MovieChat Forums > Owlwise > Replies
Owlwise's Replies
It has nothing to do with LSD.
Given that Vonnegut is one of those writers whose true power is in how he tells his stories, in his own distinct voice & literary style, I'd say that the film is as good an adaptation as we could hope to get. It benefits from being made in the early 1970s, because it's still in tune with the cultural zeitgeist then.
As for Vonnegut being passé, as some posters have suggested, I couldn't disagree more. The issues of human absurdity, stupidity, cruelty, apathy & indifference that he addresses are just as timely today as they were some 50+ years ago, when he wrote his seminal books. If anything, his sardonic, scathing assessment of human tribalism driven by fear & insecurity, the ease with which human beings slip into violence & mindless hatred—all of that is even more frighteningly timely & urgent today.
For all the talk of his pessimism & misanthropy, he's made it quite clear that he's a deeply wounded humanist, and his message is a plea for kindness, decency, and simply enjoying the wonders of life while we're here for this fleeting moment of time.
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies—'God damn it, you've got to be kind.'"
This says it well:
http://www.katewickens.me/blog/2016/11/16/kurt-vonergurt-god-damn-it-youve-got-to-be-kind
For me, the film works superbly.
But it wasn't made now. It was made nearly 50 years ago.
Well worth it. They assume an intelligent, eclectic, curious viewer. And they reward such viewers with rich imagery, interesting juxtapositions, and lingering questions & ideas to think about afterward.
Mine too! The cocktail hour was a normal part of adult life then.
Absolutely required! :)
Let's not forget the late Victorian novel The Prisoner of Zenda" which has been filmed quite a few times, too.
Best response! :)
What a great year for movies! I was 14 years old then & saw a number of them at the time; others I saw later, as an adult. They still hold up today.
An incredible actress, capable of such subtle, nuanced depth of feeling.
Agreed. I enjoy an exciting, well-made action story, especially if it also has some characterization. But the stories that really stay with me are the quieter, more thoughtful stories. I can rewatch those & get more out of them each time.
Yes, that's the thing individual episodes of an ongoing series can do, something that a big-screen film often can't do. I'd never expect to see a theatrical film of "The Measure of a Man" or "The Inner Light" or stories along that line, but they tend to be among the best of TNG.
A strong, thoughtful episode that's about actual human ideas & ideals. It's also a turning point for Picard, as he's swiftly becoming the Captain we know from subsequent seasons.
Audiences back then weren't bored by immersive movie experiences, which set mood & tone in depth, and could be drawn out for maximum subtle effect. Today's filmmaking style is far more frenetic & fast-paced, with quicker cuts & constant movement, leaving little time or space for that immersive, contemplative experience. I think that's a loss for viewers.
Agree absolutely. The so-called "big words" & the script were written by a literate man for a literate audience; he took it for granted that viewers would understand. It was a reasonable assumption in those days. Most popular movies were quite well-written, so that a critically acclaimed film wasn't one automatically banished to the arthouse circuit. I wish we had more of that today.
For many, including me, the last part of the film is where it takes the glorious leap into poetry & metaphor, which only adds to its power & emotional impact.
An excellent episode! I also really liked "Superstition" with Caine as part of the forced labor in the old silver mine. As with "An Eye for an Eye" it turns the tables on the expected, with Caine & the other trapped miners surviving by essentially doing nothing, by waiting in stillness rather than use up their air too quickly by digging, and by trusting in the other men outside to save them. A nice example of not forcing things uselessly, rather than constantly having to be active, productive, doing something (especially when it does no good).
Absolutely agree. Too many younger viewers seem unable to understand that different times had different mores, and that so much of what they think of as creepy & squicky, was seen as something innocent & funny in the past, without any of the over-sexualized perception now so common today. The notion of pedophilia wouldn't have occurred to the vast majority of filmgoers then; as far as they were concerned, they were watching a screwball story & agreeing to pretend that everyone in it saw the grown-up Ginger Rogers as successfully imitating a 12-year old girl, fooling everyone. It was like an extended comedy sketch, nothing more than that. And a funny one, too!
That's pretty much how I felt about it. I did see in in a theater when it came out, and it looked great on that big screen! But the narrative & tone were all over the place, weren't they?
I wonder if it was his attempt to show that he could do more than just his typical type of TV shows.
Whatever the reason, I'm glad it was on. Intelligent, thoughtful TV during a time when there wasn't much of that to be found.