M401 Film Series
June 24; July 8, 15, 29; August 5
Sweeney Hall, 8 p.m.
Twelfth-century Shrewsbury comes to life with Brother Cadfael,
"a
good man in an evil world." In one of his most celebrated roles ever, Sir Derek
Jacobi plays the shrewd and intuitive medieval monk who occasionally pauses in
doing the Lord's work to solve mysteries. In this story, Oswin, a
much-loved novice under Cadfael, confesses to the rape and murder of a young nun
whose body is found frozen at the bottom of a stream. Convinced Oswin is
innocent, Cadfael turns to his knowledge of medicine and nature to clear Oswin's
name. In unraveling this haunting mystery, Cadfael begins to understand
that his days as a man of the world aren't so easily left in the past.
Friday, July 8:Gesualdo: Death for Five Voices (1995)
One of the masters of the New German Cinema, Werner Herzog is known for his love of Wagnerian dramatics and epic struggles. Filmed on location in Italy, this film describes the chilling story of sixteenth-century composer Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa, whose life embraced sexual excess, ghastly murder and obsession. Herzog explores both Gesualdo's musical legacy and the extraordinary influence his tormented life has continued to exert on those whose lives crossed his path. Contributors include Gerald Pace, director of The Gesualdo Consort, Alan Curtis, music director of the singing ensemble II Complesso Barocco, and Professor Ludica of the Archeological Museum in Venosa.
Friday, July 15: Elizabeth ( 1998)
The story of Elizabeth I's ascendancy to the throne as the "Virgin Queen," the plot is full of palace intrigues, attempted assassinations and executions. The movie starts with England divided by faith, Protestant vs. Catholic. When Catholic Queen Mary dies, the succession goes to Elizabeth, the Protestant half-sister Mary was not prepared to execute. The new queen finds herself surrounded by advisors, some supportive but some plotting to restore the Catholic line by almost any means. She is also under pressure to marry and produce an heir, but her lover Robert Dudley is not considered suitable. Elizabeth realizes she has some decisions to make, the most important being who rules England.
Friday, July 29: Tous les matins du monde (1992)
After his wife's death leaves him desolate, the seventeenth-century composer Sainte Colombe (Jean-Pierre Marielle), an obsessive, almost mystical 17th-century baroque composer and virtuoso on the viola da gamba, settles into an ascetic country life with his two daughters. Rumor about him and his music is widespread, and even reaches to the court of Louis XIV, who wants him at his court in Lully's orchestra, but Monsieur de Sainte Colombe refuses. One day a young man, Marin Marais (Guillaume Depardieu), comes to see him with a request, he wants to be taught how to play the viol. The film examines the relationship between Sainte Colombe and his protégé, a man of far less elevated artistic aspirations, who was a celebrated court composer at Versailles. Gérard Depardieu, Guillaume's father, plays the aged Marais. The soundtrack is excellent, with bass-viol compositions performed by Jordi Savall.
Friday, August 5: Farinelli (1994)
The plot is loosely based on the life of Carlo Broschi, better known as "Farinelli." A castrato who flourished during Handel's time, we know that Farinelli had a phenomenal voice, dazzling vocal technique and a charismatic stage presence that appealed to both men and women. Often considered the first "superstar" in music history, his voice seduced every woman within reach and his reputation drew the attention of the most famous composers of the time. Although castration was banned in the 19th century, the last castrato in the Western world, Alessandro Moreschi recorded less than one hour's worth of singing on wax cylinders between 1902 and 1904. Using these recordings as an indicator of the general aesthetic qualities of the castrati's voice, Farinelli's singing voice is a computer-generated "morphing" of the voices of countertenor Derek Lee Ragin and soprano Ewa Godlewska.