Einstein And Eddington

[poliphilo]

Einstein was a world bestriding genius with a puckish streak of mischief,  Eddington was the straightest man in England : together- though physically separated by the first world war- they established the Theory of General Relativity.

It was a clunky play-  a succession of stand-up confrontations and meaningful exchanges- and remarkably un-lifelike.  Was Sir Oliver Lodge really such a flouncing diva? I doubt it. Still it taught me a bit of history I hadn't known- and I had the pleasure of watching my two favourite actors in action.

David Tennant holding himself in, restraining his inner demons as Eddington, Andy Serkis letting his rip as Einstein. What an adorable imp Einstein was- and how remarkably fearless!   Now I want to see Serkis play Picasso. He has the eyes for it.

Comments

[ryanstrong.livejournal.com]

I think I'll be have to download this. Knowing BBC America, it will air in about 2010, if at all. Sadly, the great majority of Americans who know either of those actors know them from their roles in Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I saw Tennant play Hamlet earlier this year. He was amazing.

[sovay]

David Tennant holding himself in, restraining his inner demons as Eddington, Andy Serkis letting his rip as Einstein.

Andy Serkis as Einstein? Want.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

A thoroughly captivating performance. It deserved to be in a better movie.

[sovay]

It deserved to be in a better movie.

There are performances I feel that way about. Usually it's character roles; you only wish the rest of the film were as rich and strange as they are.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Great acting can make a dull piece of writing bearable, but it can't save it.

[qatsi.livejournal.com]

I've just re-watched it, having recorded it last night while I was visiting uitlander. Actually, I think the staid and awkward nature of several of the scenes is quite an accurate depitction of the diffident nature of physicists in general, and Sir Oliver Lodge's flouncing is a quite plausible if unfortunate academic reaction to "being wrong".

I feel there may be a bad pun somewhere in describing Eddington as "the straightest man in England", though that was an aspect of which I hadn't been previously aware and may have been played up by the writer to add spice.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I was aware of a certain irony in describing Eddington as straight. :)

But, like you, I suspect that whole sub-plot was dramatic license- a way of making a rather dull man a little more interesting.

The only thing I'd previously known about Lodge was that he was a spiritualist. I'm sorry that didn't come into the film. I feel cheated out of a seance.