#jonathan firth

[didanagy]

AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT: HICKORY DICKORY DOCK (1995) dir. andrew grieve

[autumncottageattic]

Far from the Madding Crowd (1998) Part IV

[p-isforpoetry]

Poetry in Movies and Television: Highlander - The Modern Prometheus

Episode S05E17: Lord Byron, the brilliant Romantic poet, is alive and well and living the decadent life of a rock star.

The poems in the episode are by Lord Byron:

To A Lady Who Presented The Author With The Velvet Band Which Bound Her Tresses

This Band, which bound thy yellow hair Is mine, sweet girl! thy pledge of love; It claims my warmest, dearest care, Like relics left of saints above.

Childe Harold's Pilgrimage

CXXIV.

We wither from our youth, we gasp away -- Sick -- sick; unfound the boon -- unslaked the thirst, Though to the last, in verge of our decay, Some phantom lures, such as we sought at first -- But all too late, -- so are we doubly curst. Love, fame, ambition, avarice -- 'tis the same, Each idle -- and all ill -- and none the worst -- For all are meteors with a different name, And Death the sable smoke where vanishes the flame.

LXXVIII.

Foil'd, bleeding, breathless, furious to the last, Full in the centre stands the bull at bay, Mid wounds, and clinging darts, and lances brast, And foes disabled in the brutal fray: And now the Matadores around him play, Shake the red cloak, and poise the ready brand: Once more through all he bursts his thundering way -- Vain rage! the mantle quits the conynge hand, Wraps his fierce eye -- 'tis past -- he sinks upon the sand!

CLXXXV.

My task is done—my song hath ceased—my theme ⁠ Has died into an echo; it is fit.

She Walks in Beauty

She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that’s best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes; Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o’er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express, How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!

Music: Marcus Testory (Caspian) and his band M.E.L.T. - "Alpha Et Omega"

More music from Marcus (M.E.L.T. and Chamber aka L’Orchestra De Chambre Noir)

[mywingsareonwheels]

The 1995 “Henry IV” tv film and why we all need it

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113549/

Here’s the IMDB link. But I’ll tell you about it here anyway. :-)

It was a combined version of Shakespeare’s Henry IV parts 1 and 2, conflating the two rebellions down to one. It worked perfectly script-wise, I note: bringing in all my favourite roles from part 2 (Doll, Pistol, Shallow) while the main plot was more focused on that of part 1.

It also brought in a bit of extra dialogue from Merry Wives of Windsor and, notably, it had an introductory scene in which Hal and Hotspur, as boys, were playing at swordfighting, and then overheard the scene in Richard II where Richard hands over his crown.

They had FUN with all the sun imagery.

ANYWAY. The cast. The fucking cast.

Ronald Pickup (voice of Aslan in the BBC Chronicles of Narnia) as Henry IV. Jonathan Firth as Hal. David Calder (who not enough people have heard of) as Falstaff. Elizabeth Spriggs as Mistress Quickly. Corin Redgrave as Worcester. Jane Horrocks as Doll Tearsheet. Rufus Sewell as Hotspur. JOSETTE FUCKING SIMON as Kate Percy. Paul Eddington (in his last ever role <3 ) as Justice Shallow. Toby Jones also turned up in a really tiny role!

And, in that introductory scene, ROGER ALLAM AS RICHARD II.

I can find a few photos on the internet of Pickup and Firth and Calder. I can’t find any of anyone else. Roger Allam fandom especially: if we can find them we need them. Because that was it, that was the moment, aged 17, when I fell in love with his acting. He was on for a tiny amount of time and he fricking owned it all. And up against Pickup who was no slouch. <3

Anyway. Does anyone have this? Because if so: please do things with it. It’s great. :D  (CW: I do note however that while Calder is great and gorgeously complex, it’s not the least fatphobic portrayal of Falstaff ever. :-/ I mean some of that is always a thing because it’s sadly in the plays, but if you want a portrayal that doesn’t lean *too* much in that direction, you want Anthony Sher for the RSC or indeed Roger Allam for the Globe, both available in film forms.)

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Covington Cross (1992)

[hello-robin-goodfellow]

Jonathan Firth as Romeo and Geraldine Somerville as Juliet. (Romeo and Juliet, 1994).

[jooleah]

was watching an episode of father brown and the whole time I was thinking a certain actor looked and sounded like colin firth. the credits roll and lo and behold it's his brother, who is apparently an actor?? I had no idea!

[rememberingglennquinn]