MovieChat Forums > Owlwise > Replies
Owlwise's Replies
And also bring down inescapable punishment on them. Number Six had a moral center—while he would take incredible risks that endangered himself, he risk the lives of others by using or manipulating them. If he did, he would be no better than those who ran the Village. And in effect, he would have morally surrendered to them by doing so.
The episode "It's Your Funeral" directly addressed this issue, in fact.
Three bloated movies filled with fanfic that all but overwhelmed the original story, at that.
To each his own. I saw Annie as a wonderful wife to Ray.
When he wonders, "Is this Heaven?" he's realizing that his life on Earth, exactly as it is at that very moment, is indeed Heaven for him. Or the Earthly Paradise, if you will. One of the fortunate people who understands that he already has everything that he needs & wants right here & now.
Zhivago is good, often better than good. But Lawrence is greatness.
Perhaps not consciously. But unconsciously? Very possibly so!
Yes, there is that. :)
Adapting the original novel seems like the best way to go, if there's going to be remake. I know that remaking the film with modern effects & sensibilities is most likely, and would undoubtedly look better to contemporary tastes ... but, nostalgia aside, there's a certain enduring retro charm to many '70s science-fiction movies that's still quite enjoyable & would be sadly lost.
That's one impressive list!
And it's the "outrageous" that makes it so wonderful!
It's got everything a good commentary should have: technical details, background, juicy tidbits about the actors & the production, acknowledgements of what he wishes he could have done better or differently, personal musings, etc. You can tell just how passionate he is about his films & just how much they mean to him.
The ordinary "bigger career" wasn't prepared for someone of his unrelenting intensity, wit, and intelligence, I'm afraid.
Well said! Boorman has never shied away from grappling with Big Ideas, and the fact that he approaches them with everything he's got, including humor as well as intellect & symbolism & depth psychology, makes them a heady mix indeed. I much rather see him attempt something seemingly impossible, even if he occasionally stumbles at times, than settle for the certainty of something with less potential. If he fails at times, he fails gloriously. And when he succeeds, which is more often the case, he does so with gusto & panache.
Boorman does great commentaries on his films, doesn't he?
And also because of its ridiculous elements! I really love the insanely fearless "anything goes" audacity that Boorman took here. It's like an eruption from the depths of the Unconscious, seemingly absurd from a logical viewpoint, but somehow emotionally right in the sheer hallucinatory joy of what it's doing.
Yes, and "the 50s" became rather dubious after those first two seasons, which previously had made a genuine attempt to convey the atmosphere & concerns of the times.
Insight & eloquence aren't restricted to the highly educated, and any man or woman, no matter what their station in life, can have an epiphany.
I basically agree with you that there's plenty of room for diversity in fantasy, and in fact that can make it even more fascinating & rich. But diversity was built into GoT, whereas LotR, not so much at all. That's my only caveat, wanting the adaptation to remain true to the vision of the author.
I have no problem with diversity when it's organic & natural to the story, and in such cases I applaud it. For example, any Conan film is inherently diverse, because Conan's Hyborian Age is filled with different races, cultures, and nations. And Conan himself has both fought against & fought side-by-side with diverse characters. Diversity is built into the Hyborian Age. The same with the world of Michael Moorcock's Elric, for that matter. (And will we ever see an Elric film? I'd love that!)
But as you say, Tolkien specifically considered & created middle-Earth to be a mythology for & about England. And an England of the far distant, legendary past, at that. Any filmed adaptation should reflect & honor his original intention, not as a matter of politics, but simply as basic courtesy & respect.
Absolutely agree!