Movies Part One. Shakespeare?

I tried pretty hard to find who originally said "Shakespeare is eternal".  This phrase seems to be quoted by everyone who has ever taught high school English.  I couldnt find it.  What I did find, though, was a preface to The Norton Shakespeare, 1st edition, by Stephen Greenblatt.  Greenblatt states, "the celebration of Shakespeare's genius has become, over the centuries, an institutionalized rite of civility [. . .] he has himself come to seem like a creating nature: the common bond of humankind, the principle of hope, the symbol of the imagination's power to transcend time-bound beliefs and assumptions, peculiar historical circumstances, and specific artistic conventions".

Greenblatt basically says "Shakespeare is eternal" due to the insights into the human condition through his art.  This is why Shakespeare is just as relevant in 1600 as he is in 2010.  The human condition doesnt really change much.  You may ask why this is important on a blog about Gnomes...  normally nothing, unless you realize that Disney and Miramax made an animated film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet starring GNOMES!

I was a little skeptical about an animated feature clearly aimed at children which is supposed to end in tragedy.
Everyone knows the story: "two households, both alike in dignity" hate each other.  But a son of one house and daughter of the other fall in love, and are ultimately destroyed by their feuding families.  Greenblatt points out in his intro to Romeo and Juliet, that Shakespeare is "dependent on coincidence, mischance, and accident to produce what the Chorus calls the lovers misadventured piteous overthrows".

The film is lovely.  Gnomes are awesome by nature, and the film shows the life of actual lawn gnomes when people are not around.  I believe the term is anthropomorphism.  The story begins to follow Shakespeare, setting up a feud that goes back so far that neither side knows why they fight.  There is a balcony scene, and a duel scene which sees the end of Tybalt.

However, at the point in the story where the coincidence, mischance and accident ought to lead to tragedy, the character of Gnomeo meets the statue of Shakespeare.  It is here that there is a discussion on fate versus free will.  Gnomeo is able to save the day, nearly missing his tragic ending.

Most, I think, would blanch at the thought of a classic story changed for the sake of making money off of child movie-goers.  But I think the message of a happy ending to a love story is just as important as one of dismal failure.  After all, the feuding families have the same reaction in both situations.  The red and blue gnomes realize their hatred is unfounded and jeopardized everything they loved, and the Montagues and Capulets realized that their hatred cost them the lives of their most cherished family members.  Aside from the two lovers dying in each others arms, the story has a happy ending.  everyone decides to get along.  A great sacrifice is given to end uncivil behavior in both stories.  The gnome story, though, has shit blow up.  way cool!

In conclusion, definately worth a watch, especially for Shakespeare people.  You can either watch in disgust as Shakespeare is put through the consumerist ringer, or enjoy an innocent kids movie that transcends human emotion, and time-bound beliefs while lifting up a principle of hope.