Here we are, more than four hundred years after the death of the great William Shakespeare. You may have heard of the literary genius and some of his great works such as Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, and Romeo and Juliet, as these plays have survived the test of time and still entertain the world today. The Seven Sides of Shakespeare explores the characters, the stories, and the sentiments that made Shakespeare, well, great. Developed as a one-man telling of the life of Shakespeare, by way of one man’s, Shamrock McShane, unique expression (and exploration of the Gainesville Theater scene), this quasi-documentary brings back to life the theater experience that many would have enjoyed hundreds of years ago. Directed by writer and director of Nothing, Tom Miller, The Seven Sides of Shakespeare aims to light the spark that propels Shakespeare forward once more.
It’s safe to say that there are a number of viewers (and potential viewers) who may struggle to appreciate the scope of Gainesville theater. Sure, it’s larger on a scale than other obscure theater scenes around the country, but its relevance in the grand scheme of life is almost pointless to the average viewer. This aspect of Miller’s film causes some issues, as most of his audience may struggle to find connections between what they are watching and their own lives. Inevitably, viewers will have to overlook the small-scale nature of The Seven Sides of Shakespeare and simply appreciate the fact that Shakespeare is being honored. However, Miller’s previous work, Nothing, plays a role in the reception of this idiosyncratic film.
Nothing explores, much like The Seven Sides of Shakespeare, the purview of the Gainesville art scene by, in some ways, exploiting the human mind. That film is well written, and, to quote myself: “Tom Miller should be proud of Nothing as it possesses a unique view of the world, the people who live in it, and all of the things we see and do.” Something else it does, however, is shine a light on a number of artistic hotspots that exist in Gainesville and open viewers’ eyes to what goes on in the art world specific to this Florida town. Having already seen Nothing, I am able to appreciate Gainesville in all of its artistic glory better than the average viewer--and that’s thanks to Miller’s meta take on his artform. Nothing is almost a prerequisite for The Seven Sides of Shakespeare. It’s not essential, but all that it explores makes appreciating The Seven Sides of Shakespeare much easier. Again, while not necessary, I believe that Nothing warrants a viewing (for a number of reasons) in order to truly understand The Seven Sides of Shakespeare.
McShane is a wonderful actor who, throughout the course of The Seven Sides of Shakespeare brings to life numerous characters from Shakespeare's catalog of greats. He fills each and every role beautifully, but there is something missing from his performance: context. Yes, McShane regularly provides a backstory on the characters and scenes in which he takes part, but the reality is that some of these scenes and characters have found fame as a result of the work that surrounds them. Other characters, the set, etc. play a role in how those characters are received, and they are completely absent from The Seven Sides of Shakespeare. Out of context, only a select few may be able to appreciate what Miller and McShane are putting down. I’m a lover of William Shakespeare, and I dedicated a good portion of my undergraduate career studying his works; but I’m not an expert, I haven’t read every one of his magnificent plays, and even the ones that I have, I can’t remember each and every line. For those who haven’t read many of his plays, it’s been a while since they’ve read, or newcomers entirely, The Seven Sides of Shakespeare may feel like a blur, and it may be incredibly difficult to understand what is occurring throughout. I appreciate the very essence of Shakespeare, and, even in the times that I felt lost, I respected McShane and Miller’s efforts to honor his legacy. This, sadly, will not be the case for the majority of viewers.
Miller explores some characters that, to the fair weather fan or casual reader, seem unimportant. Characters such as Jaques of As You Like It, Oberon of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Malvolio of Twelfth Night replace more well-known characters such as Romeo, Othello, and Lady Macbeth (who need no introduction or explanation--due, in part, to the fact that their names are in the title of the respective plays). The aforementioned characters in which McShane brings back to life separate the veritable boy from the men of Shakespeare connoisseurs, but also, in ways, ostracizes The Seven Sides of Shakespeare as it quickly weeds out those anterior boys, shrinking its pool of potential viewers.
There are those who will be able to look past the obscurity of The Seven Sides of Shakespeare and some of those lesser-known characters, and those are the people for which this film is made. Now, Miller’s no dummy, and he knows his audience is small, but he puts all of his energy into entertaining those individuals, and I believe he finds success here. Sure, there are moments when I felt disconnected or even a tad confused, but the reality is that William Shakespeare is a literary genius and I appreciate that; and that is the primary reason for The Seven Sides of Shakespeare’s existence: to express appreciation for possibly the greatest writer of all time. If you are a lover of theater, Shakespeare, or art in general The Seven Sides of Shakespeare may just be for you; but I strongly encourage you to watch Miller’s Nothing first, as it will simply enhance your journey and make The Seven Sides of Shakespeare’s subtleties far more enjoyable.
Directed by Tom Miller.
Written by Shamrock McShane.
Starring Shamrock McShane.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
