The Deep Blue Sea

[CaptainWaggett]

Terence Davies resurfaces to begin filming The Deep Blue Sea | Film | guardian.co.uk

British director Terence Davies will today begin shooting his latest film, The Deep Blue Sea, in London. Based on Terence Rattigan's play about forbidden passion and suppressed desire in the 1950s, the feature will star Rachel Weisz, Simon Russell Beale and Tom Hiddleston.

Weisz plays a woman approaching middle age who leaves her privileged life as the wife of a high court judge (Beale) to embark on an affair with a dashing young pilot (Hiddleston). Shooting will last five weeks, on location in and around the capital.

Despite a career which began in the mid-70s, Davies has produced only four dramatic feature films to date, reportedly due to funding issues and his own idiosyncratic working method. His most recent film was the acclaimed documentary Of Time and the City, about his home town, Liverpool.

2011 marks the centenary of the birth of Rattigan, a celebrated 20th-century playwright who worked to expose British insecurities about sex and class. The Deep Blue Sea, which enjoyed a Greta Scacchi-starring revival in the West End two years ago, is regarded as one of his finest achievements. It is not to be confused with Deep Blue Sea, the 1999 disaster movie starring Saffron Burrows and Samuel L Jackson as scientists attempting to cure Alzheimer's with the help of genetically-modified sharks

[Mr Sloane]

I suddenly feel very old when Rachel Weisz is playing middle aged women.

[Windyridge]

What do you all think of the 50s version with Vivien Leigh and Kenneth More? I don't think I've seen it for over twenty years and can't remember much, except VL was very mannered. Having seen Penelope Wilton and Linus Roache do it on stage, I don't expect to see better performances than those, which were exceptional.

[didi-5]

This was done for the Performance series back in the 1990s wasn't it? With Colin Firth IIRC. The Leigh/More version was very good but then I'd watch her cleaning windows and still be impressed.

Looking forward to this new version. Is Rachel Weisz really THAT old?

[CaptainWaggett]

This was done for the Performance series back in the 1990s wasn't it? With Colin Firth IIRC. The Leigh/More version was very good but then I'd watch her cleaning windows and still be impressed.

Looking forward to this new version. Is Rachel Weisz really THAT old?

She's 40 so certainly 'approaching middle age'. I've not read the play so I don't know what is specified for the character.

[Windyridge]

Looking forward to this new version. Is Rachel Weisz really THAT old?

Well she's forty, so I suppose that is middle age, as the average lifespan is still around 80 for females! It's interesting that everyone considers 50 to be middle aged - how many people actually make it to 100?

[Mr Sloane]

Well she's forty, so I suppose that is middle age, as the average lifespan is still around 80 for females! It's interesting that everyone considers 50 to be middle aged - how many people actually make it to 100?

I would not tell any woman I know that 40 was middle aged

[batman]

The character of Hester in the play is supposed to be forty-ish. Rachel Weisz should be perfect for the role and the casting of both Simon Russell Beale and Tom Hiddlestone (who plays Martinson in the Branagh version of Wallander and is soon to be seen as Loki in his mate Ken's upcoming film Thor) should do justice to their roles as well. I love the play and have see a few versions over the years. I am not a particular fan of Davies' films, I find them rather stilted and too ponderous, so will keep an open mind about this version. I haven't seen the original film.

[Windthrop]

This was done for the Performance series back in the 1990s wasn't it? With Colin Firth IIRC. The Leigh/More version was very good but then I'd watch her cleaning windows and still be impressed.

Looking forward to this new version. Is Rachel Weisz really THAT old?

It was in the west end recently with Greta Scacchi - very good indeed

[Windyridge]

I would not tell any woman I know that 40 was middle aged

How forty looked in the sixties and how it looks now:

[Windthrop]

The character of Hester in the play is supposed to be forty-ish. Rachel Weisz should be perfect for the role and the casting of both Simon Russell Beale and Tom Hiddlestone (who plays Martinson in the Branagh version of Wallander and is soon to be seen as Loki in his mate Ken's upcoming film Thor) should do justice to their roles as well. I love the play and have see a few versions over the years. I am not a particular fan of Davies' films, I find them rather stilted and too ponderous, so will keep an open mind about this version. I haven't seen the original film.

The character of Hester was originally written for the young Bryan Forbes when it was a 'gay' play. Rattigan lost his nerve and was persuaded to rewrite as a drama about a middle-aged woman.

