Beautiful and moving - a tribute to Gielgud's talent. I'm so glad Branagh had the foresite to capture the magic on film, especially in light of Gielgud's recent death. This film brought tears to my eyes and reignited my love of Shakespeare. Gielgud truly brought Shakespeare to life like noone else.
4 Reviews
An excellent tribute to John Gielgud's immense talent
GusF15 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Based on the 1887 play of the same name by Anton Chehkov and adapted for the screen by Hugh Cruttwell, this is an excellent short film about the promise and the disappointments of life on the stage. Directed by Kenneth Branagh with his usual high level of skill, it stars John Gielgud as the elderly actor Svetlovidov who, reaching the end of his career and his life, begins to contemplate both in an empty theatre. Well, not quite empty as his musings are interrupted by the prompter Nikita, played by Branagh's "mascot" Richard Briers. What follows is a fantastic two-hander between these two great actors.
The short film was intended in part as a tribute to the success and longevity of the perfectly cast John Gielgud. Svetlovidov specifically mentions that he is 88 years old and had been treading the boards for over 60 years, both of which were true of Gielgud in 1992. By that time, he was the last surviving member of the great generation of actors who dominated and shaped British theatre from the 1930s onwards. The key difference between Gielgud and his character, however, is that Svetlovidov went from performing Shakespeare to performing the same old tired vaudeville jokes whereas Gielgud's career went from strength to strength. He still received awards for his acting until well into his 80s. The melancholy Svetlovidov recites passages from "King Lear", "Hamlet", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Othello". In reality, Gielgud starred in stage versions of all four plays to great acclaim. However, Svetlovidov is left only with his memory of past triumphs, which were followed by years of lesser roles in mediocre productions. There is a great sense of pathos in the play as it is clear that Svetlovidov will never be able to experience that success again. I like to imagine that the final curtain fell for him not long after the film ended. Briers likewise gives an excellent performance as Nikita but his role is mostly to be a friend and source of support to Svetlovidov.
Overall, this is a wonderful short film which was deservedly nominated for the Best Live Action Short Oscar. I loved the manner in which it explores both the highs and lows of actors' lives and careers. Gielgud had more highs than lows in reality but I am sure that he could nevertheless relate very well to his character. In spite of his advanced age, he continued acting until shortly before his death in 2000.
The short film was intended in part as a tribute to the success and longevity of the perfectly cast John Gielgud. Svetlovidov specifically mentions that he is 88 years old and had been treading the boards for over 60 years, both of which were true of Gielgud in 1992. By that time, he was the last surviving member of the great generation of actors who dominated and shaped British theatre from the 1930s onwards. The key difference between Gielgud and his character, however, is that Svetlovidov went from performing Shakespeare to performing the same old tired vaudeville jokes whereas Gielgud's career went from strength to strength. He still received awards for his acting until well into his 80s. The melancholy Svetlovidov recites passages from "King Lear", "Hamlet", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Othello". In reality, Gielgud starred in stage versions of all four plays to great acclaim. However, Svetlovidov is left only with his memory of past triumphs, which were followed by years of lesser roles in mediocre productions. There is a great sense of pathos in the play as it is clear that Svetlovidov will never be able to experience that success again. I like to imagine that the final curtain fell for him not long after the film ended. Briers likewise gives an excellent performance as Nikita but his role is mostly to be a friend and source of support to Svetlovidov.
Overall, this is a wonderful short film which was deservedly nominated for the Best Live Action Short Oscar. I loved the manner in which it explores both the highs and lows of actors' lives and careers. Gielgud had more highs than lows in reality but I am sure that he could nevertheless relate very well to his character. In spite of his advanced age, he continued acting until shortly before his death in 2000.
(Possible Spoiler) A beautiful summation of what it is to live a life in theatre...
njc596s4 October 2000
Warning: Spoilers
I was so touched by this film that I don't think I'll ever be the same. First, John Gielgud is so touching that is breaks your heart; second, his portrayals of Romeo, Hamlet, Othello and Lear are so wonderfully colored by his own life experiences that you cannot deny their majesty and excellence; third, the language and drama of Chekov is undeniably an actor's best friend and it provides a moving script that flows naturally but has a rhythm that is poetry in prosaic form. This is a great film. In it's few minutes, it manages to completely sum up what living in the theatre is like...from the loneliness to the ecstacy. HIGHLY recommended.
Branagh still improving
Horst_In_Translation5 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"Swan Song" is a 1992 short film from the UK, so this little English-language movie has its 25th anniversary this year. It runs for 23 minutes almost and is mostly known today because the director here is multi-talented Oscar nominee Kenneth Branagh and he was in his early 30s only when he made this one. The cast includes of two people only, namely Oscar winner John Gielgud, who plays an aging actor, and TV-Bafta nominee Richard Briers. To me this basically looked like a stage performance and the consequence is that there is an occasional deal of overacting in here. This may not be a problem when you actually watch it in a theater and the performers are on stage, but for the screen I would say it hurts the overall viewing experience a lot. The writer is Hugh Cruttwell (never heard of him before, probably because this is his only writing credit) and he adapted an Anton Chekhov play here. All in all, I am not really convinced by any of the performers or men behind the camera here. i suggest you only check it out if you really love Chekhov. Otherwise, it is okay to skip it.
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