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''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a 1993 British/American romantic comedy film based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name. It was adapted for the screen and directed by Kenneth Branagh who stars in the film. The film also stars Branagh's then-wife Emma Thompson, Robert Sean Leonard, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Keanu Reeves, and Kate Beckinsale in her film debut. The film was released on May 7, 1993, reaching 200 U.S. screens at its widest release. It earned $22 million at the U.S. box office and $36 million total worldwide, which, despite failing to reach the mark set by Franco Zeffirelli's ''Romeo and Juliet'', made it one of the most financially successful Shakespeare films ever released. It was also entered into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Festival de Cannes: Much Ado About Nothing )〕 ==Plot== Don Pedro of Aragon (Denzel Washington) and his noblemen are visiting their good friend Leonato (Richard Briers) in Messina after having crushed an uprising led by Don John (Keanu Reeves), the prince's bastard half-brother. With him is the misogynistic and witty Benedick (Kenneth Branagh), erstwhile flame of Leonato's equally sharp-tongued and somewhat fierce niece, Beatrice (Emma Thompson). Beatrice and Benedick are both stubborn and proud. Also present are Benedick's "sworn brother" Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard), a young count; and Don John who, despite his attempt at rebellion, has apparently reconciled with his brother. Claudio has been thinking fondly of Leonato's gentle and lovely daughter Hero (Kate Beckinsale) since before he went to war, and returns to find her as attractive as ever. Don Pedro, learning of his young friend's feelings, decides to act on his behalf and arranges the match at a party. An unrepentant and ill-intentioned Don John attempts to foil it, but unsuccessfully: the match is made. Needing something to pass the time until the wedding day, Don Pedro decides to arrange a similar fate for Beatrice and Benedick. Of course, with each party being such a “professed tyrant” to the opposite sex, this match will take a little more ingenuity. Leonato, Claudio and the Prince stage a loud conversation containing a fictitious account of how much Beatrice is in love with Benedick; all the while, knowing Benedick to be hiding well within earshot. Hero and her gentlewoman Ursula play the same trick upon Beatrice. Each of them believes the story they hear about the other. In the midst of all of this good-natured scheming, Don John and his men have been casting about for ways to stop the intended marriage between the man who “hath all the glory of (John's ) overthrow” and the woman for whom one may suspect he has cherished some tender feeling. The night before the wedding, his servant Borachio arranges a steamy liaison with Hero's gentlewoman Margaret at Hero's chamber window. John shows his half-brother and Claudio the rendezvous, leading them to believe that they are seeing Hero in the act of infidelity. Against the revelry of the evening, the noble but incompetent constable Dogberry (Michael Keaton) appoints a watch to keep the peace. The three hapless watchmen happen to hear Borachio bragging to his colleague Conrade about how he and Don John had finally succeeded in wrecking the wedding plans, and quickly capture them. In the morning, Dogberry shows up at Leonato's door to fetch him for the examination of the detainees. Unfortunately, the old gentleman is in too much of a hurry to try to decipher what the malapropism-prone constable is trying to tell him. Amidst the confusion, Don John quietly flees the estate. At the wedding, Claudio publicly disgraces his would-be bride and storms away along with all of the guests except for Ursula, the Friar, Leonato, Beatrice, Antonio, and Benedick. They all agree to the Friar's plan to publish the tale that Hero, upon the grief of Claudio's accusations, suddenly died. Beatrice and Benedick linger a moment, and wind up confessing their love to one another. In the wake of this declaration, Beatrice asks Benedick to do the one thing that will satisfy her outrage with what has just happened; she asks him to kill Claudio. With a heavy heart, he agrees to challenge the younger man, which he does in deadly earnest shortly after Leonato and Antonio demand satisfaction from him but are refused. While this was going on, Borachio and Conrade are interrogated by Dogberry and his men. Despite Dogberry's incompetence, the truth of Don John's sinister machinations is revealed. Moments after Benedick's challenge to Claudio, Leonato is made aware of what really happened. Leonato continues to pretend to Claudio that Hero is dead. Claudio entreats Leonato to impose whatever vengeance he sees fit, for Claudio's part in Hero's disgrace and death. Leonato forgives Claudio on the condition that he publicly declare his wrongdoing, and then marry Hero's cousin the next morning. Claudio agrees to both conditions, and carries out the former by reciting an epitaph at Hero's tomb that night. When the bride is brought forth the next day, she is revealed to be none other than Hero herself. They then profess their true and undying love for each other, as do Beatrice and Benedick when faced with written evidence (acquired and produced by Hero and Claudio) found in the pockets of each, Benedick's in the form of an endearingly poorly written song. With loud but obviously insincere protests, having realized that despite their volatile personalities they are meant for each other, they agree to marry as well and Benedick formally renounces his challenge against Claudio, embracing him as friend and kinsman once again. Moments later, Don John is marched in, having been captured before he could make his escape. The film ends with the whole of Leonato's household dancing in the courtyard, with the two happy couples at the centre of them. Don Pedro remains behind, still single but happy for his friends. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Much Ado About Nothing (1993 film)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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