Bethany Womack

ENG 474

Dr. Rahimzadeh

March 21, 2019

Performance Review: As You Like It

I chose to do my performance review on the black and white, 1936 movie version of As

You Like It, adapted by J.M. Barrie and Robert Cullen. I was skeptical of watching such an aged

production, but I am happy with my choice as I gained a lot of insight from this version. This

adaption of the play did an exceptionally good job developing meaningful relationships between

characters through the way that they interact that add depth to the play as a whole.

One of the most prominent and passionate relationships within the play is that of Orlando

and his brother, Oliver. In the opening scene of the movie, their warped, anger-filled

relationships is showcased blatantly. During the scene where Orlando is talking to Adam about

how fed up he is with his older brother treating him so poorly, he very forcefully gets up and

stalks over to Oliver. In this adaption, the director decided that there was not a great need to

mince words. Instead, Orlando immediately thrusts himself on top of Oliver and tries to strangle

him. This physical violence shown so early sets the tone for the hostility that is to continue.

Oliver’s hatred is also shown in the scene where he makes Charles promise to break

Orlando’s neck in the wrestling match. Both the addition of sinister music as well as Oliver’s

body language establish how serious Oliver is about his brother’s death. As he is telling Charles

he must break Orlando’s neck, Oliver is jabbing his finger into Charles’ chest to drive the point

home. This bit of physical aggression adds to how serious and desperate Orlando is for his

brother to be terminated. This, plus his monologue where he admits to not knowing why he hates
his brother so while staring directly into the camera, adds an element of evil. Without seeing this

scene acted out well, the reader could be tempted to downplay Oliver’s hatred. Anyone with

siblings has probably wanted to “break their neck.” However, the sinister monologue and the

grave way he speaks to Charles shows that Oliver’s distaste goes beyond a mere tiff between

brothers.

While familial relationships are prominent (especially the one between Orlando and

Oliver), romantic relationships also play a hugely important role in the play. In fact, romantic

motivation spurs the majority of the play. The most noteworthy one, and the one that was

portrayed particularly well in this adaption, is the relationship between Orlando and Rosalind.

This movie did a really great job of showing how desperate and intense of a longing that they

have for each other. The first sign of this comes after Rosalind congratulates Orlando on winning

the wrestling match against Charles. She’s leaving and the camera pans first to a long, winding,

grand staircase and then to Orlando’s face staring after her the whole way up with a dreamy look

in his eyes. This begins the pining that he feels. Rosalind’s infatuation kickstarts shortly after and

is seen through the body language that the actress uses. After the encounter, when she is talking

of her passions with Celia in their room, she is deeply sighing and waltzing around her room,

draping herself over her furniture with a faraway look in her eyes.

Their mutual infatuation continues and eventually ends in marriage, but the wooing

process is very effectively portrayed especially through the poetry carving on trees and pretend

marriage ceremony and exchange of affections between Orlando and disguised Rosalind.

Orlando is shown not just posting papers with poetry written on them, but actually carving poetry

into trees. He uses a relatively large dagger that he throws into the tree before he carves out

poetry into the bark. The dramatism of this further adds to the excessive amount of longing
Orlando has for Rosalind. The feeling is obviously reciprocated as well through Rosalind. The

whole time she is dressed like a man and pretending to give Orlando advice on love and how to

woo the “real” Rosalind, she is absolutely giddy. She never stands still, hovers near him at all

times, and is generally giggly and childlike, obviously overcome with love for him.

Watching this play be acted out gave me some new insight into another relationship that I

honestly did not think too much of when just reading the play. While Orlando and Rosalind’s

relationship is built on mutual love and affection, Silvius and Phoebe’s relationship is in direct

contrast. Seeing their dynamic portrayed in this adaption of the play opened my eyes to how their

relationship is a perfect example of the original, stereotypical Petrarchan relationship. Just like

Petrarch, Silvius is practically worshipping a woman that wants nothing to do with him for the

majority of the play, and even when she does want him, it is only because she finds out the one

who she truly loves is a woman. Silvius’ love for Phoebe is completely desperate. Throughout

the movie, he follows and pines after her like a lost puppy begging for her affections. Phoebe,

following the original Petrarchan woman’s footsteps, is cold. She is so cold. Even though Silvius

dutifully pursues, pursues, pursues, she equally as dutifully rejects, rejects, rejects. Her distaste

for Silvius is so strong that once, when the disguised Rosalind is criticizing her and Silvius tries

to stop it, Phoebe says to Rosalind, “I’d rather hear you chide than this man woo.” She says this

with the snarkiest of eye-rolls and a ton of conviction.

Eventually, as anyone who has read or seen the play knows, everyone ends up with their

“right” partner at the end. However, the way that these two couples particularly are portrayed in

this movie adaption gave me a much deeper understanding of the characters as individuals as

well as the relationships and dynamics between them. Because of how well the adversity and

deep emotions were presented, the ultimate triumph of love in the play is that much more
fulfilling and exciting. Additionally, because of how severe and ugly Orlando and Oliver’s

relationship was depicted, the mending of it in the end is that much sweeter. As a whole, this

movie version of As You Like It really deepened my understanding of the characters and the

relationships between them because of how well they were developed and presented through

their emotional expression and interpersonal interactions.