National Theatre Live: Obsession (2017) User Reviews

First experience of Streamed theatre!

[jboyd546 · 8/10 · 11 May 2017]

As a lover of theatre and musicals it has long been a dream of mine to see a stage show with a big name actor in it... however this is made difficult by living in Northern Ireland. So when they started introducing NTL to my local cinemas I though it would be a chance to cross this off my wish list.

I was not disappointed! The play was superb, and only after viewing did I realise it was the same story as 'the postman always rings twice'. The director decided to forgo lavish sets and instead went for a minimalist approach having only 2 or 3 props on stage throughout the entire show which allowed your imagination to fill in the gaps but always allowed all of the focus to be on the powerhouse performances of its too leads. I have always been a fan of Jude Law and to see him do his thing without fancy editing or retakes was a thing of beauty. The chemistry between the two stars was excellent and watching it on a cinema screen allowed for close ups of the actors faces! Without spoiling anything a scene near the end where his word are emotional but his face emotionless stood out to me as a perfect representation of how his character felt in the situation he had found himself.

All in all I really enjoyed the experience and look forward to seeing angels in America next month with Andrew Garfield as the lead!

Destructive passion

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 3 June 2019]

Have always loved seeing the National Theatre Live productions. And in such an accessible way too in terms of price and location, yet the atmosphere is so authentic. The same goes for opera and ballet at the cinema. A vast majority of productions of theatre, opera and ballet shown on these live screenings are long in length but when done right it is a more than very rewarding evening. And that is the case with most seen, though there has been the odd disappointment.

This production of an unfamiliar, prior to watching, play to me 'Obsession' is an interesting one. Have seen much better productions from the National Theatre Live series to be honest, ones that consistently engaged and moved me. It is far from a disappointment, because on the whole it was a good production with much to admire. Will admit to not being the biggest fan of the play 'Obsession' itself, like its atmosphere and it is a long way from passionless. It is not always easy to follow though and Hanna's motives especially of the characters are underdeveloped and don't always make sense. Just personal opinion though and probably not one shared by many.

Minimalist production design can go either way. There are times where it can be distracting and makes one wonder why the choice was made and why the designers/director didn't go for the more traditional approach (especially when there is a time period and setting that's specific). There are other times where it's interesting, adds to the drama and when the concept is explained beforehand it makes more sense, regardless of whether you agree with it or not. In the case of 'Obsession', the approach does not distract and fits with the production's/play's themes. The same goes for the sparseness, as the use of dialogue and music are sparse too. Visually in this case, it is not quite to my taste, the drab, dim look doesn't attract and at times it was too dark.

'Obsession's' drama does grip thanks to the performances and their chemistry, but when one is trying to figure out what's going on it does perplex at the same time.

However, the choice to have the music sparsely used was not a bad one. That way the drama had more intimacy, and when the music was used it didn't feel random in placement and to me it fitted the tone. The dialogue is also sparse, again an interesting choice and doesn't come off too badly. It is thoughtful dialogue and doesn't get over-heated. The direction is very sympathetic to the cast and doesn't allow the production to lose momentum, even if the clarity isn't always there.

Really felt the full impact of 'Obsession's' theme of destructive passion. There is plenty of passion, thanks to the cast and their chemistry again, and it is intense and moving. The reason to see 'Obsession' is the cast, with everybody being uniformly outstanding. Jude Law especially is an absolute powerhouse, some of his best acting in quite some time and he is riveting in his chemistry with heartfelt Halina Reijn. The editing is indeed never too fancy and neither does it feel too restricted. With the way the production was filmed for the live screening, one really does see the power of what is going on on stage and you see things, big and little, that is not noticed in the theatre, another remarkable thing about these live cinema screenings.

In conclusion, it sounds from my review that this production is a bad one. Actually found a lot to admire about it and could see that a lot of effort went into it, but if it was a play that appealed to me more it would have been an even better experience. 7/10

Ivo van Hove's adaptation of Obsession.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 10/10 · 30 May 2017]

Needing to take some forms into town to get completed,I decided to see what was being shown at the cinema. Finding the listings to be filled with inane-sounding blockbusters,I was taken aback to spot a "live" theatrical adaptation of Luchino Visconti's Film Noir Ossessione (which I've sadly not yet seen.) Finding the National Theatre versions of Frankenstein and Coriolanus( 2011 & 2014-both also reviewed) to be extremely distinctive versions,I got set to see a Film Noir on stage.

View on the film:

Stripping the Film Noir world bare,co-writer/(with Simon Stephens and Jan Peter Gerrits trims the set down to the bare elements,with a bar table,an engine (which spills oil over the stage) accordions in glass and a shower creating a minimalist landscape where Gino is isolated.

Brilliantly using the "filmed" aspect of the production, Hove charges up a cinematic Noir atmosphere,in overlapping shots of Gino's face,stylish side shots behind Joseph's shoulders,and oil poring like an open wound against dour lights,offering aspects that viewers of the stage show could not see.

Adapting Luchino Visconti's adaptation of James M. Cain's book (!) the writers brilliantly balance Italian Neo-Realism with deep-fried US Film Noir. Limiting themselves to seven characters,the writers give each of them a Noir loner state of mind,from the abusive dialogue of Joseph to the gasping for freedom from Gino.

Drinking up the soundtracks mix of Opera and The Stooges,the writers strike the minimalism of Italian Neo-Realism with a deep-fried fury of southern Film Noir,with Gino and Hanna's lust simmering with a deadly passion,and a fellow drifter giving the tale a homoerotic undertone.

Spitting orders at Hanna, Gijs Scholten van Ascha gives a fantastic performance as Joseph,whose southern charm Ascha cracks with blunt exchanges fuelling the unease between the trio. Bravely appearing naked on stage, Halina Reijn gives a magnificent performance as Hanna,who sizzles as a seducing Femme Fatale in Hanna's brief encounters with Gino,which Reijn tones down,once she has set Joseph and Gino off.

Wandering into the Noir darkness, Jude Law gives an excellent performance as Gino,that hits a sensuality in the lingering touches with Hanna and a deepening helplessness of this inn not being a safe haven from drifting Noir.