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Entertainment Media Analysis Report

MAR02099
Shakespeare in Love (1998), R
CAP Score: 59, CAP ID: 0.97

Thomas A. Carder
CAP President
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Executive Summary / Commentary
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / COMMENTARY:

"Shakespeare in Love" (R) -- Shakespeare in bed. That about sums it up. The violence typical of Shakespeare classics was not there but the exaggeration of sexual content made up for the loss in violence.

Matters of violence included, torture by fire, threats with knives, sword play, and stage suicide with lust for it. Impudence/Hate included issues of ownership of a human and unrightful subservience. Sex/Homosexuality included nudity, sexual intercourse, partial and brief nudity, and homosexual issues including touching. Drugs/Alcohol included much drinking and drunkenness. And if these ignominy were not bad enough, "Shakespeare in Love" presented excessive breast exposure, vulgar innuendo, more stage suicide, and dialogue of preferring death to losing love (not connected with stage suicides).

That Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" (the foundation for this movie), the famous lover's suicide movie, is a classic and has been read by millions of school-age kids will not console the parents of the victim of suicide 'justified' by "unfair" parental control of teen love ......."just like Romeo and Juliet" (*The Reflections*, 1964 "Our love's gonna be destroyed like a tragedy Just like Romeo and Juliet"). Suicide, even in fantasy or imaginings, is nothing to play around with, folks.




FINDINGS / SCORING: Shakespeare in Love (1998) CAP Thermometers

Wanton Violence/Crime (W) lost intermediate level points three times due to stage suicide for love by knife and poison, and "I liked the part when she killed herself" from an (Shakespeare) audience boy. Wanton Violence/Crime lost no maximum level points.

Impudence/Hate (I)(1) lost no intermediate level points but lost maximum level points three times due to at least three series of rudeness and arrogant, hateful expressions such as rightful ownership and purchase of a human and command into subservience.

Sex/Homosexuality (S) lost intermediate level points nine times due to repeated occurrences of masked sexual intercourse with nudity (full breast and some posterior exposure), undressing to nudity, and nudity with inappropriate touch. Sex/Homosexuality lost maximum level points four times; three times due to unmasked sexual intercourse and once due to a most vulgar exaggerated episode of gratuitous sexual intercourse though no skin was shown except excessive cleavage.

Drugs/Alcohol (D) lost no intermediate nor maximum level points.

Offense to God (O)(2) lost no intermediate nor maximum level points.

Murder/Suicide (M)(3) lost no points at all.

Other examples of entertainment ignominy, each warranting the loss of the minimum point level, included

  • torture by fire
  • threat to cut off nose and ear
  • presentation of a skull
  • talk of sexual conquest
  • reliance on psychic powers for personal gain
  • admission of illicit sex
  • bed wear with female anatomy ghosting through
  • strong arguing
  • excessive breast exposure
  • threat with knife and sword
  • talk of selling daughter for sex
  • trespassing for love
  • vulgar references
  • partial nudity and brief nudity
  • homosexual touching, suggestion, and admission
  • sexual suggestions (including intercourse), comments, and innuendo
  • sword fights
  • drinking and drunkenness
  • adultery and adulterous contact
  • order to kill
  • a few mentions of preferring death to losing love
  • drowning scene
  • prostitution
  • sadness due to death of an associate
  • accusation of sexual immoralityBR>

    (1) As noted in CAP Special Report-001, "Investigation Area and Scoring Trend," of the six CAP Investigation Areas, Impudence/Hate was the strongest presence in all four movie classifications. It has a strong revelation about the entertainment media.

    (2) The use of the three/four letter word vocabulary without God's name is incorporated into the Impudence/Hate Investigation Area. The use of God's name with or without the three/four letter word vocabulary is incorporated into the Offense to God Investigation Area. There is no duplication. As required of the Holy Scriptures, unless God's name is used with reverence to His glory and praise, its use is considered in vain, whether literal or euphemistic.

    (3) Only portrayal of successful murder or suicide are incorporated into Murder/Suicide. Presentation of attempts to commit murder or suicide and deaths by police action or war are incorporated into Wanton Violence/Crime.



    Additional reviews of this movie may be located at "Movie Review Query Engine at Telerama."




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    In the name of Jesus:
    Lord, Master, Teacher, Savior, God.

    Thomas A. Carder
    President
    ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)

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