The King's General
For my post on the
book, go
HERE.
The King's General is one of my all time favorite books. I recommend it to anyone who loves to reads and have re-read it myself many times. Now, all that is left is for Hollywood to make a movie!
OK, so I know that movies based on classics never quite live up to our expectations. There is the expectant wait, the excitement when the cast is revealed, the hype when the trailer is released, and the disappointment when the movie is finally seen. I know all that, and still, I want a movie!
The King's General has gotten under my skin; I love the characters so much that I want them shown on the silver screen. I want to see who Hollywood would choose for the cast - although I myself have already imagined them in my mind. It's just that kind of book; and that is why most movies based on popular books are such flops: the fans of the book have already filmed the whole book in their mind, and leaving out even a single scene or the slightest change in the plot, is such a jar. We know the movie already - who changed the script?!
The movie:
My idea of the movie strictly follows the plot. But following the plot doesn't mean showing each and every scene in the book. Many of the scenes would probably be irrelevant in a movie due to the fact that a book must describe a lot in detail which isn't needed in a movie. I would not change any of the essentials of the plot though: the characters, the important events, the outcome of their lives, and their personalities - only the length would be shortened.
Another point about book based films is that, many times, the dialogue is copied word for word from the book. For some fans this might be a plus point, but not for me. The reason is that the dialogue has become just that: a dialogue. Actors begin to sound like mannequins who lifelessly repeat what they are told. It's like a useless prop that jars the uniformity of the set. The writer of the script should have freedom in rewriting the novel to some extent. The
essence of the dialogue should be the same, but the script of a movie is quite different from other reading material.
As for the cast, for Richard Grenvile, I imagine someone hard and cruel but charming, careless but an intense lover. I've so far thought of Taylor Kitsch. He's perfect for the role in my mind. If only he were a couple of years older for when Richard is above 40.
Rose Byrne might suit the role of Gartred Grenvile - Richard's stunningly beautiful, hard, grasping and greedy older sister. The only thing I would say is that both the siblings are supposed to have auburn hair - but they can dye their hair right?! :P
I don't know about Honor. Actresses are always more difficult to cast because they are usually described in such detail in books. Maybe Kirsten Dunst would fit.
So Hollywood - make a movie already!
For my post on the book, go HERE.
3 comments:
Hey you should write about making agatha christie's mystery novels into a series!!!
Actually there already is a series of her novels :)
In England, it's hard to know why, overall, the English Civil Wars of the 1640s haven't been written about about and filmed more often. But I absolutely agree that The King's General is a wonderful book, and I'm now reading it for the second time, only a year after my first read when I discovered it in an old charity bookshop.
For anyone interested in the period and in all its social and political aspects, I'd like to urge Americans to see the four-part Channel 4 series called, The Devil's Whore. It's the best period recreation anyone could have imagined.
Exactly why we keep seeing - in my lifetime more times than I can count series after series about Henry VIII and his wives, when this later period offers the richest seam of events in British history. I would disagree though, with the above comment regarding actors. Sorry, but Hollywood is in California, and they just would now get the period authenticity right in production, and the actors wouldn't suit either. They have to be English, an the setting in chosen locations around England. Do watch the above mentioned series to see my drift on this - it's brilliant.
Post a Comment