thomas Looney (which is available free online) and a variety of articles, one in particular in the Harvard Review given to me by friend and colleague, Bill Kincaid, and earlier this year I read Shakespeare’s Lost Kingdom by Charles Beauclerk which reinforces and adds to Looney. In the between years I dabbled, and read the articles that circumstance made known to me, and in the process have also read and heard the Stratford sides of the argument. I felt the quite well executed film did the Oxfordian theory justice. The grand scope of the Elizabethan setting (atmosphere and costumes, the Globe Theatre and acting) is as superb as any I have witnessed in a film. Most all the scenes were reasonable from the Oxford perspective, plus many a smattering of lines delivered by those the characters surrounding DeVere. As for the secrecy of authorship, Elizabeth, Ben Johnson, and William Cecil would have to know the truth if the 17^th Earl of Oxford was indeed the playwright. The problem is that scholars are human like the rest of us, and choose a side and do some reinforcing to convince of their own. It is a wonderful film you have to watch and study closely, perhaps even see it a second time. If deeply interested read the circumstantial evidence on both sides after seeing the film and make up your own mind. Some noted critics have shown prejudice on both sides. Don’t go by them, see it for yourself, it is well worth the money to see this on the big screen.

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         You are home and have published your thoughts on the film in your Facebook page. Supper and the news in a bit. Post, and relax awhile. – Amorella.

         Thank you for the help Amorella.

        After 2228 hours and you are wondering what you are going to write tonight. I have to say it is time to play with the cat before bed, good therapy for the both of you. Tomorrow you vote absentee and take Carol shopping, more time for writing tomorrow. Today is DeVere Day as far as you are concerned. Post. – Amorella.

         It is. We had a good time, a very enjoyable film even if one doesn’t believe DeVere wrote the plays. So many years I saturated myself in British literature and history. It was wonderful seeing so many Elizabethan ‘proper nouns’ being brought to life, even King James. And, I loved the fact, in the credits, that the set was in Germany, and that Protestantism was brought up more than once. Of course and can’t imagine the English would be up for the film, what would happen to the tourist trade in Stratford-on-Avon? What I suppose would offend many would be how the character of William Shakespeare the actor was portrayed. I rather enjoyed it; at least he appeared alive. Ah, the old Greek magic circle on the stage, bringing the dead to life. We do bring the Dead back the only way we can, literally and figuratively, ‘on the boards’. Merlyn does the same, on the playing Board.