Hugo Weaving drawn to Shakespeare update by film’s creators
Despite the title and Duke, his character’s name, “Measure for Measure” isn’t really Shakespearean, explained its star Hugo Weaving.
“Measure for Measure” ranks as one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays; the film is available online Friday.
“It’s a pretty dark tale. But the film, although based on Shakespeare’s play, is set in a contemporary city, Melbourne,” Weaving, 60, said from Sydney, Australia, where he’s rehearsing a play.
Shakespeare’s Duke and the movie’s Duke share similar plots. “It’s the story of a ruler — or a boss — ceding power, stepping down but keeping an eye on his successor,” Weaving explained.
“He’s a crime boss, an oldtime gangster I guess, who’s been around. His right-hand man is Angelo, who is like a son to him and who he wants to take over for him because the Duke knows he’s dying.
“He wants to relinquish power but he’s surveilling people to keep control over them. He’s dying with a strong sense of mortality; he’s lost his wife and daughter some years before. But he has empathy for others who are not in a fortunate position. He’s a complex figure, like a wounded lion.”
Real-life mortality, unexpected and fatal, upended “Measure for Measure.”
Weaving has been working steadily for nearly four decades. “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” and “The Matrix” and “Lord of the Rings” franchises have made him acutely aware of recognizing real talent.
“The reason I wanted to do this film was because I wanted to work with Damian
Hill and Paul Ireland, the filmmakers, the adapters and director,” he said. “They had made a beautiful, funny film, ‘Powno,’ that I had seen some years back. I loved that film and met them and was interested in working with them.
“But the big thing we had to deal with was Damian, who had written the script and was co-producing, was to play Angelo. He died the day before we were to begin shooting.
“The day before. We had to stop and grieve Damian, the writer, producer and best friend who was also playing the lead. It was a lot to take in. We had to stop, grieve, make sure his family was being looked after.
“Then what to do? Shut down for a year? Or three months or what? In the end, the consensus was that Damian would want us to continue. We took a week out and we tried to pull it together in the shoot. It was complicated.”