I finally purchased on of my favorite movies on DVD: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990). The movie follows the lives of two minor characters as the flit in and out of scenes during the play Hamlet. It is an incredibly witty movie with a great cast: Richard Dryfus, Gary Oldman and Tim Roth.

I have two favorite scenes (Although, the movie (Which was a play) is full of great scenes .. BUT BE WARNED: if you are looking for a Mr. Bean type of slapstick evening, pass now. This movie/play is monty pythonish – you must listen very closely. Plus, don’t get me started on Mr. Bean. Rowan may have become famous because of it, but after watching his brilliant early work as Black Adder .. I could not stomach the dumb-downed humour. The first scene I love is this …

Guildenstern: What’s the first thing you remember?
Rosencrantz: [thinks] No, it’s no good. It was a long time ago.
Guildenstern: No, you don’t take my meaning. What’s the first thing you remember after all the things you’ve forgotten?
Rosencrantz: Oh, I see… I’ve forgotten the question.

It is a very interesting question – and exercise. My best recollection of a first memory is crying as I walked down the hill to catch the bus, on my own, during my first week of kindergarten. I did not want to go (Everyone else got to stay home).

The second, when they play the game ‘Questions’:

Guildenstern: Whose serve?
Rosencrantz: Err…
Guildenstern: Hesitation! Love… one.
Rosencrantz: Whose go?
Guildenstern: Why?
Rosencrantz: Why not?
Guildenstern: What for?
Rosencrantz: Foul! No synonyms! One… all.
Guildenstern: What in God’s name is going on?
Rosencrantz: Foul! No rhetoric! Two… one.
Guildenstern: What does it all add up to?
Rosencrantz: Can’t you guess?
Guildenstern: Were you addressing me?
Rosencrantz: Is there anyone else?
Guildenstern: Who?
Rosencrantz: How would I know?
Guildenstern: Why do you ask?
Rosencrantz: Are you serious?
Guildenstern: Was that rhetoric?
Rosencrantz: No.
Guildenstern: Statement! Two all. Game point.

For the review: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100519/. A worth addition to the DVD collection.