BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS
UK, 2003, 108 minutes, Colour.
Charles Campbell Moore, Emily Mortimer, Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Dan Aykroyd, Julia Mc Kenzie, Jim Broadbent, Stockard Channing, Bill Paterson, Imelda Staunton, Harriet Walter, Simon Keller, John Mills, Stephen Fry, Nigel Planer, Angela Thorne, Margaret Tyczak, Jim Carter, James Mc Evoy.
Directed by Stephen Fry.
Stephen Fry, who portrayed Oscar Wilde in the film of that name, sees himself as something of a successor to Wilde in being a satirist, a wit and an elegant critic of British society and its pretensions. One could add more than a dose of Evelyn Waugh in his 1920s and 1930s novels to that description. That is why it seems very appropriate that Fry should adapt Waugh's portrait of uppercrust butterflies of the 30s, Vile Bodies, to the screen.
One of the major difficulties of reading Waugh and watching Fry's version is that most of the characters are unattractive twits, all a-twitter, imagining that they are God's gift to England and caught up in a superficial world of wealth, extravagance, narcissisms. It is a gaudy and gay world of parties, race meetings and incessant gossip. For those who find such characters obnoxious and unbearable, it may be hard to sit through their stories even though you know that Waugh and Fry are going to make some moral conclusions by the end of the film. In fact, with the outbreak of World War II, this world collapses and some sense of responsibility emerges on the bright young things' scene.
Fry has a very large British cast, young things in the central roles like Charles Campbell More, Emily Mortimer, Michael Sheen and David Tennant and a great number of old things in supporting roles, Jim Broadbent as an eccentric drunken major, Peter O' Toole doing an excellent comic turn as an eccentrically doddering father, Julia Mc kenzie as an old-fashioned landlady, Dan Aykroyd parodying the North American media moguls who dominated the British press and even John Mills doing some cocaine.
Glossy, glitzy satire.
1. Stephen Fry and his writing, acting? His being in the tradition of Oscar Wilde? His being in the tradition of Evelyn Waugh's characters? His adaptation of the novel, the bright dialogue, the use of Waugh's language? His interpretation of Waugh's themes? The interpretation of the 30s?
2. Evelyn Waugh, satire on the bright young things of the 30s? His enjoying their lifestyle as well as satirising it and critiquing it? The significance of the war, the changing of the 30s, the disappearance of the bright young things? A greater sense of responsibility and a greater sense of relationships?
3. The title, Waugh's original title, Vile Bodies? Adam's speech about the bright young things and his inclusion of 'vile bodies'?
4. The structure of the film: the story of five of the bright young things, the framework of the parties and the culmination of the war? The social whirl, the media, society, gossip, scandal? Surface glitter? How much depth underneath?
5. The opening party, Inferno, the lively style, costumes, dancing, hedonism? The introduction to Nina and to Miles, their being bored? Drinking, drugs, sex? The photographer and his finding the ticket, getting in, the photographs, his being discovered, the pursuit, his final photo? Their publication? Mr Chatterbox and the importance of the gossip column in the papers?
6. The transition to Adam, sailing to Dover, his problems with the Customs, the novel, the pseudonym, the obtuseness of the Customs officers, that they knew best, keeping filthy literature out of England? His exasperation, loss of possible income? The encounter with Agatha, her flightiness, her reaction to being searched? Their travelling to London, the taxi, his going to the hotel, the promise of the party? His ringing Nina, the callow conversation, the possibilities of marriage, dependence on income? The lack of depth?
7. Adam at Shepherd's Hotel, Lottie and her friendliness, paying his bill? Meeting Ginger, the coin trick, winning a thousand pounds, the Major taking it to put on a horse? His research about the horse and its not being any good? The irony of being at the races, the horse winning, his glimpsing the Major, trying to call out to him, not being heard? The meetings with the Major, the promise of the money? His appearances and disappearances? His resignation to not having the money? The irony of wandering during the war, meeting him as a General? Getting the money? Jim Broadbent's caricature of the drinking Major?
