dudley vs dorimant

“And though companionship of the flesh pales in comparison to the strength of our love – I am but a man after all.” - Robert Dudley

One of my favourite romantic tales is of Robert Dudley & Queen Elizabeth I. Dudley was captivated by her and repeatedly asked her to marry him, each time resulting in a refusal. He repeatedly professed his love to her, and she did nothing but toy with his emotions and turn down his gestures. Though she was bonded to him in inexplicable ways, it’s believed that he was her one and only true love, despite his marriage to other women, including her cousin - which sent her into a rage. Elizabeth didn’t marry or have children, though it’s fair to say that she lived a very strong, inspiring and fulfilling life – at a great expense.

The love story and era of Elizabeth I is inspiring to me on many different levels, and was a very abstract muse for my short story, The Crutches of Desire. British actor Tom Hardy plays Robert Dudley in the movie, The Virgin Queen, and does a phenomenal job portraying Dudley, gallant in nature and eternally chivalrous. Hardy also plays the cunning and coldhearted bachelor Dorimant in a British stage play called Man of Mode. It’s these characters, Dudley and Dorimant, and Hardy himself who ultimately constitute the character ‘Dorimant’ in The Crutches.

An exploration into their worlds - the love story in The Crutches is both dynamic and excessive and exploits both Dudley and Dorimant’s polar opposite personalities and emotional tendencies, within the character Dorimant, with the unnamed protagonist.

The programmers at TVO have decided to pay homage to the day of love, with one of the sweetest of love stories — airing the first part of The Virgin Queen series on Valentines Day at 9 p.m.

“kolja”

If you can find the movie Kolja, (pronounced Kolya), I would truly recommend watching it. It’s incredibly witty, yet dramatic. It’s a 1996 Czech film (with subtitles) that won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

František Louka is a grumpy, middle-aged bachelor and a struggling concert cellist who has found himself unemployed during the end of the Communist rule. To make a little extra money, his friend sets up a bogus marriage with a Russian woman (and her five-year-old son, Kolja). A series of events subsequently occur – as the woman flees to be with her boyfriend and the woman’s mother passes away, leaving Louka as the sole guardian of the little boy. Louka cannot speak Russian and Kolja cannot speak Czech, but this creates the powerful dynamic between them. Over time Louka’s personality softens, Kolja warms to his newfound “daddy”, and despite their minor understanding of each other, learn to communicate and form a wonderful bond. Their journey is sweet and emotional, and accurately illustrates the political turbulence of the era. The two are separated in the end, as the mother returns for Kolja; however, Louka’s mistress becomes pregnant with his child, and highlights the beginning of their new life.

It’s a gentle reminder of the power of communication, and our need for human affection – things I feel are often taken for granted.