A Chat With the Dude Who Shakespearified 'The Big Lebowski,' Adam Bertocci

By Zach Dionne Posted Oct 26th 2010 02:17PM

A magical thing happened on the Internet in January; 'The Big Lebowski' met Shakespeare and they had a beautiful baby.

It was actually a blind date facilitated by writer Adam Bertocci that got The Dude and The Bard together, resulting in 'Two Gentlemen of Lebowski: A Most Excellent Comedie and Tragical Romance,' available in book form today.

While the pairing seems odd, Bertocci maintains it was a natural fit for him. "This is my contention: If 'The Big Lebowski' had premiered in 1598, Shakespeare would have ripped it off by 1603," Bertocci writes in the book's afterword. "In Shakespeare's simpler, happier, plague-ridden times, plots and ideas were freely shared and adapted and reworked. Shakespeare thrived in an entertainment industry obsessed with remakes, adaptations, and mashups -- just like Hollywood today. No wonder they say his stories are timeless."

It doesn't hurt, Bertocci adds, that Shakespeare "loved a good d*** joke."

Here, first-time author Adam Bertocci e-mails with PopEater about adapting the Coen Brothers' F-bomb-laden script and deciphering Shakespeare's place in pop culture.

Imagine 'Two Gentlemen of Lebowski' became a film (a movie about a book about a movie ... whoa). Would you throw any Shakespearean Hollywood folks in there like Patrick Stewart or Pacino?
You know, it's funny. A fan once recorded himself doing one of Walter's monologues -- I think it was the "you're out of your element" speech -- in a pretty pitch-perfect impression of Patrick Stewart. It was a hoot to listen to, but the imitation was actually so good that it lost some comic spark. It would amuse me greatly if Brian Blessed could be convinced to shout a part of this little project. I don't care which part. He could read the copyright page for all I care; I just find that man's enthusiasm for life inspiring.

You note in the afterword the legendary profanity in the Coen Brothers' script. How does your interpretation stack up, cuss-wise? [Readers, consider the adapted text of John Goodman's profane car-smashing scene: "Seest thou what happens, Laurence? Seest thou what happens, Laurence, when thou firk'st a stranger 'twixt the buttocks?!" This be what befalleth, Laurence!"]
The hardest part of this thing to tackle, on the creative end, was the profanity. In particular, the scene where Walter strikes the car, and says a few things not suitable for a family publication. Elizabethan profanity sounds cute to the modern ear. I mean, we read "Zounds!" as a joke today. But it means "God's wounds," and that was pretty intense back then. The end result is that 'Two Gentlemen' reads as an awfully polite version of the movie. And that wasn't the intent going in, but as unintended byproducts go, I can live with that. It's, like, what if the pop culture of our rude and illiterate times was transported back to a more courtly era?

Seeing how fully realized this book is, it's hard to call it a gimmick. But say you were to adapt another film -- what would it be?
It'll be whatever a studio hires me to do. This is the portion of the interview where you write (laughs), you know, in parentheses and italics. I have no plans to revisit the well of Shakespeare-movie mash-up; even if I wanted to, I can't make lightning strike twice. I got very lucky with this project, I happened to think of a movie that gels very nicely with Shakespeare. I genuinely believe in the Shakespearean qualities of 'The Big Lebowski,' and I think the book reflects that. If I'd tried this with a film that didn't have the Bard hiding inside it, waiting for me to find, I don't think we'd be having this conversation.

What are your favorite Shakespearean interpretations, lately or of all time?
For a standard interpretation, I'm very fond of the Kenneth Branagh film of 'Much Ado About Nothing.' It's such an enjoyable play, and so accessible, and I recommend the movie to people still getting their feet wet with the ol' Bard. More recently, I enjoyed Branagh's 'As You Like It,' which didn't get much of a release over here; I wasn't sure what to think at first of the transposition to feudal Japan, but it looked gorgeous, and I wouldn't mind seeing it tried again. For something more off-the-wall, I'm a huge fan of Paul Mazursky's 'Tempest.' Basically a prequel, but concerning modern people, and taking its sweet time to connect to the play.

Any initial thoughts to Julie Taymor's 'The Tempest' with Helen Mirren and Russell Brand? A 2010 Hollywood take on Shakespeare -- what do you think?
I never gave the question of 2010 Hollywood much thought; I was just excited for 'The Tempest' to get the royal treatment. It gets my vote for the finest thing to emerge from Shakespeare's pen -- I know the canon says 'Hamlet,' but they're not the boss of me. What a complex, frustrating, intriguing, challenging play. I've tried to adapt it myself, with varying levels of success.

Adam Bertocci will hold two New York signings of 'Two Gentlemen of Lebowski':
3 - 4PM, Saturday, Oct. 30 -- The Little Lebowski, 215 Thompson St.
6:30 - 8PM, Thursday, Nov. 4 -- Brooklyn Bowl's Lebowski Fest, 61 Wythe Ave.

Purchase 'Two Gentlemen of Lebowski'