Unrestricted #2

Film: Melancholia

Lars von Trier's most recent film, Melancholia, is a study of two characters: Justine and Claire. With an impending collision with a planet named Melancholia, von Trier studies depression and what we, as humans, would do in out last moments alive. Textured, haunting and unforgettable are just a few ways to describe this terrific film. Kirstin Dunst gives the performance of her career as the frail bride-to-be Justine and Charlotte Gainsbourg, as always, delivers a nuanced, touching and highly commendable performance as Justine's troubled sister, Claire. The cinematography is beautiful and the use of Wagner's prelude to Tristan and Isolde serves to compliment the imagery perfectly in the opening and closing moments of this cinematic tour de force. Like many of von Trier's previous films, the use of hand held camerawork makes the action that bit more personal and intimate. Melancholia ranks as one of the best films of 2011 and deserves to be seen.

Literature: Joan Didion - Blue Nights

Although Joan Didion's most recent work may be seen as a follow up to her most famous memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking, Didion again manages to weave a web emroided and rife with emotion without straying too close to her previous work. Didion's work has always felt cathartic, and this does not change with Blue Nights - a novel about her daughter's death - as Didion seems to use words to challenge herself, making herself come to terms with events that have shaken her. Albeit Blue Nights can feel repetitive in parts and somewhat frustrating as Didion appears to not want to tackle the very difficult parts of her daughter's life, it is an interesting read which, as the reader, I could only find myself respecting and admiring.

Die Walkure - Opera North/BSH

Wagner's ring cycle is the epic when it comes to opera. Clocking in at nearly 20 hours for the whole cycle, 'the first evening', Die Walkure consumes nearly six of those hours and is probably Wagner's most accomplished opera in the cycle. To take on a whole cycle is a mammoth task for any opera company in both the sheer scale of the task and the amount of money involved and so for Opera North it is quite a challenge. However, it seems that Opera North has lived up to this challenge and has made Die Walkure into an exciting and thrilling opera experience.
Ingeniously, Opera North have decided to stage their cycle over four years and in concert form, leaving behind the gimmicks and fireworks other production fall back on when staging the cycle. This decision by Opera North has to be applauded as it was a huge risk to take - would it leave the audience unengaged? Would we eventually loose interest? I can happily report that it had the complete opposite effect. The five and a half hours passed by in an flash and we, as the audience, were left craving the second day of the cycle; Siegfried. What this staging gave the audience was a chance to fully immerse themselves in the music as for once the orchestra were not hidden in the orchestra pit of the Royal Opera House or at many alike theatres, instead we could see the music being created first hand - something which I believe is vital when it comes to any opera.
Besides from the orchestral staging, another impressive artistic decision taken by Opera North was to have a triptych of screens above the orchestra which were flooded with beautiful and mesmerising video footage such as a dense, snowy forest in Siegmund's escape and the running stream turning a blood red at his death. The screens really added another dimension to what was already a wonderful production.
The cast were all at the top of their game, bringing the fiery intensity needed for every character in Die Walkure. Erik Nelson Werner gave a passionate account of a man who's love for Sieglinde meant more than life and Katarina Karneus gave a brilliant diva-like quality to Fricka. The Valkyries also gave stellar performances, pleading with their father to not punish their beloved sister.
Five stars somehow does not seem a high enough rating to give this exquisite concert hall staging of Wanger's masterpiece. Everything seamlessly fell into place and helped create a truly unique afternoon at the opera. I will most definitely be in attendance at Opera North's staging of Siegried, the next (and penultimate) opera in Der Ring de Nibelungen.