...Compare: 10 Things V. Shrew

To celebrate Shakespeare's birth/death day, I'm going to pontificate a while about my favourite play, and Heath Ledger. Come join me if you wish.

10 Things I Hate About You V. The Taming of the Shrew

If you are a fan of 'high school movies', or of the late Heath Ledger, you may well have come across 10 Things I Hate About You. If you are/have been an English Literature student, chances are you have studied Shakespeare's controversial play The Taming of the Shrew. However, surprisingly few ever seem to watch both, with the suggestion met with the inevitable grumbling of either; 'why would I want to see that? It's a) old and boring or b) a naff American rip off'  (bonus points if you can work out which response relates to which work). So after watching 10 Things I Hate About You again last night, I decided to provide you with a comparison break down, not so I can say 'This one is better' but hopefully to persuade you that you should experience (and enjoy) both.

 'Look, I know Shakespeare's a dead white guy,
 but he knows his shit, so we can overlook that.' 

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU

Year: 1999

Writer(s): Karen McCullah Lutz & Kirsten Smith

Director: Gil Junger

Starring: Julia Stiles - Kat Stratford

                Heath Ledger - Patrick Verona 

                Larisa Oleynik - Bianca Stratford

                Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Cameron James

Plot: Newcomer to Padua High School, Cameron James, has a crush on the pretty and popular Bianca Stratford. However, Cameron's plan to ask her out is foiled by her over-protective father's new rule; Bianca can't date until her bad tempered older sister Kat does. Cameron and his new friend Michael enlist the help of the maddest, baddest guy in school; Patrick Verona. Can he woo the shrewish Kat? Or will she discover that he is being paid to date her by Joey Donner, part time model and full time jerk, who has a bet with his friends that he can sleep with Bianca? 

REASONS TO ENJOY:

1. THE CHARACTERS 

The biggest problem with most teen comedies (at least those specifically branded as such), is that the majority of the characters are caricatures and stereotypes which are impossible to relate to. (The second biggest problem with teen comedies is Emma Stone.) Although some of the traditional high school tropes are present in 10 Things, there are two very important differences. Firstly, those who do fit an established clique are acknowledged as doing so, and it's all played for laughs, rather than just being patronising background scenery. Second, and most important of all, the main characters of Kat and Patrick, have real depth and we see them develop throughout. It is through them that this, the oldest of stories,  feels fresh. We like them, and we WANT them to be together. This is down not only to the script and the direction, but to the fantastic performances of Ledger and Stiles. Patrick could easily have been an obnoxious 'kooky' guy, but Ledger's natural charm shines through, and by the second half of the film he is almost positioned as the audience's eyes through which we see Kat anew. Julia Stiles is a tour de force, hitting all the right notes to make us truly believe that Kat is a righteous rebel, witty feminist and general bad ass with a good heart.  Basically, I want to be her. She has some great one liners, beautifully delivered, yet she remains a highly realistic and empathic character. The high point is the titular 10 Things poem, which will touch even the hardest hearts.
The more peripheral characters also entertain and amuse, and each are pitch perfect; from the bratty daddy's princess Bianca, to the sisters' hilariously obsessive, yet clearly loving father, through awkward high schooler Michael and Kat's delusional friend who seems to think she is dating Shakespeare; all are part of the rich tapestry of post pubescent life which 10 Things depicts.

2. THE STORY

The thing that made me want to watch 10 Things I Hate About You in the first place was that the plot was based on The Taming of the Shrew. Whilst that may mark me out as a freak (I don't give a damn about my bad reputation!), my logic holds thus; there should be a bit more to this story than just boy meets girl, problems ensue, they get together. Anything more complex than this is a rarity in the high school genre (with a few highly notable exceptions- see The Breakfast Club post recommendation), and 10 Things does not fail to deliver BOTH the above trope AND (shock, horror) make it interesting. As stated before this is mostly to do with the characters, and the dynamics they present. Whereas the Bianca/Cameron subplot delivers the usual boy-girl romance (with an almost irreverent, tongue in cheek predictability at times), Kat and Patrick keep us guessing, largely because they are rooted in one of the most enigmatic couples in literature; Katherina and Petruchio. Nothing is lost by transplanting this story into a more familiar setting, making it far more accessible.

3. THE SOUNDTRACK

I'll let this speak for itself. Go 90's Indie Grrrl rock!
10 Things I Hate About You Soundtrack

Although far from perfect, Ten Things I Hate About You is essentially a feel-good film, with some very funny moments, superb characterisation and great music. Why should Shakespeare be stuffy?

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

Year: between first performed approx. 1593 (Taylor/Burton film-1967)

Writer(s): William Shakespeare  (T/B- Suso Cecchi D'Amico, Franco Zeffirelli, Paul Dehn)

Yes, that is Sue White from Green Wing as the Shrew.

