If you're looking for a primer on Irish poetry, this isn't it.
As Watkins introduces the show and each poem, she casually remarks that we'll be journeying to some familiar locations. Well, that's not the case for non-Irish audiences, who would have benefited from a bonus feature that would tell us what some of those locations were. The production is sponsored by Blarney Woollen Mills of Blarney, County Cork, and so it's fair to assume that at least some of the poems were performed with a Cork backdrop. But it would have been nice to know. It also would have been nice to know whether there's a connection (or logic) behind each poem and its scenic backdrop. The end credits list Dunlewey, County Donegal and Tralee, County Kerry as locations, but the rest are mysteries.
Same with bios of the poets, which are sketchy at best. Some, we get zero information. Others, more. But none of the poets are introduced with any comprehensive biography. That's saying something else, of course--that the Irish don't need introductions to these poets. We do, unfortunately, and brief bios added as a bonus feature would have been nice. It wouldn't have had to have been a video production. Even text on screen would have been helpful.
With all but one poem (which incorporates three youngsters as actors), what we get is Watkins in different dress performing each poem by rote. That's another thing worth noting. I've never met an Irish poet who didn't perform his poetry from memory, whereas in the U.S. everyone reads from a sheet of paper. The oral tradition is much more alive in Eire, and that's something else that this program reinforces. Watkins' performances are earnest and dramatic while, for the most part, avoiding excess. The closest she comes to overdoing it is when she dons what looks like more of a costume to perform "If I were a Lady"--but even then, Watkins' winsome expressions make amends. But make no mistake about it: though this program is a tribute to Irish poetry, it's still Watkins' show.
Video:
The video is a little grainy throughout, since almost all of the scenes were exterior shots using available light on location. The colors are subdued, as Ireland can be on an overcast day, and there's just a slight blurring on the edges. I've seen better quality on a DVD. This one's presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio.
Audio:
The audio seems to be Dolby Digital Mono, as I caught no separate channeling. It's sufficient, and it probably bears saying that the seacoast shots manage to capture the ambience without Watkins being drowned out by the surf.
Extras:
Alas, there are no extras.
Bottom Line:
If you're looking for a primer on Irish poetry, this isn't it. There's nothing documentary about "The Poetry of Ireland," which tells us precious little about the locations and the poets. And if you're looking to hear the poets read their own work, this isn't the DVD you're looking for. It's a one-woman show that has one of Ireland's premiere harpists performing a capella versions of her favorite poems against a backdrop of mostly unspecified Irish locations. And so as not to be guilty of the same sin, let me add that the photo here is one I took of Yeats' Thor Ballylee.
Same with bios of the poets, which are sketchy at best. Some, we get zero information. Others, more. But none of the poets are introduced with any comprehensive biography. That's saying something else, of course--that the Irish don't need introductions to these poets. We do, unfortunately, and brief bios added as a bonus feature would have been nice. It wouldn't have had to have been a video production. Even text on screen would have been helpful.
With all but one poem (which incorporates three youngsters as actors), what we get is Watkins in different dress performing each poem by rote. That's another thing worth noting. I've never met an Irish poet who didn't perform his poetry from memory, whereas in the U.S. everyone reads from a sheet of paper. The oral tradition is much more alive in Eire, and that's something else that this program reinforces. Watkins' performances are earnest and dramatic while, for the most part, avoiding excess. The closest she comes to overdoing it is when she dons what looks like more of a costume to perform "If I were a Lady"--but even then, Watkins' winsome expressions make amends. But make no mistake about it: though this program is a tribute to Irish poetry, it's still Watkins' show.
Video:
The video is a little grainy throughout, since almost all of the scenes were exterior shots using available light on location. The colors are subdued, as Ireland can be on an overcast day, and there's just a slight blurring on the edges. I've seen better quality on a DVD. This one's presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio.
Audio:
The audio seems to be Dolby Digital Mono, as I caught no separate channeling. It's sufficient, and it probably bears saying that the seacoast shots manage to capture the ambience without Watkins being drowned out by the surf.
Extras:
Alas, there are no extras.
Bottom Line:
If you're looking for a primer on Irish poetry, this isn't it. There's nothing documentary about "The Poetry of Ireland," which tells us precious little about the locations and the poets. And if you're looking to hear the poets read their own work, this isn't the DVD you're looking for. It's a one-woman show that has one of Ireland's premiere harpists performing a capella versions of her favorite poems against a backdrop of mostly unspecified Irish locations. And so as not to be guilty of the same sin, let me add that the photo here is one I took of Yeats' Thor Ballylee.
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[release]23752[/release]