Chat et les souris (Le), Les Petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie. Dir. Éric Woreth (2010)
Patricia DORVAL
English Description
Time code: 18.02
Language of the quotation(s)/reference(s) in the film: English
The students of a prestigious private school, Meadowbank, for high-ranking officials’s daughters are in English class. The teacher, Dorothy Davis, chalks “William Shakespeare, 1564–1616” on the blackboard, and then asks the class’s punching bag, Émilie, to read Hamlet’s soliloquy. Émilie stumbles through the first lines, mispronouncing the words: “To be, or not to be; that is the question: ǀ Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer ǀ The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, ǀ Or to take arms against…” (Hamlet, III.1.58–61). The rest of the quote fades away as her desk mate, Cassandra, has one of her visions—that of the young woman who was chased and murdered shortly before in the woods surrounding the school. Overwhelmed by emotion, Cassandra comes to her senses, gasping for breath. The lesson ends, and the teacher, frustrated by the class’s lack of seriousness, scolds her students for “butchering Shakespeare.”
There are two references to Shakespeare in the original novel, but not to Hamlet.
1) “[R]emember what Shakespeare or one of these poetical fellows sais about those who run away living to fight another day” (HarperCollins Publishers, p. 20).
2) “We’re taught English literature by Miss Rich, who’s terrific. When she gets in a real state her hair comes down. She’s got a queer but rather exciting face and when she reads bits of Shakespeare it all seems different and real. She went on at us the other day about Iago, and what he felt – and a lot about jealousy and how it ate into you and you suffered until you went quite mad wanting to hurt the person you loved” (p. 70).
Description en français
Localisation dans le film : 18.02
Langue de la citation/référence dans le film : anglais
Les élèves de l’école de prestige, Meadowbank, pour filles de hauts dignitaires, sont en cours d’anglais. L’enseignante, Dorothy Davis, écrit au tableau « William Shakespeare, 1564-1616 » puis demande au souffre-douleur de la classe, Émilie, de lire le soliloque d’Hamlet. Celle-ci ânonne en écorchant les mots : « To be, or not to be; that is the question: ǀ Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer ǀ The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, ǀ Or to take arms against… » (Hamlet, III.1.58-61) [« Être ou ne pas être, telle est la question. Y a-t-il plus de noblesse d'âme à subir la fronde et les flèches de la fortune outrageante, ou bien à s'armer contre une mer de douleurs et d'y faire front pour y mettre fin? »]. Le reste de la citation s’estompe alors que sa voisine de table, Cassandra, a une de ses visions, celle de la jeune femme poursuivie et assassinée peu avant dans les bois qui entourent l’école. Sous le poids de l’émotion, Cassandra reprend ses esprits en haletant. La leçon s’achève et la professeur, dépitée par le manque de sérieux de la classe, reproche à ses élèves de « massacrer Shakespeare ».
Il y a deux références à Shakespeare dans le roman d’origine, mais aucune à Hamlet.
1) « [R]emember what Shakespeare or one of these poetical fellows said about those who run away living to fight another day » (HarperCollins Publishers, p. 20).
2) « We’re taught English literature by Miss Rich, who’s terrific. When she gets in a real state her hair comes down. She’s got a queer but rather exciting face and when she reads bits of Shakespeare it all seems different and real. She went on at us the other day about Iago, and what he felt – and a lot about jealousy and how it ate into you and you suffered until you went quite mad wanting to hurt the person you loved » (p. 70).