Director: Although Elizabethan theatre worked in ensembles rather than having a specific director, presumably Shakespeare had a hand (T/B- Franco Zeffirelli)

Starring: Unknown

Film:  Elizabeth Taylor - Katherina Minola

         Richard Burton - Petruchio of Verona

         Natasha Pyne - Bianca Minola

         Sir Michael Hordern - Baptista Minola

Plot: Baptista Minola has two daughters; the fair and beloved Bianca, much desired by suitors, and the elder; violent, argumentative Katherina who terrifies all who meet her. Baptista vows that Bianca can only marry once Katherina has a husband, and so Bianca's potential suitors hatch a plot to find a man who will take on the unruly Kate, leaving them free to squabble over her sister. They find him in Petruchio, who claims he doesn't give a damn who he marries, so long as she's rich. They are hastily wed, and so begins Petruchio's attempts to tame the bitch.

REASONS TO ENJOY:

1. THE CHARACTERS

You don't HAVE to be busty to play Kate. Honest.

 Katherina and Petruchio are probably THE most divisive characters in all of Shakespeare, if not in all of literature. They brilliance lies in their ambiguity; they can be played and understood as passionate forces of nature, partners in crime, or as an oppressor and victim, a witch and a monster. To an actor they are a gift; they offer so much scope for characterisation, but at all times they remain so vividly written, broad and ambiguous, but never ever bland. Personally (although having played the role myself I AM somewhat biased) I think Katherina is one of the greatest female characters in all of fiction. For the time in which she was created she was an incredibly complex female character; although some argue that she is simply the angry shrew stereotype, who then becomes a victim, there are far more subtle nuances in her character. Shakespeare gives hints as to WHY she is as she is, rather than simply caricaturing her. Petruchio remains a controversial character; is he a misogynist's dream, or a man who knows what he wants and lives without the fear and cowardice which Kate so despises in the other male characters? The pleasure lies in making your own conclusions.

2. THE STORY
This story is basically about the ultimate battle of the sexes. It doesn't attempt to sugar-coat it, and doesn't pull any punches; we see the darker, more violent sides of such a clash of wills that very few stories since have dared to tackle. This is some bad ass stuff. Although Shakespeare is often derided as being boring (anyone who says this has EVIDENTLY never seen a Shakespeare play and is not qualified to comment), Shrew is not for the delicate. Kate brandishes a whip when questioning her sister about her love life, and Petruchio frequently abuses his servant Grumio, saying nothing of the abuse both verbal and physical which the central couple throw at each other. During the course of performing this very play, there were several red faces, many bruises, a microphone broken with a particularly hard slap, and my Petruchio sustained a scar on his foot which had absolutely nothing to do with the heel of my shoe...

This article is worth a read; it contains some fascinating interpretations of the Kate/Petruchio relationship, and the personal/sexual politics of the play: The Guardian RSC 'The Taming of the Shrew'

What, with my tongue in your tail? Ooh err.

3. THE LANGUAGE
What many deprived people don't seem to realise is that Shakespeare's words don't have
to be a chore. The Elizabethan audiences went to HEAR a play, not so much to see it. In a world obsessed with seeing, living on a glutton of visual stimulation, this takes some adjustment, but is worth it (don't fret too much though; most current productions provide plenty to enjoy with the eye as well as the ear). I'm going to say a few things now that may scare you. SHAKESPEARE IS FUNNY. He liked a joke as well as the next (60) generations, and although some of his quips have aged, many are just as good now as they were when were first written. Especially as (prepare yourself)... SHAKESPEARE LOVED DIRTY JOKES. Absolutely revelled them. Double entendres, rude puns, euphemisms...it's well known that Shakepeare did them all (if you get my meaning). When Kate and Petruchio first meet, Petruchio makes some very inappropriate comments alluding to, amongst other things, intercourse, bottoms and even oral sex. He implies Kate is a slut, but informs her that she is welcome to warm up his bed, and not to worry, he won't get her pregnant. All this, in a first encounter. You wouldn't get this sort of filth in Pulp Fiction.
It's not all X-rated however. Shakespeare is universally heralded as a master wordsmith, and his reputation is  by no means unfounded. There are some beautiful impassioned soliloquies from Katherina whose 'tongue must tell the anger of my heart', and the couple's wild confrontations are a joy to behold, with both matched measure for measure with wit and colourful vocabularies in the truest sense of the word. I remain confident that Shakespeare, once experienced properly, will win anyone over.

So don't be elitist...give both of these gems a go, and ENJOY.

(Sadly I do not own either of these films, the music or the RSC. I'm off to read The Bell Jar and crush patriarchal society.)