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~ The
Canterbury Tales 1998
n. Leaving
London (vol 1)
n. Arriving
at Canterbury (vol 2)
n. The
Journey Back (vol 3)
TV
S4C/BBC Wales animated 3/6 x 28 mins (Chaucer english/modern)
Cast
includes: Sean Bean, Ken Dodd Canon,
Tim McInnery Pardoner, Bob Peck Chaucer,
David Trougton Friar, Neil
Dudgeon Miller, Ronan
Vibert Squire
In
The Knight's Tale: Ronan Vibert
Arcite,
Neil
Dudgeon Palamon, Richard
Griffiths Saturn,
Imelda
Staunton Princess.
Availablity:
PAL:
3 videos sporadically available
Excellent animated Chaucer adaptation: the films are voiced
first in Modern English, then in Chaucer English, making them accessible
and invaluable teaching resources for secondary schools.
Ronan has several voice parts in these films:
in the ongoing narrative of the Pilgrims, he is the Squire; son of the
Knight, he has "killed Frenchman and Infidels, all for his Lady's love...he
can dance and versify". Vibert voices him as an archly posh type
who would be happy in the London social 'Season'. Get the
second part, Arriving at Canterbury, for the Squire's first lines,
and the third, The Journey Back, for the Squire's Tale.
The Knight's Tale looks at the cruelty of the Gods, and
the inevitablility of Fate. Palamon (Dudgeon) and Arcite (Vibert) are taken
prisoner after the fall of Thebes, where they are both struck by Venus-inspired,
overpowering love for the Princess.
Arcite is freed, but banished, returning
on pain of death to work as the Princess' Page so that he can worhsip her
from afar. Palamon escapes confinement and fights a duel with Arcite. They
are interrupted by the King, who challenges them to each raise a 100-strong
army, promising the Princess' hand to the winner of the ensuing battle.
Arcite is promisd by Mars that he will be
victorious in battle, Palamon is promised by Venus that he will win the
Princess' love. Both predictions come true when Arcite is suddenly crushed
by his horse during the victory parade, his gasping deathbed wish to his
newly-bethrothed being "Remember Palamon -- he is a gentle man".
In The Squire's Tale, you get a self-deprecating
introduction to a fantastical tale of flying brass horses, speaking
birds, and invincible swords. Dudgeon pops up again as a bewitched bird,
and Vibert reciprocates by turning in a great bumbling, arse-kissing
(literally), vain, hapless suitor to the local tart in the Miller's
suitably vulgar ending tale.
The voicing of these stories
is brilliantly done, with an array of regional/class accents bringing
both middle-english, and the tales themselves, to life in a vibrant and
accessible form. The middle-english version is voiced very quickly, and
it seems that the actors' classically-trained voices revert more to their
original accents: Ronan therefore rolls his rrrrs a little more than the
other actors.
RONAN
QUOTES
-
In
the Knight's Tale (Video 1: Leaving London - 20% content)
-
"I loved
her first as a woman. What did you say?--'Is she a woman or divine?'
-
""Love
is the supreme rule -- it's each man for himself"
-
"If I
don't win her favour, I am dead"
-
"Now is
me shape eternally to dwelle, noght in purgatory, but in helle"
-
During
the Pilgrims' progress (Video 2: Arriving at Canterbury - 3%
content)
-
"I've
had enough gloomy tales. We don't want to hear about established people
coming to grief. What abayt [about] when a mayne [man] starts
orf
[off]
in the fields and makes something of himself?"
n.
Neil Dudgeon, who co-voiced with
Vibert, worked with him again in the Mrs
Bradley Mysteries (PAL
VIDEO NEEDED).See
What
Goes Around Comes Around in Loose
Ends for a list of recurring co-stars.
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