books to movies
I've just taken a look through some of the comments about this film and I have a couple of things to say,
1. I ignored this movie because of the high regard I have for Cormac McCarthy's books and because Matt Damon was in it and BillyBob directed it.
This was before I developed an appreciation for both of them. I had the same problem with Brad Pitt. I thought he was just another pretty boy flavor of the month who was getting shots he didn't deserve. Then I saw 12 Monkeys.
2. Books to movies is and will always be a source of contention among movie fans. Was it true to the book? Was it a good movie? Did the Producer's or Director's compromises make the movie version of a great book suck? I had a theater director say to me what I heard an actor and film director say " We're not making the book!" I said to all three: "Then write your own story!"
They looked at me like i was the confused one.
To take a popular book and turn it into a "successful" film is, in my opinion, more difficult than writing a good movie and making it. Unless you decide to think that moviegoers are less intelligent than book readers. This is a recent development for people of my age. In the forties and fifties, producers were not afraid to take a literary piece and film the story as it was written. Some were so honest (at least about the prospects of making money by filming the story as told) that they chose not to do it. Those of us who revel in the advent of special effects giving us filmed versions of books we could never have seen in the past are waiting, hoping we don't die before it comes out.
Jackson gave us the rings. for which we will be ever grateful.
But even he admits that he couldn't do the whole book. Many of us wanted to see Tom Bombadil. And the scouring of the Shire.
But, no complaints from me. God, he gave us so much.
Last Mohican was improved by the script.
The Scarlet Letter was profaned by the happy ending.
Slaughterhouse Five was, in my opinion, the best book to film conversion I ever saw.
Catch 22 was another i thought worthy of praise.
There are many more but not many recent.
My point is that McCarthy's books will not be easy, and by the box office reception of this one, not likely, to be brought to the screen. Which is a shame, because his books are dense, complicated, real stories about the west.
if you like to read, if you like really good writing, then read Blood Meridian, or The Redness In The West. If you like westerns, or just great writing, it is intense, and the most likely object of a script, which I figure is being passed around Hollywood right now, trying to find a director who has read it and one who can do it without adding a car chase.
Here is my pitch to both producers and possible book fans:
this is the story of a group of beads cowboys (think wild bunch)who are hired by the Mexican government to hunt down and kill Indians who are raiding their northern territories. the riders do a good job but then realize that they won't get paid once the Indians are gone. then they realize that Mexican villager scalps look just the same as Indian scalps.
Imagine the cast…
My point is, most of the complaints I've here are more related to not understanding the book, than to bad movie making.