A Reading Life, A Writing Life, with Sally Bayley
Sea of Troubles
Oct 28, 2023
The podcast discusses a cinematic adaptation of Hamlet called Sea of Troubles, exploring the choreography, interpretation, and prayer involved. The speaker shares their emotional response to the film and highlights the portrayal of sad clowns and the painful struggle of Hamlet. They also describe the beauty and tragedy in a 16th-century mansion and a haunting garden scene. The chapter concludes with a funeral service where mourners appear as statues and the narrator can hear their trapped screams.
11:18
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Quick takeaways
- Sea of Troubles is a balletic interpretation of Hamlet that portrays grief through movement rather than language.
- The symbolism in Sea of Troubles represents nobility, pursuit, and cruelty, with dancers evoking images of stairs and balustrades.
Deep dives
Interpretation of movement in Sea of Troubles
The podcast discusses a filmed version of Hamlet called Sea of Troubles, directed by David Stewart. The ballet, originally choreographed by Kenneth McMillan in 1988, is described as a magnificently sad portrayal of grief. The dancers, like sad clowns, express their deep melancholy and pain through movement rather than Shakespearean language. The dance is characterized by extreme and lurid shapes, conveying a sense of brokenness and anguish. The speaker compares the movements of Hamlet to that of a frog, crawling painfully and split open, desperately seeking a future that defies the past. The filmed performance takes place in a 16th-century mansion, with pillars and checkered floors, creating a somber and silent cinema-like atmosphere.
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