Kenneth Branagh sets his film at the Villa Vignamaggio in the hills of Tuscany, where it is constantly sunny. The villa is in the middle of luscious green hills. Branagh has decided to set his version of Much ado about nothing in Italy, instead of where Shakespeare set his play, Spain. They are all dressed casually in peasant costumes--the ladies all in white, the gentleman in off-white and earth tones--to intensify this bucolic and innocent interpretation of the play. Branagh's characters are, happy, but their naïveté makes them vulnerable to deception.
The Garden scene starts cheerful and relaxing music is played which helps the audience get to feel Branagh?s tone. His interpretation is one of happiness, love and joy. This is re-enforced by the beautiful flowers and the green grass. At the start of the scene, the sun is shining as we get a shot of the hedges in the garden.
"Much Ado About Nothing"
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING @ TIFF P1320812
David Garrick as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothin...This is a harmonious scene compared to the last scene where we saw a close up of Don John with an evil face and dramatic sounds. However, as soon as this scene starts a flute plays in the background a soft noise. The act moves to the happy deception of Benedick and Beatrice, which Branagh compacts into one scene to make a greater dramatic impact.
The audience then see Benedick talking to himself. Branagh uses a soliloquy which is a Shakespearian technique when a character expresses his/her feelings out aloud so that the audience may hear and understand what is going on in Benedick?s mind. He starts to talk about his ideal woman and what qualities she needs to have if he were to love her. He is arguing to himself, changing his tone of his voice to suit the conversation. He speaks of Claudio, and how he...