Blog #14 Hamlet Blog Assignment #2

Reggie: “Why do people have to tell lies?”

Peter: “Usually it’s because they want something. They are afraid the truth won’t get it for them.”

I have found myself in the golden age of film! Yesterday, while journeying into my extensive collection of classic films, I found one I haven’t seen in quite some time: the 1963 spy thriller Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. This movie is full of plot twists, centering on a central theme of deception and espionage.

Charade opens with Hepburn’s character Regina (a.k.a. Reggie) vacationing in the French Alps, and has decided to divorce her husband, Charles. When she returns to Paris, however, she finds out that he has been murdered due to his involvement in a WWII OSS operation that stole $250,000 in gold that was to be given to the French Resistance. After the dies, the location of the gold dies with him. Reggie now finds herself embroiled in the scheme, as she is recruited by the CIA to find the missing gold. She must face Charles’ dangerous co-conspirators, as well as the dishonesty of her romantic interest, Peter/Alex/Adam/Brian.

           

The theme of espionage unfolds in this film as deception between characters is revealed. The characters manipulate other characters, and situations, in order to serve another purpose. It begins with Charles’ double-crossing of his co-conspirators by stealing the gold, which sparks the entire plot. After he is murdered, the other characters are convinced that Reggie has the gold, even if she doesn’t know where it is. So they threaten and deceive her in order to get what they want from her, even Peter, whom she trusts, deceives her. Peter is not who he says he is: first he is Peter, then Alex, then Adam, and then Brian. Furthermore, the murderer is hiding in plain sight; thus, another character is deceiving Reggie by posing as another. On top of all the deception going on around her, Reggie is covertly looking for the hidden gold, which furthers the theme of espionage in this spy thriller, as everyone is looking for the gold and will do whatever it takes to find it.

While I was watching this movie, yesterday, I realized just how similar Reggie and I are. For instance, just as Peter is not who she thought he was, Hamlet is not who I thought he was. I guess I should catch you all up on the latest news about my relationship with Hamlet. This morning, “as I was sewing in my closet, Lord Hamlet… as if he had been loosed out of hell…[came] before me” (2.1.77-84). It was so strange. He had never done anything like this before. Anyway, he just stood their staring at me. And when he finally decided to leave, “he seemed to find his way without his eyes, for out o’ doors he went without their helps, and to the last bended their light on me” (2.1.98-100). He has never done anything like this before. I was so afraid. My father Polonius thinks that it is the “violent property” (2.1.103) of love. He believes that because I rejected Hamlet he was thrown “into the madness wherein now he raves” (2.2.141). But that is typical of my father. I fear that by taking my letter and reading it to the king and queen, he forced me into the game of espionage. Claudius is hiring spies to spy on Hamlet, and if I am the reason for his madness, then I, as well as our relationship, am a target too. Just as the co-conspirators looking for gold targeted Reggie, I fear that the king and my father who are looking for leverage and power will target my relationship. Could it be me who is causing his strange behavior? I know that Hamlet loves me: my love is not turning him violent. Yes it’s true; our relationship has had a setback. I cannot think of a way to explain his weird behavior as much as I try to convince myself that it is not my fault. I really don’t understand what is wrong with him. He is not who he has been. In fact, he wrote me the sweetest poem, telling me to “never doubt [he] loves” (2.2.114). I don’t want to doubt him, but I fear that he is not whom I feel in love with. What if his love is a deception? What if it always has been? Oh, what shall I do?

I hope that I may still have the happy ever after that Reggie had. She surmounted the deception and espionage surrounding her to finally work out her love life and be happy. The film finishes with Reggie saying “Oh I love you Adam, Alex, Peter, Brian, whatever your name is. I hope we have a lot of boys and we can name them all after you.” I want to reciprocate Hamlet’s love. He tells me to “never doubt [he] loves” (2.2.114) and I want to tell him that I love him in return. But I fear we will not be able to overcome this obstacle in our relationship. Unlike Reggie and her love, I don’t believe Hamlet and I can resurrect our relationship. But foolish as it may seem, I still hold out hope that we can.