spiderwort
Junior Member
@spiderwort
Posts: 2,544
Likes: 9,340
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Post by spiderwort on Jan 8, 2019 0:52:04 GMT
One of my favorite novelists and a man who was so often adapted to the screen. Here's his resume for the big screen (my favorites with asterisks):
Orient Express (1934) This Gun for Hire (1942) **
Ministry of Fear (1944) **
Confidential Agent (1945) The Man Within (1947) The Fugitive (1947), novel title: "The Power and the Glory" Brighton Rock (1948) ** and 2010
The Fallen Idol (1948)
The Third Man (1949) **
The Heart of the Matter (1953)
The End of the Affair (1955) and (1999)
The Quiet American (1958) and (2002)
Our Man in Havana (1959) The Comedians (1967) Travels with My Aunt (1972) The Human Factor (1979) The Honorary Consul (1983)
I love his novels "The Heart of the Matter," "The End of the Affair," and "The Power and the Glory," but I'm not particularly fond of the films.
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Post by wmcclain on Jan 8, 2019 2:03:33 GMT
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Post by wmcclain on Jan 8, 2019 2:04:48 GMT
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Post by wmcclain on Jan 8, 2019 2:06:10 GMT
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Post by wmcclain on Jan 8, 2019 2:07:40 GMT
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Post by pimpinainteasy on Jan 8, 2019 4:42:07 GMT
THE COMEDIANS is my favorite GRAHAM GREENE novel. i am curious about the film. but IMDB suggests that it is nothing great.
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Post by kijii on Jan 8, 2019 15:46:45 GMT
I've always been fascinated by The End of the Affair (1955) because the story seems enigmatic to me.
What is the Affair that is being ended?
The way I interpret it is that Van Johnson is ending his affair with being agnostic. Though I am not a Van Johnson fan, I prefer the 1955 version to the later version.
The Fugitive (1947) / John Ford
This movie seems to be clearly symbolic, and though I don't understand the story, Ford's cinematography is supurb.
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Post by london777 on Jan 8, 2019 16:42:40 GMT
THE COMEDIANS is my favorite GRAHAM GREENE novel. i am curious about the film. but IMDB suggests that it is nothing great. Yes, the novel is great. I love the bit where all the passengers do a turn and one guy starts crying. The film (1967 dir: Peter Glenville) is very good too. One problem with it is that the Burton/Taylor romance assumes too prominent a role, obviously to make the movie more marketable as they were hot properties at the time. They just cannot help exuding "Hollywood" and "glamor" which does not sit well with Greene's social and political comment and the pitiful plight of Haiti (no better today). Burton is good but the Taylor scenes take us into a different universe. Also the prominent and heroic role of the communist resistance leader in the book is played down in the film for obvious reasons. I have a great personal interest in Haiti and there are very few films about the place apart from voodoo horror nonsense. One I like is The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) dir: Wes Craven. It was a intended as a horror potboiler, but still captures some of the spirit of the people. The other night I watched Lydia Bailey (1952) dir: Jean Negulesco, a silly Hollywood B-list swashbucker which was totally inauthentic, so starved am I of movies about Haiti. If anyone knows of others, please let me know.  |
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Post by bravomailer on Jan 8, 2019 17:26:14 GMT
The Third Man stands out. I believe Greene wrote a treatment that became the Carol Reed film before writing the story out.
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Post by teleadm on Jan 8, 2019 19:50:37 GMT
I've seen Strike It Rich 1990, I didn't even reflect that it was based on Graham Greene's "Loser Takes All" novel. Since I remember it as a nice movie.
Of the others I've liked:
This Gun for Hire 1942
Ministry of Fear 1944
Confidential Agent 1945
The Third Man 1949 (if it's based on a novel)
Our Man in Havana 1959
The Comedians 1967
England Made Me 1973
The Quiet American 2002, especially Michael Caine
If my memory serves me right.
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biker1
Junior Member
@biker1
Posts: 1,804
Likes: 743
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Post by biker1 on Jan 9, 2019 20:10:49 GMT
film list..
the third man (1949-uk
brighton rock (1948-uk)
the fallen idol (1948-uk)
this gun for hire (1942)
ministry of fear (1944)
hm..
the quiet american (2002)
the end of the affair (1999-uk)
our man in havana (1959-uk)
the fugitive (1947)
whatever..
the quiet american (1958)
brighton rock (2010-uk)
the comedians (1967)
bottom of the heap..
the end of the affair (1955-uk) - not even Kerr can save this one.
the honorary consul (1983-uk) - blah
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Post by timshelboy on Jan 9, 2019 21:19:05 GMT
I don't think i have read any at all! Film wise the early BRIGHTON ROCK heads the pack for me - just pipping THE THIRD MAN.  THE TENTH MAN is well worth seeking out - Hopkins on form plus early KST, Jacobi etc.  THE FALLEN IDOL is pretty good. Trevor Howard gives a career best turn in THE HEART OF THE MATTER. I wouldn't recommend THE COMEDIANS exactly but it isn't bad - Guinness VG but as others have said - the Taylor/Burton baggage sank it - I've read she only took the part - not really big enough for a star of her magnitude - to stop it being offered to Sophia  ACROSS THE BRIDGE not quite - but it gives good role to Steiger. Didn't much care for either version of AFFAIR or AMERICAN HUMAN FACTOR a total stinker DR FISCHER OF GENEVA in my TO WATCH pile |
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Post by london777 on Jan 9, 2019 22:55:12 GMT
THE TENTH MAN is well worth seeking out - Hopkins on form plus early KST, Jacobi etc. Directed by Jack Gold, whose best work was done for TV (like this film). His most acclaimed TV movie was Good and Bad at Games (1983) but, outrageously, it has never been released on DVD or even VHS, despite Channel Four (its makers) bragging about it in their promotional literature ever since. It follows closely a novel by William Boyd, not in the same class as Graham Greene as a writer, but (as spiderwort observed) sometimes lesser literature is more suitable for filming. |
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Post by rudeboy on Jan 10, 2019 1:10:19 GMT
I have read The End of the Affair, Our Man in Havana (loved both) and The Power & the Glory (which I liked, but to a lesser degree).
I really like the films The Third Man, Brighton Rock (1947), The End of the Affair (1999), The Quiet American (both versions) and The Fallen Idol (although it loses a few points for one of the most irritating child performances ever).
My favourite, though, is Went the Day Well? based on a Greene short story.
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jan 10, 2019 2:32:16 GMT
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Post by timshelboy on Jan 10, 2019 6:22:58 GMT
My favourite, though, is Went the Day Well? based on a Greene short story. oh  rudeboy for for reminding us of one of the best! WENT THE DAY WELL is superb thriller about German paratroopers takeover of sleepy English village in WW2 - how the residents fight back is a gripping and entertaining view. THE EAGLE HAS LANDED pinched the basic plot - and isn't bad - but WTDW is far better. |
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