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Post by theravenking on Jan 26, 2023 12:15:49 GMT
Still haven't seen the Tarkovsky version but like both the Soderbergh movie and the source novel by Stanislaw Lem, as vastly different as they are.
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spiderwort
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Post by spiderwort on Jan 26, 2023 13:56:20 GMT
That’s me too. East of Eden for example I adore the book, and the film really veers away from it. If I were only concerned about fidelity to the book, Elia Kazan’s dipping the story in Freud would be sacrilege. Mainly his rewriting of Cathy is so puffed up. In the book she is simply a monster, a person lacking the ability to see the world with any empathy. This idea was acceptable in the age of faith and it’s more understandable today. But Kazan could not make it play as written. The film , however succeeds brilliantly on its own terms so I just ignore its relation to the novel. There is a terrific faithful version in the mini series and for many books this turns out to be the best way to get a faithful version. The FORSYTE novels of John Galsworthy were much better as a mini series than in the film That FORSYTE Woman. Appreciate your comments, Marsha, though I would have to disagree with a few of them re: EDEN. I'm a huge fan of the novel and the film, and I believe that Kazan's decision, along with screenwriter Paul Osborn, to limit the story to the final quarter of the novel was a wise one. The compression of time in that choice made many things possible, and, I think, justified fleshing out the character of Kate as a woman who lived with some regrets. I see this a lot in the film, particularly in the scene where Cal brings his brother to meet her -- though I would agree she comes across quite differently in the novel. And like you, I also really appreciated the mini-series starring Jane Seymour, because it was able to span the history of the entire novel, and included one of my favorite characters, Lee the Chinese cook. I only saw it once, however, so long ago, and honestly don't remember how faithfully the character of Kate was presented in that version, in terms of her seeming soullessness, I mean. Would like to see that again one of these days. Sadly, I probably never will.
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Post by amyghost on Jan 27, 2023 12:41:24 GMT
Still haven't seen the Tarkovsky version but like both the Soderbergh movie and the source novel by Stanislaw Lem, as vastly different as they are. I've seen both. Although Clooney's can't top the Tarkovsky film, I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was on its own merits; I'd expected a Hollywoodized hot mess, and got what, instead, was a pretty thoughtful film that holds up well in comparison to the original. What I haven't done is read Lem's novel, something I ought to get around to doing.
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Post by theravenking on Jan 27, 2023 13:56:14 GMT
Still haven't seen the Tarkovsky version but like both the Soderbergh movie and the source novel by Stanislaw Lem, as vastly different as they are. I've seen both. Although Clooney's can't top the Tarkovsky film, I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was on its own merits; I'd expected a Hollywoodized hot mess, and got what, instead, was a pretty thoughtful film that holds up well in comparison to the original. What I haven't done is read Lem's novel, something I ought to get around to doing. The novel is very philosophical. An entirely faithful adaptation would be quite difficult to make, since most of the book consists of theoretical speculations about the nature of Solaris.
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Post by Rufus-T on Jan 28, 2023 1:13:49 GMT
How could I forget these? This one, love the book. I prefer the Werner Herzog version of the book more
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Post by marshamae on Jan 28, 2023 3:16:50 GMT
Rufus, how do you like the Kate Nelligan FrankLangella version? I enjoyed the idea of making. Dracula overtly sexual and addictive. The portrayal of Victorian/ Edwardian life was well done.
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Post by timshelboy on Jan 28, 2023 10:01:03 GMT
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Post by timshelboy on Jan 28, 2023 10:24:21 GMT
one favourite that still needs a good film adaptation
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Post by marshamae on Jan 28, 2023 15:54:08 GMT
adored the novel, one of the perfect adolescent novels. The film was beautifully cast and I love the idea of the present in Black and White and the past in color. Jean Seburg looked perfect but her acting was wooden. I put this up to the awful influence of Otto Preminger. She was capable of a much better performance. Not sure if I would like a remake. David Niven was especially well cast as the father, shallow, playful, an adolescent with a bank account.
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spiderwort
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Post by spiderwort on Jan 28, 2023 16:02:06 GMT
one favourite that still needs a good film adaptation
And one of my favorites that still needs a good film adaptation (that could be a thread unto itself).
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Post by timshelboy on Jan 28, 2023 18:22:51 GMT
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Post by timshelboy on Jan 28, 2023 18:56:17 GMT
adored the novel, one of the perfect adolescent novels. The film was beautifully cast and I love the idea of the present in Black and White and the past in color. Jean Seburg looked perfect but her acting was wooden. I put this up to the awful influence of Otto Preminger. She was capable of a much better performance. Not sure if I would like a remake. David Niven was especially well cast as the father, shallow, playful, an adolescent with a bank account. I believe there is a recent French Tv Version - not seen it but it would be tough to beat the Preminger for visuals. Agreed Niven excellent - my favourite turn of his. Kerr exceptional as well. We'll need to disagree on Seberg - I thought her callow gaucheness served the part well. The melange of accents never bothers me with a film this pretty. LILITH or IN THE FRENCH STYLE probably Seberg's best performances. BONJOUR TRISTESSE may be my favourite movie.
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Post by Rufus-T on Jan 30, 2023 0:40:32 GMT
Rufus, how do you like the Kate Nelligan FrankLangella version? I enjoyed the idea of making. Dracula overtly sexual and addictive. The portrayal of Victorian/ Edwardian life was well done. Masha, Two highly acclaimed horror movie remakes around that time I feel a bit ashamed that I have not seen yet. One is Donald Sutherland's Invasion of the Body Snatcher. The other is the version of Dracula you referred to. I know that movie made Frank Langella very famous. See if I can make an effort to see both movies this year.
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Post by notoriousnobbi on Feb 5, 2023 14:19:26 GMT
I've seen both. Although Clooney's can't top the Tarkovsky film, I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was on its own merits; I'd expected a Hollywoodized hot mess, and got what, instead, was a pretty thoughtful film that holds up well in comparison to the original. What I haven't done is read Lem's novel, something I ought to get around to doing. The novel is very philosophical. An entirely faithful adaptation would be quite difficult to make, since most of the book consists of theoretical speculations about the nature of Solaris. Soderberg's Solaris doesn't see itself as a remake of Tarkovsky's, it just focuses more on other aspects of Lem's story. Both are good on their own. What both do miss is that there is also some satire in the book. The endless competition between the planet producing phenomens and the scientifists trying to categorize them. But satire wouldn't have fitted into the concepts of neither Soderberg nor Tarkovsky.
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spiderwort
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Post by spiderwort on Feb 19, 2023 15:24:07 GMT
As a youngster I was a sucker for reading the books of Jules Verne, didn't read them all, but the movie versions I was most pleased with was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1954 and Journey to the Center of the Earth 1959.
Tele, I never read Jules Verne until I saw Journey to the Center of the Earth when I was teenager, and then I read his novel and loved it (as I did the film back in the day). He was a remarkably good writer. I need to read more of his books.
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spiderwort
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Post by spiderwort on Feb 19, 2023 15:57:23 GMT
Adding this, adapted from the Alan LeMay novel I love, as I do the film. And this, adapted from the William Saroyan novel I love, as I do the film. And this, based upon the great novel by Henry Williamson. The film is not great, but it's very good, and I love it, too. And last, but certainly not least, adapted from Harper Lee's wonderful masterpiece.
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