The Word and The Image

Watching the opening scene of the movie "Atonement" last night prompted me to make the "book or movie" comparison for the millionth time. I used to be a bit of a book fanatic.The movie would never measure up to my expectations. Over time, though, I have come to appreciate that the book and the movie are two separate entities.I was eagerly waiting for the movie "The Namesake" but after watching it I almost felt like it had nothing to do with the book which I had read and admired so much. Sure, the narrative followed the same path but this was a much more somber experience. In "Sense and Sensibility" Emma Thompson looks much more mature than her character in the book yet this never detracts from the movie which captures the essence of what Austen was trying to say.It is rare that a Lord of the Rings comes around where devotees find their visions realized on screen.

I came across a very interesting book-movie transformation in the course of learning french. "Dangerous Liasions " was a very popular movie, won awards and popular acclaim and it is loyal to Choderlos de Laclos' novel in every way. But there are two other incarnations of the novel. one, made in the 1950s (I think) transported the plot to a contemporary context with a fabulous jazz music score. It didnt work very well although it followed the plot details closely. The other version, "Valmont", made about the same time as "Dangerous Liaisons" completely turned the novel on its head. Where Laclos wanted to hold a mirror up to a hedonistic society in the hope of changing it, this movie is deliciously hedonistic itself. Its pleasures are enhanced immensely by the inclusion if Colin Firth in the title role. Girls, this is a must-see!!