8. Nina, her background, her eccentric father, Adam going to see him, the lack of welcome, the confusion with the carpet sweeper man, the meal, giving him the cheque but signed 'Charlie Chaplin', later 'Greta Garbo'? Nina and her wanting money, the engagement to Adam, their being at the parties, being in each other's company, the outings, the races? The meeting with Ginger and her knowing him from the past? Going off with him, breaking the engagement, becoming engaged to Ginger? Adam and his reaction, never wanting to see her again? His selling her off to pay his debt to Lottie? After the war, thinking she was dead, meeting Ginger, his black market deals, buying Nina and the boy back? A future for them both?
9. Adam, the press tycoon, coming from North America, the critique of the English? His policy, pressure, bombastic? His wanting Adam to write the novel, to write the column, forbidding him to include such things as green bowler hats? The irony of Nina writing the column? His being fired? Miles becoming the new Mr Chatterbox? The role of MrChatterbox? in society, Adam and his inventing characters, everybody wanting to read them? The irony of original Mr Chatterbox, his age, lack of experience, resentment by the upper class? His getting into the party, unmasked by the Prime Minister and the assistants, his going home, ringing in absolutely scandalous stories (while the ordinariness was visualised)? Putting his head in the oven and killing himself? Miles and his turn as Mr Chatterbox?
10. Miles, the homosexual background, relationship with his mother? His outrageous behaviour, parties? Outings, Mr Chatterbox, at the races? His relationship with the racing driver? The racing driver, the rally, Agatha and the cocaine, being the substitute driver, driving the car away, through the countryside? Miles and his upset, the visit to the hospital to Agatha, the dark glasses, his having to leave the country?
11. Agatha, flighty, saying inane things? At Dover, at the parties, the discussions about Mr Chatterbox? Her being given a lift home by the prime minister's daughters, her faux pas(*pax?) in the prime minister's house, her being photographed, the newspaper scandal and his having to resign? Her going to the rally, the substitute driver, her mental collapse, finishing up in hospital? Glimpses of recovery, lapses?
12. Ginger, his being in Ceylon, his tricks with the coins, losing 1000 pounds to Adam? The meeting with Nina, the offer of money, the engagement? The encounters with Adam, the discussions of money? Adam finally selling Nina off to pay his rent? Ginger, the marriage, the outbreak of the war, Adam discovering his black market activities, his having to leave the country, going to North America where this was acceptable? His getting the money, which came originally from his 1000 pounds?
13. Lottie, running the hotel, her friendship with her guests, exiled royalty and other nobility? Her friendship with Adam, helping him, paying his debts?
14. The prime minister, his manner, his prim wife, the children going to the party, bringing Agatha home, her behaviour, with the prime minister, at the table, leaving and embarrassing him? His later being at the party and being paranoid about the spy, unmasking Mr Chatterbox, confronting him?
15. The party types, having John Mills as one of the guests and snorting cocaine, the dowagers? The importance of Mrs Ape and her angels, on the ship, the vomit? The song at the party - and the inane religious lyrics, American style? Her chaperoning the angels, her confrontation of the guests, challenging them? Her being quietened by Miles' mother? The aftermath of the Mr Chatterbox scandals, her anger?
16. The media, the comment on the public's insatiable appetite for gossip? The photographers, the scandalous people photos? Mr Chatterbox? The made-up scandals, the made-up characters?
17. The ex-king, his being exiled, at Shepherd's Hotel, his story about the gold fountain pen - and Adam restoring it to him?
18. The Customs officers, Evelyn Waugh and Stephen Fry's satire on their self-righteous obtuseness?
19. The gallery of characters, the re-creation of the 30s - from the perspective of flighty society? The racing car driver's reaction and asking, "Who are these people?"
