Deviltry

I have decided to start the hijinx early this year, so please forgive a non-political post in mid-week.

Even if you despise opera, watch this video through to the end -- this one made me burst out laughing on a day when I thought that nothing in this world could make me smile. Boy, I wasn't expecting that. A sublime finale. (That's Joan Sutherland as Marguerita, and she is excellent.)

Believe it or not, the above may not be the weirdest version of the final scene from Gounod's Faust ever committed to YouTube. The Sheer Strangeness award goes to this production staged by the inimitable Ken Russell, who (in The Devils) invented the whole "naughty nun" genre of film-making. Here, he could not resist inserting much penguinage into what had been a penguin-free narrative. The final imagery is incredibly striking, even though it has little to do with the composer's intent. Although I miss seeing the choir of angels, I like this video more every time I see it. While many things are beyond our understanding, nothing is beyond our Ken.

If you have no idea what's going on and you want English subtitles, try this, which offers nearly the entire final scene, and which features a truly top-notch Devil. This version also ends non-traditionally: That's supposed to be Gounod, the composer, at the very end.