----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 10:16
AM
Subject: The Libertine
I have just seen The Libertine. What an incredibly unpleasant waste
of time.
If you are in any way likely to be put off by perpetual drunkenness,
sexual orgies, foul language, and close-ups of syphilitic sores - this is not
the movie for you.
I can attest to the fact that the sundial in the King's Privy Garden does
indeed make an appearance. It appears as though someone did some good
research - since the model seems to have all the glass spheres and layer after
layer of glass panes that the original had. It is a bit difficult to say
for sure, since the dial is seen for a total of about 5 seconds. It's
strange that it even shows up. The original reason for it's being a part
of this story was that it was Rochester who destroyed the dial - and that's
the scene as it occurs in the play on which the movie is based. However,
in the movie, the sundial shows up near the beginning - it is simply pointed
out by King Charles to Rochester with a very brief explanation - using some of
the description that is spoken by Rochester in the play.
So, the whole dial destruction does not appear in the movie - there
is no reference to it at all. The dial makes only the one very brief
appearance for no apparent reason - it plays no role in what little plot this
movie has (it's called a 'character study'). The appearance comes in the
first 10-15 minutes of the movie. So, if you want to see it and if you
can put up with the first 15 minutes, then you can see the dial and leave the
theater, knowing that, as difficult as it may have been to sit through,
that was the least objectionable portion of the movie.
At least that's my opinion.
Fred Sawyer
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