Much Ado About Nothing Book Vs Movie

Whedon's production of Much Ado About Nothing is a modern, black and white retelling of the famous Shakespeare play of the same name which tells the story of love and deceit between two couples: Hero and Claudio, and Beatrice and Benedick. While Hero and Claudio court and prepare to marry each other, Beatrice and Benedick steal the show away with their wit, humor, and constant bickering. Though they both insist that they hate each other, the flashback presented at the start of the film suggests that there is far more to the story than meets the eye. While the style of the film certainly enhances the story being told, making it a timeless classic entangled with modern society, it is the ensemble cast that work both individually and as a unit which make the film a true masterpiece, as well as the genius idea of a change in scenery that propels a sense of realism not often found in your average Shakespeare adaptation.
Having never read Much Ado About Nothing, I was surprised to find that I greatly enjoyed the film in spite of the minimal knowledge I had about the play.

The audience with whom I watched the film had varying experiences with the play as well, but we were all pleasantly surprised at how interesting and captivating Whedon's adaptation turned out to be. Everyone laughed at the right times, and while there was certainly character confusion for those unfamiliar with the play, it didn't block anyone's ability to enjoy the film. Though Whedon's Much Ado adaptation can be classified as an arthouse film directed towards a specific type of audience (particularly Shakespeare fans), it is important to note the accessibility of this film towards any viewer, regardless of previous experience (or lack thereof) with the play. This is in part due to the more natural speech used by the actors in this production. By having the actors focus more on their reactions to each other than the rhythm of Shakespeare's lines, the audience is able to follow along easier and enjoy the humor hidden behind every word, particularly the bawdy sexual innuendos at the tip of nearly every characters' tongue, which can especially be found within Beatrice’s witty lines on Benedick’s personal affairs (such as at the beginning of the film, when the messenger tells Beatrice that Benedick has been a good soldier and she replies “And a good soldier to the ladies.”)
Whedon's method makes Shakespeare's outdated language easier to understand, it also causes the timing for delivery to be slightly off, and in the process some of the wit that could only be enjoyed from the proper speech is lost to the audience. The decision to implement a more natural flow of speech to Shakespeare’s traditionally rhythmic lines pays off overall – especially when it comes to the audience’s newly found capability to understand Shakespeare’s language. That being said, Whedon’s decision not to modify certain lines or, at the very least, create modern analogies for outdated sections of the line is a slight hindrance to the film. There are still references that, in spite of all the modernization done to the play, completely fly over the audiences' heads and cause some of the humor to be lost simply because they are no longer relevant. If Whedon had tweaked certain lines to be more representative of the modern culture he attempts to imitate, then surely the film could be called a masterpiece of a translation. Another questionable element of the film is the use of white flash cuts to indicate a new scene is another element of the film that is more of a hindrance than help. Instead of following the traditional editing technique of cutting footage so that we leave one scene and are thrown directly into the next, Much Ado uses the white flash cuts to achieve the same effect. Whether the cuts were designed to highlight the black and white style or were chosen because they looked cool, the cuts are a personal distraction throughout. However, it must be noted that the cuts do give the audience a few moments to deliberate on what has just occurred in the previous scene, particularly when it occurs after a dramatic or important event.
One of the most successful elements in Whedon’s adaptation is the modernization of the setting. Though typical European settings such as the sloping hills, gray moors, and castles are all aesthetically pleasing and traditional elements of a Shakespearian film, these same overdone settings often create a sense of detachment from the story presented. This detachment can often prove to be a detriment to the story by making the play seem almost like fantasy, which makes the film less realistic as a consequence. Whedon’s decision to locate Much Ado to a Californian mansion allows viewers to still see a visual representation of wealth and royalty (such as in the fine furniture and the expansive exterior estate) and instantly form a personal connection to the setting through the knowledge that this is not just a mansion but also a home. The castles Shakespeare once wrote about are certainly out of date for most of the world, so having the play take place in something relevant and familiar to today's culture highlights the attempt to truly modernize the play and connect with the audience.
In fact, the setting is by far the element which best works for the film. Whedon’s decision to use his own house adds a sense of realism simply because the house looks (and is) lived in. The familiarity of the home works in Whedon’s favor for this adaptation since that is the element that makes the set work. For example, using his daughter's bedroom at the start of the film for Benedick and Claudio – two men back from the “wars” that are reminiscent of classic film gangsters – to discuss love adds a childlike ignorance to the scene as well as an element of comfort that could not be found in a barren castle room.
The house is not the only well-done setting in the film; the surrounding landscape and the expansive acreage attached to Whedon's home offers additional locations for the actors to appear in as well as modernizes some of the more poignant scenes. In the scene where Leonato, Claudio, and Don Pedro all play their part in tricking Benedick into admitting he is in love with Beatrice, the audience is shown the landscape (such as the beautiful stone stairs, the never-ending grass lawn, and the sparse but elegant shrubbery around the property) as well as the interior of the house in a spectacular way. As Benedick dodges, ducks, and attempts to hide from sight all in an effort to eavesdrop, we get glimpses of the sweeping lawn and the sparse shrubbery that highlights it, as well as the beautiful windows and glass-paned doors surrounding the interior. The visually interesting exterior also offers props for Benedick to indirectly use, such as a loose leaf that he attempts to hide his face with, and a presumably ceramic pot that we can assume is sitting outside based on the off-screen sound of him breaking it as he jumps to the ground.
The ensemble cast is one of the most outstanding casts featured in a Shakespearian film. As is tradition with most adaptations of Much Ado About Nothing regardless of medium, Beatrice and Benedick steal the show away from the rest of the characters, and Whedon's film is no exception. Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof – who play Beatrice and Benedict, respectively – perform as separate parts of a unit that function as well on their own as they do with each other. Their chemistry is raw, real, and a bit ridiculous, but this portrayal works for Benedick and Beatrice's bitterly sarcastic egos. Acker and Denisof create a heavy yet comic tension that carries throughout the entire film, which is particularly noticeable in the moments where no words are spoken at all – such as in the flashback at the beginning of the film, in which Benedick is about to leave Beatrice (who is pretending to be asleep), where both Benedick's face as he watches her and Beatrice's hurt expression after he leaves speaks volumes for why they're so bitter later on. Separately, Denisof and Acker offer different but equally amazing strengths to their character portrayals. Denisof is best known for his humor and charm in the role of Benedick, particularly in the aforementioned scene in which he attempts to eavesdrop on the conversation. Meanwhile, Acker is a master at translating the hurt Beatrice still carries from her one night stand into Beatrice's constant stream of witty remarks. Nathan Fillion as Dogberry and Tom Lenk as Verges also offer equally fabulous performances as both plot devices and comedic relief, with Fillion particularly standing out due to Dogberry's oblivious nature (i.e. when Dogberry says "Be vigitant" instead of saying "Be vigilant"). When the duo gets locked out of their car after delivering the news that Hero had been framed, it only modernizes their stupidity and inadequacies as characters, which Fillion and Lenk play up extremely well.
In spite of the faults Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing has, it is overwhelmingly successful, particularly in achieving the style that Whedon had in mind.

The modernization of nearly outdated and cliché settings typically used for Shakespearian plays such as Much Ado helps enforce Whedon's attempt to make the film and play familiar, as well as creates accessibility for the audience regardless of how well they may understand Shakespeare's language. Both the ensemble and individual cast members assist in achieving Whedon's vision by creating an atmosphere that seems familiar if only that it could be our own family and friends throwing that same banter back and forth between each other. Their playful and occasionally raw performances combine with a spectacular setting to help make Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing a stellar film that is a nearly perfect modern translation of a classic, centuries old

tale.