Motus Mentis

6 Comments

1. Kevin Kim says

   Of those three, I’d have to go with Patrick Stewart. McKellen’s delivery sounded like a precursor of the speaking style we’ve come to expect from Alan Rickman — all those drawn-out syllables, pulled grudgingly from the teeth like taffy.

   Stewart’s delivery has a war-weary gravitas, less self-reflective and more heartfelt in its sadness. Williamson (he’s the crazy mofo who played Merlin in “Excalibur,” isn’t he?) has always had a bizarre, growling/howling cadence and intonation. From the video you selected, I found that his soliloquy possessed a weird piquancy that also placed it above Sir Ian’s surprisingly conventional delivery.

   So:

   1. First place to Patrick Stewart for soulfulness.

   2. Second place to Nicol Williamson for playing Nicol Williamson (much the way that Sean Connery always plays Sean Connery).

   3. Third place to Ian McKellen for his slow-as-molasses approach to one of Shakespeare’s most famous soliloquies.

   Posted February 1, 2012 at 12:35 am | Permalink
2. JK says

   What!!!???

   No Sir David Duff?

   This is not at all like you Malcolm not to have researched in full. (Nevermind the one commentor describes the teacup scene in the graveyard as Sir Duff handling a roll of loo paper.)

   Appears I can’t get the “Add Images” so:

   http://duffandnonsense.typepad.com/duff_nonsense/2012/01/gravedigger-2-my-finest-performance.html

   Posted February 1, 2012 at 4:34 am | Permalink
3. Elisson says

   Back in 1969, I had the pleasure of seeing Nicol Williamson as Hamlet on Broadway. It was amazing… and since I am here recalling it some 43 years later, unforgettable as well.

   Posted February 1, 2012 at 11:16 am | Permalink
4. Dom says

   Here’s the winner:

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqejedMLkk0&feature=related

   Posted February 1, 2012 at 1:35 pm | Permalink
5. Malcolm says

   I’m going with Sir Ian: the way he makes that transition from “hereafter”… to “tomorrow”… to “and tomorrow” — the dawning recognition that “not today” really means nothing at all — gave me goosebumps.

   Not to take anything away from Sir Patrick, though. One of the great things about living in Brooklyn is the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the lovely Nina and I were fortunate enough to be there when Mr. Stewart debuted that production of the “Scottish play”.

   Posted February 1, 2012 at 2:11 pm | Permalink
6. TheBigHenry says

   I like this one:

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkN760N7zDw&feature=related

   Posted February 1, 2012 at 5:04 pm | Permalink