Who is the real 'heinous bitch' in this Shakespearean adaptation?

In an unapologetic hustle to combat monotonicity, I ended up rewatching “10 Things I Hate About You” yesternight. The rather cocky title that crowns this post was a question that sprung to my mind during that watch. I think someone said it right when they said you don’t really watch a movie the first time because your brain is all so involved in processing the actions, dialogues, props, making sense of the storyline and generally answering the question, “What’s it about?”. It is only on a revisit that the brain can observe the nuances and accents of the artform, wherein it can build character sketchs and their relationship to others, make deductions and observe underlying imageries and metaphors that it would surely have missed the first time around.

10TIHAY is a 1999 American narrative feature romance/comedy that is based on William Shakespeare “The Taming of the Shrew”. Though it borrows The Tamings basic narrative structure, it is a classic “falling-in-love” story investigated in a modern setting. It has oodles of intermediate vocabulary words (which I’m sure English students are gonna dig), a balanced storyline though slightly deficit and a dashing Heath Ledger before he became the Joker.

The setting of our movie is Padua..ehm, I mean Padua High School. Cameron (an adorable Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a new transfer to the school is enchanted by Bianca Stratford (Larisa Oleynik) at first sight, a gorgeous girl whose father is a juvenile gynaecologist and thus (predictably) she has severe restrictions on her freedom. Katherine Stratford (Julia Stiles) is the “shrew” and the heroine of the story; an opinionated, secluded feminist who reads Slyvia Plath, Simone de Beauvoir and Bronte, listens to “angry girl music” and who generally won’t tolerate any BS. Patrick Verona, the protagonist is an antisocial hunk himself and is thus a part of absurd rumors such as eating a duck alive, setting a storm trooper on fire, sleeping with a Spice Girl (Spice Girl, OMG this is clearly the 90s) and so on but doesn’t give a damn and is happy smoking cigarettes, slabbing dead frogs in Biology class and doing heavy metal work in the workshop.

In one of the opening shots, Kat is adviced by the Student Counselor (the slyly named Ms. Perky, who spends her time thinking about words like engorged and throbbing for her erotica) to be less of an “heinous bitch”. But on closer inspection, I think that it is her sister who more aptly deserves the title.

Bianca Stratford

The younger Stratford is in all respect, the incarnation of a spoiled, selfish and self-involved girl who doesn’t really care about other people. It is evident how she went ahead with flirting with two boys simultaneously – Joey, the rich but dumb model and the poor Cameron. I mean, what exactly was on your mind, girl?!

Moreover, spying on her elder sister while she isn’t home and smuggling Cameron into her room going through her personal belongings. Yet at Cameron’s request if she might let him see Bianca’s, she retaliated with “No! A girl’s room is very personal.” So, Bianca, can’t you see the irony in this or are you genuinely mentally compromised?

Then, the usual ignoring Cameron at the party (You had guessed this was coming, right?) and acting like a totally insensitive character around him. But when she realized what a narcissist Joey was and was abandoned by her friend, she quickly adapted to the situation and asked Cameron for a lift anyway. Improvisation, I guess.

If Kat was opinionated, self-reassured, cold and antisocial, then she had a valid point to be; the Joey episode in 9th grade which she later related to Bianca. Thus, I would argue she doesn’t deserve the phrase “heinous bitch”. She was only searching for someone who’d respect her (and rightfully found one). If someone needs that title, I think it’s Bianca.

PS: By this point, you are probably thinking how mad I am at Bianca and you’re right. This part is basically my vent on the poor miserable girl.

The Taming

The Bianca-Verona romance blossomed from absolutely nothing to a flower in full bloom facing the sun. They fucked up, yet found ways to get back and it was a well-written part, nothing seemed forced or artificical. Take for instance, the stadium persuasion scene; after the night Verona refused to kiss Kat when she had let her guard down for him; a confident, charming and humorous Verona, adjectives generally not used to describe him in the first part of the movie, thus going on to show how his character has evolved, hijacking the stadium sound system and singing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”. That’s certainly retro charming.

Needless to say, he also gets a detention for his gallantry and ends up in the dentention centre. In comes Kat, flashes the counselor to distract him while Verona makes his way out the window. Following which they end up at the paintball fight. Pretty adorable.

Other cool things

Shakespeare, understandably, forms a integral element in most of the film dialogues — a recurrent theme.

“I burn, I pine, I perish.”
Cameron’s first reaction to Bianca. Taken straight from the play.

“Who could refrain that had a heart to love and in that heart courage to make love known?”
Macbeth, Act 2, scene 3

Kate’s poem

Shakespare sonnet 141:

In faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes,
For they in thee a thousand errors note;
But ‘tis my heart that loves what they despise,
Who, in despite of view, is pleased to dote;
…

At this point, I want to bring your attention to the cool side characters that this movie endorsed. Ms. Perky has already been introduced. The dorky and self-depreciative Michael who is Cameron’s trusty sidekick. The poor wannabe MBA Bogey Lowenstein was a particularly comical character, disciplined and delicate. And boy, was he destroyed at his party, haha. But I found the English teacher really cool who rapped Shakespeare’s sonnets (the one above). *sigh* I swear he was the guy I wanted when I was studying Shakespeare.

I hate the way you talk to me, And the way you cut your hair.
I hate the way you drive my car, I hate it when you stare.
I hate your big dumb combat boots And the way you read my mind.
I hate you so much it makes me sick, It even makes me rhyme.
I hate the way you’re always right, I hate it when you lie
I hate it when you make me laugh, Even worse when you make me cry
I hate it when you’re not around, And the fact that you didn’t call
But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you,
Not even close, Not even a little bit, Not even at all.
~Kate’s poem

Soundtrack

This is a really cool soundtrack. “Even Angels Fall” was, as I have read, a hit in those times. The lyrics and vocal on “Your Winter” is top-notch. I still listen to it on loop sometimes. This is how I was introduced to The Cardigans — they play alternative rock with some punk or goth. Also, suggested from them are “Lovefool” and “Erase / Rewind”. And then, of course, Letters to Cleo. Both songs featured here, “I Want You To Want Me” and “Cruel to be Kind” are amazing in their own rights. Probably end a melancholic evening with Joan Armatrading’s brilliant voice in “The Weakness in Me”.