Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Spring Awakening

Author(s): Michael (Oklahoma)
Spring Awakening

Directed by Sam Mendes
Adapted by Jay Cocks
Art Direction by John Myhre and Peter Howitt
Costume Design by Colleen Atwood
Additional Music by Duncan Sheik

Principal Cast:

Jonathan Groff- Melchior Gabor
Marketa Irgolva- Wendela Bergmann
John Gallagher Jr. - Moritz Stiefel
Jayne Eastwood- All Adult Women Roles
Gary Oldman- All Adult Men Roles

Tagline: “Believe…”

Plot/Synopsis: 19th century Germany. This is what our good friend Melchior Gabor called home. All his life it seemed as if the boundaries of this society would cause him to go insane, but he never knew that his friends felt the same way until the winter of 1885.

Fall- School was finally in session. It seemed as if a lifetime had passed over the summer and it was very apparent in the physical changes in Wendela Bergmann, as Mortiz Stiefel kindly pointed out to his best friend Melchior Gabor. See, Melchior and Wendela had been great friends ever since they were little, but lately they had gone their own separate ways. As school began, it was evident to all the boys that Mortiz Stiefel probably wasn’t going to make it to the end of the year, but Melchior had a much different experience, excelling to the top of his class.

Fall- Wendela had matured in more ways that one over the summer and everyone knew it. Wendela had grown up over the summer and this meant that now with the coming of her older sister’s second baby, she would finally be told where babies came from. After an unrealistic speech from her mother about marriage and storks, Wendela set out on her own to discover the answers.

Winter- School had become a bit too much for our distraught Moritz to handle. Upon inquiry, Melchior finds that besides pressure coming from his father, Moritz had lately taken even more interest in the female anatomy. It was starting to enter his dreams and make him do so many acts that he had been taught were evil and were the work of Satan. Melchior, being the good friend that he was, decided to help out his troubled friend by explaining the body to Mortiz in an essay.

Winter- One afternoon Wendela ventured into the woods to find some peace and quiet, it was there that she discovered her old friend Melchior Gabor. After some quick small talk, Wendela took advantage of the fact that she had a future scholar in her midst and posed the same question that she had posed to her mother. Upon this, Melchior pulled out the papers he had written for Mortiz. This meeting soon became a weekly habit, and the two teens found comfort in the others presence. It was one of these days that Melchior decided to take a major step forward in his relationship with Wendela, the consequences of which were to big for either of them to handle.

Spring- The rain fell, as did many spirits. After the semester ended, Mortiz was informed by the headmaster/headmistress that he would not be returning for the following semester. Once he returned home, his father severely beat him. After the ridicule of his friends, family, Mortiz felt as if there was only one thing to do. To meet God. Once the school received word of Mortiz’s suicide, they quickly made a search of his home. It was here they found a copy of Melchior’s essay. Almost immediately, Melchior’s usually accepting parents shipped him off to boarding school, leaving Wendela alone and with his unborn child. Melchior found out he was going to be a father through the many letters he and Wendela sent back and forth to each other during his days in boarding school. As soon as he found out, he escaped the school and ran all the way home. Upon his return, he visited the graveyard to visit Mortiz where he found the stone of not his dear friend, but his dear love as well. She had been killed during the secret abortion of their child.

What the Press Would Say:

In Germany in 1906 the play Spring Awakening was played for the first time under harsh censorship. Then in 1917 it closed after one night on Broadway. While the content is indeed radical, including sex, suicide, and abortion, it was embraced widely in the musical of the same name 100 years after it’s initial opening in Germany. But none have treated it better than Mr. Sam Mendes in his latest triumph set to hit theaters this November. Beautifully crafted and impeccable written, directed, and performed it is a flat out masterpiece. Mr. Mendes brings identifiable human qualities to these characters in this dark world they live in, and the performers embrace the material flawlessly. Straight from Broadway, Jonathan Groff is superb as young Melchior and gives a wonderful performance for his first time on the silver screen. Marketa Irgolva, from the highly acclaimed Once, delivers a breathtaking performance as the naive Wendela and brings something new to this often overacted character. Her lines are perfectly delivered and it provides for some of the best work she will present. Just as on Broadway, John Gallagher Jr. brings an Oscar worthy presentation to the viewer. Mr. Gallagher IS Mortiz, and there will be no denying that in the history books. There is no other person on the screen like him; it is a flawless appearance by this talented young man.

Jayne Eastwood and Gary Oldman delivered strong performances playing many diverse roles. Both add a bit of experience to this rather young, but talented cast. The technical aspects of the film are as superior as the performances and direction. The costumes are stunning, the locations are spectacular and the music is to die for. Jay Cocks has adapted the book of the musical in first-rate fashion and it supplies an inspiring film that will be remembered as a brilliant piece of cinema. It brings back what we’ve been look for for quite some time. The ability to mix marketability with art; It’s a prime example of one of the toughest things to do with a movie and it does it like a walk in the park. Spring Awakening is an achievement in motion picture history that should not be forgotten.

FYC
Best Picture
Best Director- Sam Mendes
Best Actor- Jonathan Groff
Best Actress- Marketa Irgolva
Best Supporting Actor- John Gallagher Jr.
Best Adapted Screenplay

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