DVD: Romeo et Juliette, Gerard Presgurvic version

[winter]

And in the continuing adventures of Beth versus actual commercially available DVDs of musicals, I've finally watched something I've had for a while - Romeo et Juliette, the Gerard Presgurvic version, as recorded in 2001 in Paris. I have to say that even with all the pop music, this is one of the most artistic musicals. The French seem to have a gift for them.


Everyone knows the story, but I have to admit this take on it is quite fresh, looking at the underlying motives behind the play. There is a madness to everyone that works very well - especially visible in the song Pouvoir by the Prince. They want power, they want things to go like they want them to, and in that mad city, they can reach for it.

The music is suprisingly good for something so pop-inspired. There's Les Rois du Monde, of course, which is the eternal power-song for boys (and which I always thought suffers from a lack of ending), but there are many others, from the opening Verone, through J'ai peur (sung by Romeo in Death's embrace), to Et voila q'elle aime (the Nurse, seeing Juliette grow up). The songs are catchy.

Some of the casting is wonderful. The Capulets are lovely - I like everyone from the Lady and Lord Capulet, through the spunky Juliette, the Nurse, the gathered crowd of youths. And Tybalt - oh, he deserved his own lament on how dysfunctional his relationships are ;) Tom Ross is love.

On the Montague side, things get more spotty. Damien Sargue handles Romeo wonderfully, but I could take or leave Gregori Bacquet's Benvolio, and Mercutio's frankly forgettable, as is Lady Montague (despite a superb makeup job). Also, Friar Laurence cannot sing, which lays flat several songs, most notably the finale.

The Prince, Frederic Charter, steals the two scenes he's in, lock, stock and barrel. And the ensemble are a wonderful group of dancers, making each move count emotionally.

The sets are symbolic, well-lit, but only there to be the background to Redha's wonderful choreography. A lot of the cast are dancers first, singers second, and that's because they have to be. Just in the ball sequence, Juliet's characterisation is masterfully done only through dance - her fondness for Tybalt, her girlishness giggling with friends, her uncertainty about Paris, then the shock of meeting Romeo. This symbolism and emphasis on emotions continues throughout, carrying us with it.

And then there is Death.

I haven't been able to find out more about Anne Mano than the fact she's English and over six feet tall. She moves like an alien, and like a Takarasienne. And she is Death, a Death in love with Romeo, handing him the knife, kissing him, then passing the knife to Juliet.

Why didn't anyone warn me?


Unfortunately, this DVD is out of print at the moment. But the good news is, enterprising people have uploaded all of it to Youtube :) Between them, "selenityrose" and "faelivrinen" have all the tracks. Some samples:

Verone (first song of the musical
)
J'ai peur (originally a Mercutio song, given to Romeo because he's the only one not noticeably shorter than Death)

C'est pas ma faute (Tybalt angst)

Comments

[winter]

Btw, how do the German lyris compare? The French ones are quite decent :)

[valancystar.livejournal.com]

So-so. I liked them better when I didn't understand German so well. ;) They're rather cheesy and clichéd - but I must say I find the French ones are, too, though a few songs are quite good. The French ones are more beautiful and poetic on a whole than the German ones. The German ones aren't as bad as the English ones, though.

[winter]

I'll make a note to avoid the English translation, in that case ;)

[valancystar.livejournal.com]

Well, it may be good for a laugh. ;) I have the CD but I was never able to finish listening to it because the lyrics were too awful. Maybe I'll try again some time. It would make me appreciate the French and German ones much better again. ;)