WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION (A+++++)

THINGS EXPERIENCED DURING 15-18 NOVEMBER 2007

A.FILMS

1.FREAKS (1932, Tod Browning, A+)
Thanks to Galapapruek for giving me this video.
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2.MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007, Tony Gilroy, A+/A)

I like Tilda Swinton in this film very much. She is a cold-blooded woman who is very "normal". Villains and villainesses in other films are usually presented as confident and very different from us viewers. But I think in this film we can recognize that in some aspects the villainess is like us. And that frightens me. It makes me feel afraid that many normal-looking people around me can be as cold-blooded as she is when the situation arises.

My most favorite scene in this film is the ending scene.


3.DESECRATION (1999, Dante Tomaselli, A-)

Thanks to Filmsick for giving me this DVD. I think this film is more funny than scary, but I like the ending very much. And I think the director has some potential.
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B.STAGE PERFORMANCES

1.WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION (A++++++++++)
Driected by Ninart Boonpothong; performed by Naked Masks Network


2.THE TRAGEDY OF BELLIES (NANG BAB AB YAK) (A+)
Directed by Chavatvit Muangkeo; performed by Dramatic Club


3.WHERE SHOULD I LAY MY SOUL? (RAI PAMNUK) (A+)
Directed by Nikorn Saetang; performed by 8x8 Theatre


4.THE MESSAGE (LIKHIT NAGA) (A+)
Directed by Pradit Prasartthong; performed by Makhampom Theatre Group


5.BITTER LOVE (SLANG) (A)
Directed by Sineenadh Keitprapai; performed by Crescent Moon Theatre


6.LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD (A)
Directed and performed by Babymime


7.OF GOD & COUNTRY (A)
Directed by Ashish Sen; performed by Pathy Aiyar


8.CRAZY AGOGO BOY'S ADVENTURE (A-/B+)
Directed by Surachai Saengsuwan; performed by Crazy Agogo Boy


9.SICK STORIES (A-/B+)
Directed by Wahrit Walton; performed by "Performing Arts, Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University"


--I also saw "3 IN 1" by Wannasak Sirilar + Yano + Mizusu, which is actually a restaging of some parts of "5 the story R", which I had seen a few months ago.

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MY FEELINGS

I don't understand the political subtext of WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION. The story of this play happened during the night of the military coup in Thailand last year, but I'm not quite sure how the story of HAMLET is connected to the story of the Thai coup d'etat.

Though I don't think I really understand this play, I still tremendously enjoy it. I think this is one of the strangest Shakespeare's adaptations I have ever seen. The story of this play is about a boy who fell asleep after playing some Beatles's songs on his keyboard and watching HAMLET on his notebook. Then he dreamed, and the Beatles's songs, the story of HAMLET, and the story of the boy's life are mixed together very crazily in his dream. We saw some parts of HAMLET, but the story of HAMLET is interrupted many times when the characters in HAMLET suddenly sing and dance to the songs of the Beatles. What we see is also ruled by the logic (or the illogic) of dream. Sometimes we think we are already awake, but in fact we are still dreaming. Our worry, our frustration, and maybe our most secret wishes are revealed in our dreams. The "identity" of the person we see in our dreams are always changing. Sometimes we are the spectators to the actions in our dreams. Sometimes we become the participants in the actions. One of my most favorite scenes include the scene in which the character of HAMLET is played by two persons at the same time, and the scene in which the gender role is reversed without any reasons.

Talking about one character played simultaneously by two persons reminds me of one of the films I would like to see very much. It is THE BRAZILWOOD MAN (1982, Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, Brazil). Olaf Moller wrote about this film in FILM COMMENT, sep-oct 2007. THE BRAZILWOOD MAN is about the life of Oswald de Andrade, who is a Brazilian author. Olaf Moller wrote, "THE BRAZILWOOD MAN gives us a double Oswald: a man and a cross-dressed woman appear together on screen, simultaneously playing the writer. In the end, the female Oswald, inspired by the manifesto's call for a revolutionary cannibalistic matriarchy, eats her male counterpart"

--If the phrase "strangest Shakespeare's adaptations" reminds you of the film KING LEAR (1987, Jean-Luc Godard), which is one of the most difficult films I have ever seen, and may make you feel afraid to watch the play WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION, please don't be afraid. I can guarantee you that this play is very entertaining.

--I have to confess that I have never been a fan of the Beatles. I have never liked the song HEY JUDE. But I love the Beatles' songs when they were used in this play very much. These songs suddenly become very interesting, very beautiful. Somehow seeing and listening to Hamlet (Chaturachai Sreejanwanphen) singing HEY JUDE in this play made me feel very sad and want to cry.