I have long been a fan of books, especially fiction. I have also long been a fan of movies. In recent months, I've been turning over in my mind what favourite books of mine I'd like to see finally adapted to film. When I re-read my post about my fave novels of all time (here), I noted that a handful of them had been adapted to the big screen, but not always to my satisfaction. I will address that in this little discussion.
First up is the Border Trilogy, written by Cormack McCarthy. Yes, there was a 2000 film of the first book in that set, All the Pretty Horses. It was okay, but forgettable. As someone else accurately assessed the movie, it lacked the "poetry" of the great western novel. An author's way with words depicts the story's mood and the chemistry between characters... and that does not always come through in film adaptation. Some books brought to film don't translate successfully, despite best intentions and quality cast and direction. Though some big name actors (Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz, to name just a couple) appear in Pretty Horses, they don't resonate or really own their characters, and something is clearly missing in the portrayals and in the pacing of the movie. So I would like to see something more faithfully rendered to the silver screen, with much more care and respect for the source material. Or just leave it alone, so I can simply enjoy McCarthy's written word, picturing the characters and locations in my imagination.
I thought I heard rumours about a possible Netflix film version of The Three-Body Problem, but I believe production has been on hold for some time now. The book, the first in what is called the Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy, was written by Liu Cixin. That and its sequels comprise what I think is the best modern sci-fi I've read. An animated series of some sort was created in China on a shoe-string budget, and what little I saw on Youtube doesn't do the story justice. I recommend the book (the whole trilogy, really) to all science-fiction fans out there. Some of the greatest writing and ideas out there, ever.
Yet another trilogy comes to mind, the Deptford Trilogy, originally written by legendary Canadian author Robertson Davies. But let's just start with book one, Fifth Business. I'd love to see this tale in visual form, with just the right people behind and in front of the camera (I haven't taken the time yet to line up actors, directors, etc) to make it the dark and twisted drama that it deserves to be. Davies blended themes of spirituality, psychology, religion, morality, myth and history... all to intriguing effect in his story. I wonder if the now-denounced director Roman Polanski, given his film-making style, would be the right choice to helm such a production.
Then on to another favourite author, China Miéville, who penned Perdito Street Station and its two sequels in the Bas-Lag trilogy. The Perdito book was incredibly bizarre and engaging; I just couldn't get enough of Miéville's far-out world of dark urban fantasy. So how about a visual translation to capture our imaginations in the cinematic realm? It's been years since I've read the book, and yet I feel like Willem Dafoe might fit quite well into the story, not sure which character yet though. He just has a look and acting style that could be a perfect fit for the freaky and edgy tone. And maybe David Croneberg directing? His penchant for the weird and disturbing, plus his pioneering of the body horror film genre would be pedigree enough to earn him the chair.
I was bowled over by the 1989 novel Hyperion, by Dan Simmons, when I read it a couple of years back. Considered a science fiction classic (even though it's only just over thirty years old), Hyperion covers a lot of ground, relating several characters' personal stories, as told to their fellow travellers while on a pilgrimage to an historic galactic event. One actor I thought of while reading was Gina Carano, of Mandalorian fame. The role I'd assign her in Hyperion would be obvious to anyone who has read the book.
And how about finally putting the fictional fantasy warrior Elric of Melniboné onto celluloid? Author Michael Moorcock concocted a cool and fun series of novels about the sword-and-sorcery adventures of a "doomed albino antihero", the emperor of an alternate Earth. I first read the Elric books as a teenager, then after many decades, I came back to them in recent years and re-discovered Moorcock's mastery of storytelling, world-building, and character development. It's not high fiction but it is top-notch work in the genre, highly influential and yet curiously lacking in any cross-over to other media (except music, where dozens of rock/metal bands have incorporated Elric themes and stories into their songs). Both TV and film adaptations were discussed over the years but all were shelved.
I may have some other ideas about books to film, but I'll ruminate on them and possibly write something more in a future post. So.... keep on reading, and keep on watching!
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