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"The History is a dried fruit under a sauce of today"� There
were, it seems, the words of Martti Larni from his book "The Fourth Vertebra", which didn't
lose its actuality at the present time, though it was issued almost 40 (or 50?) years ago. And
can you imagine, that the dressing for this sauce is sometimes prepared by someone, who doesn't
know about it, yes-yes, Timothy Dalton! But� Patience, dear readers, patience!
"Cromwell" is a cinema-story about the one of the most dramatic
periods in the British history - the times of the Civil war of 1642-1648, the hard and critical
time of struggle, when the bourgeois parliamentarian republic achieved victory upon absolutism.
The main heroes of this drama - Oliver Cromwell and the King Charles I. Film's plot is based
upon the stiff fight between these two men and their supporters.
Alec Guinness conducts his role of the retreating and losing his
supporters monarch blamelessly. He gives us the most striking instance of royalty even in the
defeat scenes, where Charles fail not only in home policy and civil war, but in his own life.
Richard Harris shows Cromwell as a provincial, a little bit clodhopping man of people, who is
certainly a civil libertarian with the powerful, but sometimes heavyish mind, cast-iron will
and resolution to drive the nail home - to finish state reconstruction.
Timothy Dalton has a bit part here (no longer, than 10-15
minutes of screen time). But his role is very important for supporting the characters of
Cromvell and Charles. He portrays prince Rupert, the one of the most talented warlords and
soldiers among the royalists. His task - not only to be the enemy and direct opposite to
Cromwell in his war affairs, but to play full defeat of Charles after his battle of Bristol.
It's surprising, how could Tim to live on the screen all
Rupert's life: from hot-spirited and self-assured youth to death-blow to his hopes, the stain
of a former defeat and exilement.
For the first time we watch Timothy in the battle scene, where
not that Charles's troops were soundly defeated, but they didn't score an advantage too. Timothy's
Rupert appears, taking a fast horse. He is charged with energy and power, with juvenile ardour.
He is ready to vanquish the enemy, to be more accurate - he thinks of it, that he can do. This
determination to fight to the end exists in every his micro-motion, in his voice, in the
intonation, in all his image. And this personality arrests your attention, because you see the
almost living picture of an ancient master - the rider and his horse moved together as a whole,
they nearly fly forward. Very soon the horse cavalry under Rupert's commands puts the parliament
one to flight and it would win, "if Rupert in fact didn't leave battlefield, being busy with
driving the parliament troops and looting their regimental trains" [L.1].
We don't remember, that in the movie Rupert did anything like
this written above. There were the words of historians or litterateurs, who writes about
historical events. In the movie Rupert, after smelling powder, looks not so brave, as at the
first time, because when he goes into action with the troop of Cromwell again, the last uses
all the best that the nephew of the King showed in the former fight. Something new, almost
timid has appeared in his view, when he comes to staff of Charles with white poodle on his
arms. His ambrosial locks are tousled a little and his motions are not so determined, like
earlier.
The scene of Charles' defeat after Bristol's fall is one of the
most bright in the film. Hurt Rupert gets a command of Charles to leave England almost like a
traitor. He is pitiable and beautiful simultaneously in his aspiration of dying at the hand of
the King to wipe off the stain of a former defeat and an exclusion from a country. But Charles
stays inexorable - exilement. Yes, one more supporter left him, and bad is the best for Charles
now�
Being incompetent in the field of British history, we went to
the library trying to find there any information about the real heroes of that historical drama
and compare their historical, literary characteristics and, may be, their intravital portraits
with the images given us by English actors in 1970.
We've found, that prince Rupert was a nephew to Charles,
"he was a son of his sister, Bohemian Queen and her consort, Frederick, prince-elector
Pfalcsky" [L.2, p.79]. From the painting given on inset [L.3], the tall and beauty juvenile,
almost a boy, looks at us and it's difficult to find the features of future outstanding
warlord in his face. 'The wind blows coldly" from another portrait of Rupert, which was,
probably, done after Civil war [L.1, ���.132]. I say "probably", because we couldn't find any
information about a time of their creation and the names of portrait painters in the book.
But then the image of prince in the book [L1, p.79] seems to
be taken directly from the movie: "twenty two years old prince Rupert spoke with passion, that
they will put an end to the fight with these contemptible Round-headed - canaille, who has
ventured to rebel. It's not surprising, that prince was gartered very soon after arriving.
Ah, how beatiful, ardent, adventuresome was prince Rupert! How
the painters liked to draw this pure-blooded, arrogant, beautiful face, aristocratical hands
in a foam of ruffles, ambrosial locks, coming down over his precious collar! So bright,
dashing warlord was exactly needed to doubtful, languishing, weak Charles." If to take into
consideration, that there are no references to another historical or literary sources and the
book was issued in 1980, we can suppose, that Ms. Pavlova, the author of the historical novel
"Cromwell", has remembered not only the movie with the same title, but the works of Alec
Guinness and Timothy Dalton there, opening the way for the next generations of literary
historians and historical litterateurs to make new improvisations on this subject, but already
with the references to this work - to make themselves more scientific!
But if to say seriously, it's very important to be able to
play short scenes, like fast playing in chess. This skill is a base for creating the bright
and arresting characters. The case demands to choose the details of characters very accurately
and sometimes unexpectedly to make the audience remember them. An effect of influence should
be the same, like if you hear most popular musical hit - it's melody and it's text must be
remembered immediately by different categories of listeners.
In the English theatre there is a rule - an actor or an actress
must hit the taste of the public. Just what the reason, isn't of great importance, though
sweetness and light is a factor of no little significance. But I think, in the case of Dalton
not only his appearance itself (though it is very important thing too!) is the main and
determining factor, but the actor's creative ability, which allows him to choose such
informative identifiers for his heroes, that it becomes surprising for a big part of audience
and always remains memorable!
In the film "Cromwell" Timothy has done one more and very
important step to confirmation of his reputation as an interesting actor of great originality
to play character parts. I agree with the review of the movie from Timothy Dalton's Home Page,
which advises to make cutting from it and see this material as a manual of actor's mastership!
And we ask those, who knows another, more early or late, but
serious sources of information about the history of Civil war in England of 17th century
and can help us in getting data about portrait painters, who drew Rupert, Charles and Cromwell,
we ask to write us about it!
List of references.
1. Barg M.A. Oliver Cromwell - Robespierre and Napoleon of
English Revolution. M: - 1991.
2. Pavlova T.A. Cromwell. M.: - 1980.
K.E., V.G., 1999
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