il Giardino Romantico

[Spoiler Warning: May contain plot and/or ending!!]

If one were to ask me if I 'liked' The Dark Knight, my answer would be a 'No'.  However, I must proclaim that whether or not I liked the film does not mean that I am incapable of appreciating a good production when I see one.  In other words, it was a quality movie and that even though I claim to not like it, I would, if I had the opportunity to, watch it over and over again.  I must admit that before repeated viewings, I would certainly hesitate, because of the darker and deeper themes depicted in this second sequel of the new Batman franchise.

The main cast returns to collaborate with director Christopher Nolan once more.  Though less is seen of Christian Bale's pretty-face, much satisfaction can be gained, still, through Morgan Freeman's character as Lucius Fox, Michael Caine's as Alfred, and Gary Oldman's James Gordon.  I found it difficult to adjust to Maggie Gyllenhaal's replacement of Katie Holme's role as Rachel Dawes, however that can easily be overlooked if you stay focused on Heath Ledger's excellent portrayal of the Joker and Aaron Eckhart's as district attorney Harvey 'Two-Face' Dent. 

Juliet: O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
          Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

With true art, comes endless inspiration. Shakespeare left us with not just 154 sonnets and 38 plays, but a fountain of never-ceasing inspiration, which have influenced many other artists in all realms.  An opportunity arose for me to view the operatic adaptation of two titles that would immediately be linked to Shakespeare – Julius Caesar, or Giulio Cesare, and Hamlet.  Both being composed and performed by world-class artists, offered a new light to the analysis of the original Shakespearean plays.