Oncoming Storm.

Concept idea based on 'the gothic'; including some of the texts I've studied at school. It's littered with references; see if you can spot them all.

Oncoming Storm

Shadows stretch onwards, through the night so dreary;

Nevermore the raven flies, its wings become so weary.

The night draws inwards; silence from all around;

Stolen whispers litter the air; hushed, the only sound.

Within those castle walls, the two lovers dream;

They sky tainted red with blood: the perfect scheme.

When with it comes murder, the king's reign at an end;

Onwards he will lie, the betrayal of a friend.

In a world elsewhere, the end becomes closer;

The final note delivered, like a music composer.

When all of a sudden, the sky shatters with thunder;

The rain lashes down; it makes us all wonder.

How the work has gone wrong, a monster creation;

A horror so breathless; the result of temptation.

The victor left broken, consumed and aggrieved;

The final realisation, of what he's conceived.

One preached to all, the root of all evil;

Money is the cause, the tale so medieval.

Another so vain, so concerned with his own needs

Selling relics with lies, laughing at those he misleads.

All through the lands, the storm rages on through;

A scientist battles onwards, he has work to pursue.

© Ben Johnson 2011.

The Struggle

Something fresh from the press. It's not too bad I suppose; something different about it though.

The Struggle

People often ponder; they pursue your every move,

Always make suggestions, fuelled with something to prove.

Instead they have no idea; they don't hold the final clue,

Nobody understands the frustration, no one really knows you.

Maybe it's just their ignorance, blinding them from sight;

I know they know you suffer; pain shatters through the night.

Silence stretches onwards; the dejection simply endless,

Ever lonely you shall wander; dreaming, forever aimless.

Reaching out for redemption, but it's merely all in vain;

Your sudden resolution: you shall never love again.

Sometimes you'll start to reason, accept that it's all over;

Our luck has but run so dry; I lost her four-leafed clover.

Resolute wistful wishes, that you know just won't come true;

Rejection cuts deep within the heart; a sword that sliced on through.

Our time together was oh so special, so treasured and so kind;

We're over now, that much is certain; but can the past be put behind?

© Ben Johnson 2011.

Frankenstein - National Theatre Live

Hey folks, long time no see. I've been a little busy recently so hence the lack of reviews. However, today I have something a bit different for you few readers that check in every now and again. Last night I was lucky enough to get to see Danny Boyle's adaptation of Frankenstein screened live from the National Theatre in London onto the big screen at Bradford's National Media Museum. The main actors - Jonny Lee Miller & Benedict Cumberbatch - alternate the roles each night, and we got to see Benedict in the role of the Creation. In any case, I'll post a little introductory paragraph from the website to introduce things, before going on to tell you my thoughts.

Benedict Cumberbatch as the Creature.

I followed nature into her lair, and stripped her of her secrets! I brought torrents of light to a darkening world! Is that wrong? 

Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein’s bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the friendless Creature, increasingly desperate and vengeful, determines to track down his creator and strike a terrifying deal.

Benedict Cumberbatch (The Creature) & Jonny Lee Miller (Victor Frankenstein)

Okay, so where on earth do I begin this one? Once again I feel that any attempt to review such a fantastic production will be in vain; for there is surely not enough superlatives to describe how wonderful this piece really was. It was a piece of theatre that simply had my captivated for two hours; from the moment Cumberbatch entered the stage, naked and writhing with the agony of a new-born, I was entranced; my eyes dared not leave the screen.

From that moment in, an intense silence settled over the audience; a tribute to how ensnared by the performance we all were. This was a silence only broken for the recognition of the many small jokes and jibes that littered the play throughout. For many, this goes somewhat against the feel of the Gothic genre, but I feel that it simply added to the performance; the relationship between the actors upon stage and the audience, sat watching in anticipation. 

The way in which the stage was designed and used for maximum potential, was just simply brilliant. There was sunshine, rain, snow; numerous props and lighting effects used fantastically and emphatically to recapture the significance of nature prominent within Mary Shelley's novel. A moving central platform allowed for quick scene changes; dynamic and infused with the energy and music to build anticipation as the players moved to the next scene.

For me the only negative was that I felt Nick Dear's script let down the piece somewhat. It's simplicity was noticed by many who watched; yet nevertheless I feel that Miller and Cumberbatch delivered their lines with such emotion and energy that the audience could not help but listen to every word. Frankenstein in essence of course, focuses on a consideration of questions: morality, love, hurt and abandonment, and I feel these are just a few of the themes that the players last night managed to deliver with such subtle genius. 