I haven't seen the original film either - never comes on TV nowadays but I suppose it might get an airing during the Rattigan centenary - I wouldn't be surprised if BBC 4 do a docu on TR.

[Windyridge]

The character of Hester was originally written for the young Bryan Forbes when it was a 'gay' play. Rattigan lost his nerve and was persuaded to rewrite as a drama about a middle-aged woman.

What? I am choking on my Ovaltine... of course I realise that Rattigan may have written the play as if for two gay men, but why Bryan Forbes for heaven's sake? He's neither gay, nor a gay icon is he? Whatever did Nanette think?

[batman]

.... but why Bryan Forbes for heaven's sake?

Bryan was rather cute when he was younger, perhaps TR fancied him.

[Windyridge]

Bryan was rather cute when he was younger, perhaps TR fancied him.

Yes, I see, that would make sense. Gay playwrights must have felt incredibly frustrated that they couldn't express themselves honestly in their work. Thank God it's not like that now.

[Windthrop]

What? I am choking on my Ovaltine... of course I realise that Rattigan may have written the play as if for two gay men, but why Bryan Forbes for heaven's sake? He's neither gay, nor a gay icon is he? Whatever did Nanette think?

Various straight actors were part of Rattigan's set - Jack Watling was hence his appearances in Journey Together and The Winslow Boy (and stage plays)

Bryan was rather cute when he was younger, perhaps TR fancied him.

Very possibly. BF implies that TR wanted to be more than 'friends' with him.

Yes, I see, that would make sense. Gay playwrights must have felt incredibly frustrated that they couldn't express themselves honestly in their work. Thank God it's not like that now.

Separate Tables was the same - The first story is based on the gay scandal involving Tory MP Chips Channon and the second play is about the John Gielgud trial.

[Windyridge]

Thanks for posting the film Windthrop. It's actually much better than I thought, Vivien Leigh isn't at all bad and Kenneth More is perfect as Freddie. I imagine Rattigan wanted Bryan Forbes for the role of Freddie, not Hester, as her character is much older. The other performances are good, apart from Eric Portman, who barks his lines out like he's dying to finish every scene as quickly as possible! A difficult play to open up for film, as it relies very heavily on the claustrophobic atmosphere of the seedy flat Hester and Freddie rent. One or two things I found unbelievable, like why Hester would attempt suicide just because Freddie forgot her birthday even though he was coming back to her after a weekend away and she was mad about him. Also it's unlikely anyone in the house would know who she really was, but both situations are vital for setting up the whole story. Someone previously posted that Freddie's character was "dashing", well maybe once, but by now he's not able to fly planes because he's an alcoholic, struggling to keep the booze under control.

[dpgmel]

One of my favourite, of many Rattigans so any new version is fine by me. Saw this a couple or so years ago at the Vaudeville Theatre with Jenny Seagrove as Hestoe and Simon Willimas as her husband and it was very good indeed.

[Windthrop]

One of my favourite, of many Rattigans so any new version is fine by me. Saw this a couple or so years ago at the Vaudeville Theatre with Jenny Seagrove as Hestoe and Simon Willimas as her husband and it was very good indeed.

I saw that production but wasn't Jenny it was Greta Scacchi. It was an acclaimed production directed by Edward Hall but it didn't really find an audience in the west end sadly. Years ago Penelope Keith played the part to great acclaim in the west end. Its one of those plays that just never goes away.

I saw Simon Williams as the Lawyer in The Winslow Boy years ago. Hadn't really rated him as an actor before but in those two productions he came across as a quintessential Rattigan actor.

[dpgmel]

I saw that production but wasn't Jenny it was Greta Scacchi. It was an acclaimed production directed by Edward Hall but it didn't really find an audience in the west end sadly. Years ago Penelope Keith played the part to great acclaim in the west end. Its one of those plays that just never goes away.

I saw Simon Williams as the Lawyer in The Winslow Boy years ago. Hadn't really rated him as an actor before but in those two productions he came across as a quintessential Rattigan actor.

Oops just checked the programme and you are of course correct Windy ( I blame the cold ! )

[Windyridge]

We've just had the National's stunning After The Dance with Benedict Cumberbatch, which was a marvellous production. Apart from The Deep Blue Sea I don't think I've seen a Rattigan since The Browning Version and Harlequinade, again at the NT, in the early eighties. A very good double bill, with Geraldine McEwan and Alec McCowen.