Kiss Me, Petruchio (1981 TV Movie)
10/10
A powerful acting lesson
19 September 2005
I came across a VHS of this doc in a university library when I first began acting. This little known gem proves how powerful these two actors were/are, most especially with Shakespeare's language. It basically follows Raul Julia and Meryl Streep in interviews backstage during their performance of "Taming of the Shrew" in Central Park as well as their scenes together on stage. In Tibetan , the word "dorje" means thunderbolt, as in the thunderbolt that strikes a person when they gain a certain enlightenment; I was struck with that when I saw this film. The ease and perfection at which they took this "foreign" language and made it so vividly real, understandable and entertaining cannot be described. Ms. Streeps first entrance as Kate is GENIUS. All of Kate and Petruchio's scenes burn with charisma, passion and chemistry. The final scene with couple, always a problem of equal rights on paper (and many a time on stage), is played out smart and subtle. All students of Shakespeare and believers in the power of theatre must seek this out.
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