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Anonymous: Period Piece Re-Invented

By Meredith Alloway · November 1, 2011

I was excited about seeing this movie, to be honest, because I thought (being an adamant disciple of Billy Shakes) I would be able to rip it to shreds. I wanted to cackle at their historical inaccuracy and commercialization of Shakespeare’s literature. Instead, I was sitting there, surrounded by a crowded theatre, equally entranced. I bought it. God damnit!

It’s exactly what they had planned. Roland Emmerich didn’t agree to direct Anonymous for his chance to showcase sappy-love-story skills. He saw a potential political thriller. His blockbuster vision, demonstrated with bravado in Independence Day and2012, is what re-invents this period film genre; even the dirty teeth and muddy London streets become epic. Who cares that the film is a complete dismissal of historical fact, middle-class wisdom and the potential for a man without noble blood to compose any literature of worth…it’s fun.

The film finds foundation in the theory that Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford was the actual author of Shakespeare's canon. The story is set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, played in her adult life as Joely Richardson and later life as Vanessa Redgrave.  Through flashbacks, which are necessary but make the film seem disjointed at times, we learn that young Edward De Vere (Jamie Campbell Bower) first came to her Majesty when he was a boy, playing Puck in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and claiming to be the playwright; turns out he was.  She instantly fell for his literature and when he was an adolescent took him into her palace for schooling. He continued to write his plays despite disapproval from the Queen’s advisors in the Cecil family. William Cecil, played deliciously by David Thewlis, constantly tried to keep theatre from the Queen’s presence, threatening De Vere if he ever performed his plays. After a tumultuous affair with Elizabeth, De Vere left the palace, and the threat of her kingdom influenced his decision to remain anonymous.

Fast forward ten years. De Vere, played as an adult with regal melancholy by Rhys Ifans, has decided to publish his plays. Ben Johnson (Sebastian Armesto) is his chosen confidant. The Rose Theatre soon becomes the hottest spot in London after Johnson begins churning out De Vere’s works. Where does Shakespeare (Rafe Spall) come in? Not where you expect and being far from the intelligent, worldly figure we all know and love. He’s a thief, a scoundrel, and a bad actor that takes hold of Johnson’s responsibility, claiming himself the writer of De Vere’s plays.

As the film progresses, we’re taken backwards and forwards and slowly revealed information regarding De Vere’s past and how his works were inspired. It’s all a little confusing. The Dukes, the Earls, the Essexs; who are we talking about again? But, that’s expected from a film regarding Elizabethan England. So beware, and pay attention.

Although the plot can be a little jarring at times, with famous characters jam-packed into one story, the main players are so well cast, that we follow who’s important just as we should. Rhys Ifans delivers a multi-faceted performance. He fluctuates between royalty, speaking with grammar-perfect grace and poise, to a common man struggling with the artists’ plague. The film finds a gravity in his words both in the theatre (scenes from Henry V and Richard II are truly captivating) and in his life as he struggles to find meaning. An unexpected performance is delivered by new-comer Edward Hogg, playing Robert the son and co-conspirator of William Cecil. His hunched back, pale white skin and quiet mischief serve as a believable antagonist to De vere and a likely inspiration for the infamous Richard III. Redgrave portrays a weak, frivolous Elizabeth who we find hard to believe ran the country of England with such force. But then again, no one can top Dench.

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise comes in form of an actor who has re-invented Shakespeare’s canon on the British stage, Mark Rylance. But don’t let the filmmakers behind Anonymous fool you with their well-trained actors and seeming ode to Shakespeare’s masterpieces. It’s really just The Day After Tomorrow with the natural disasters occurring from a quill rather than an earth’s quake.