Helen Mirren was extremely poised, intelligent and witty, even then. It’s a fascinating interview, although sexist in some bits. I agree that school can be oppressive with all it’s rules and lack of liberty. At least in Singapore and in primary school in the 70’s it was especially so.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmlP_cFOoAM]
She makes an intelligence comment about nudity here.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRVuqjbrj4k]
If you haven’t already watched her funny or die video with Billy Crystal, you just have to.
Very interesting interview! She made a good point about nudity. I am too self-conscious to do it myself, but I am open to the idea. Schools in Japan can be very suppressive, too. In case of Japan, at least when I was in middle school, it seemed that the more liberty school gave, the more trust school had for the students.
Back in the 70’s school was an extremely oppressive place for kids in Singapore, tantamount to child abuse with corporal punishment etc. I think it’s more relaxed now with the opposite happening – like teacher abuse, where there are cases of teachers being assaulted.
Ah Helen Mirren. The Queen was a marvellous piece. And recently I watched The Last Station in which she played Leo Tolstoy’s wife.
Incidentally, many years ago she also had a role in The Mosquito Coast (the movie based on the book by Theroux).
I enjoyed both The Queen and the Last Station….she was electrifying. I have yet to read or catch the movie Mosquito Coast…been meaning to for so long…it’s on my list..thanks for the reminder.