Friday, June 16, 2006

Happy (or sad?) Bloomsday

I intended to view the screen adaptations of Ulysses -- the aptly named Ulysses, starring the eyebrow'd wonder Milo O'Shea, and Bloom, with the Bloom-ish Stephen Rea (rhymes!) -- and measure them against the novel for this day of days: the 102nd anniversary of 6/16/1904, when James Joyce's two heroes of meek courage and Brobdingnagian wonder lolled and farted through Dublin on a quest for purpose.

But J.J. has been busy with more terrestrial matters, with nary a tick or tock to devote to existential philanderings. In his failure he feels much like Stephen Dedalus -- marooned on an isle of missed opportunities and dead-end cosmic tangents. Woe.

So I have naught to say, save this: If you're looking to revel in the gleeful passion of Being in honor of Bloomsday, then rent Yes, the overlooked and underappreciated Sally Potter pic starring Joan Allen. It is a gorgeous feminine take on Joycean ambition and sensibilities. Expect a post on Ulysses and Bloom eventually...perhaps in time for Bloomsday 103. In the meantime, please leave your own Ulysses-inspired cosmic rant in the comments, for who knows when I'll post again!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

J.J. parphloofed in the wicky wicky clover of the dewdropping morning absconded by chariots from the sun sun sun.

Middento said...

In your free time, don't forget Theo Angelopoulous' Ulysses' Gaze. It's only four hours long.

Maria said...

We look good in that picture.

J.J. said...

Ah yes, Jeffrey, thank you. Tangentially, I was first exposed to Angelopoulos at Telluride '04, when the man himself screened The Weeping Meadow. I didn't stay for the whole thing, but was duly impressed by the technique. I think he'd be the director most apt to tackle Ulysses on film.