So, in conclusion I feel that this was one of the most exciting, fresh performances that I have seen in a long time; and I'm sure it will go on to be talked about by many for months and years to come. Danny Boyle, Nick Dear and everyone involved should be proud that they managed to bring a nineteenth century novel to the stage so fantastically; with a new, energetic slant and blended with the modern so brilliantly.

All in all, yesterday evening, Victor Frankenstein's Creation, truly came to life.

Black Swan

Synopsis: A ballet dancer wins the lead in "Swan Lake" and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan - Princess Odette - but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like Odile, the Black Swan.

Thoughts

Okay so for a long time I debated about whether I should finally sit down and watch this film; I'd heard good things, bad things, and of course it was winning awards aplenty. I like to think I'm not a naive person, but I foolishly led myself to believe that this would be a film solely based on ballet, and therefore I wouldn't enjoy it at all.

I can safely say now that I was wrong. The principle plot within the film is one in which we say a young girl, Nina (Natalie Portman) struggle for her breakthrough into the ballet limelight; something she's worked for, aiming for perfection all her life.

But in this case, perfect is too much. As she fights to win the lead part in Swan Lake, she struggles to let herself go; to let herself be at one with the music. She must play the parts of both the White Swan and the Black; the former she can do gracefully, wonderfully, flawlessly. However, Nina doesn't have the eccentricity or flair needed to become the Black Swan, and she goes home in tears at losing her chance; dejected, defeated and alone.

She doesn't give up, however; the next day she storms into the director's offers and asks for the place. Thomas looks at her, telling her she doesn't have the edge needed to be who he needs. He leans in to try kiss her and receives a bite to the lip in response. This makes him see that Nina has potential, casting her in the lead role and from then on transforming her life entirely.

Mystery and intrigue leave the audience captivated for the rest of the film, as we begin to see Nina consumed by the stress of her role. She becomes confused, believing Lily (Mila Kunis) her under-study, is trying to steal her role away from her. Her mind becomes a mess of incoherent thoughts, dark and disturbing, intense, leaving the audience entranced by what they are seeing on screen.

This film is simply beautifully crafted, and with such careful precision. As the audience becomes drawn in by Nina's sudden loss on reality, the film moves towards a tremendous climax; one which epitomises the entire film's message and direction. If you are interested in films which capture you and never let you go until their very conclusion; films that can be racy and mysterious, captivating yet dark and disturbing, then Black Swan is for you.

5/5.

The Rembrandt Secret - Alex Connor

Synopsis: A serial killer keeping the past's darkest secret hidden. A centuries-old conspiracy is about the explode into the present with devastating consequences. The first victim was forced to swallow stones. The second victim was whipped to death. The third was stabbed in the heart. A deadly serial killer is taking people down across London and New York. What did they all know? Why were they butchered? Who else is in the killer's sights? And how can they be stopped?

Review

Okay, so although I said I was starting this novel a few days back, I only managed to get around to starting yesterday. By the end of the day I had finished; one sitting, four hundred and forty-eight pages. A truly fantastic read.

This novel is one which is written so wonderfully; the story seemingly weaved so effortlessly, but with yet such precision. What makes the novel so intense, such a page-turner, is the pace at which the story flows. From London to New York, from galleries to exhibitions, a tale so gripping; dripping with mystery, intrigue and the blood of those murdered in an effort to keep a secret that will turn the art scene on its head, and ruin the reputation of one of the greatest artists to ever live.

The secrets are never-ending, the characters consistent in their battle for success and power; doing anything and everything to achieve their goals and stop themselves from going under. Someone believes that the papers are important enough to murder, to torture; recreating scenes in such a way that shows in a sadistic manner that he's cultured and recognises the importance of the Rembrandt letters.

Nobody can be trusted, everyone has a motive, and it's impossible to know who to have on your own side. Is it someone trustworthy, believable; someone malicious and manipulative? You'll find yourself engrossed, captivated by events, following the characters' journeys like its conclusions will go so far as to effect even you.

If you enjoy a roller-coaster of a novel; fraught with danger, deception, cunning, remorse and revenge - but at the same time littered with instances of love, affection and heartbreak - then this novel is for you. It has everything to keep you entranced, glued to your seat, for even when you think the surprises have stopped and the end reached, the shocks won't falter; everyone has something to hide, perhaps some people more than others.

5/5.