Hi Friends,
Another month gone by and here's yet another post that comes your way! :) So...how've you been?
We've all watched Margaret Mitchell's best-seller novel, Gone With the Wind come alive on celluloid some seven decades ago and then we've had the many adaptations of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre etc.That you have watched them is the assumption which I'll take as a yes!Now,you must be wondering what's the connection between these novels and the celebrated women authors I just mentioned above...well to be honest,there's none at at all...but as you read on you'll join the pieces yourself! :)
However,I won't hold you in suspense for long...so I'll just get started!This month I was just reminiscing some of the literary classics(that I mentioned above) that were successfully adapted on celluloid whose original works touched our soul but the subsequent prequels and sequels to the plot was somehow unable to recreate the same magic that one would have sincerely hoped for!(Of course,that view is subjective and I shall be glad to read your take on it.) Could it have something to do with the way these prequels/sequel were originally conceived and written?Or perhaps it was the casting that the makers didn't get right?Hence,I just thought of discussing about it in this month's post!
The overpowering chemistry between Scarlett O'Hara(Vivien Leigh) and Rhett Butler(Clark Gable) left an indelible impression on us so much so that seventy five years hence, the memories are fresh as ever!(Whoa...that sounds like a ''once upon a time...'' story!) Scarlett's willfulness,her naughty cat eyes,childish mischief,mild flirtations,her many beaus and her gradual transformation into a fierce business-woman got our attention as did Rhett Butler's roguish charms that caught the fancy of all the women out there including me!Do you remember that damning sign-off line from the film that nails the relationship-"Frankly my dear,I don't give a damn"?Ah...well, that coming from Rhett Butler didn't just break Scarlett's heart but mine too! :(
To this day,the film has not aged in our minds and many of you(including me) would have wished that Scarlett and Rhett re-unite together once again one last time!Alas,it did not happened in Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh's life-time but fifty five years later hence since the initial release of the film in 1939,our wish was granted when a TV mini-series titled 'Scarlett'(a sequel to Gone With the Wind based on a novel by Alexandra Ripley) showed us a determined Scarlett O'Hara's sincere attempt to win over Rhett back into her life.And along the way,the estranged husband-wife are thrown into the arms of one another through situations beyond their control and a sudden turn of events as the uncoupled begin to couple once again!It all goes to show that love was not lost...the sparks in their relationship were still there for us to see and behold!Since I haven't read the novel,I wouldn't discuss it but as a hopeless romantic and an ardent believer that love stories should end happily ever after,I was led to watch this four episode long mini-series to finally see a happy closure to this fiery love story!So,as the titles appeared in the beginning,the period setting,the mise en scène and the costumes transported me back to that era...but as I watched Joanne Whalley and Timothy Dalton in the scenes that followed,I rubbed my eyes with disbelief over and over again as I could not reconcile to the idea of anyone other than Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable play the iconic parts of Scarlett and Rhett!While both Joanne Whalley and Timothy Dalton are fine actors who got into the skin of their characters but it was that passionate chemistry between them that was missing.It was all too lukewarm,I just couldn't somehow feel it!I felt Joanne's portrayal of Scarlett was far too sober than the tigress Vivien Leigh was!Plus you couldn't miss out Vivien Leigh's striking green eyes,her girlish looks together with her catty expressions and feisty spirit which was missing in Joanne's character detail and portrayal.And the same was the case with Timothy Dalton;Clark Gable's styling in terms of his trimmed mustache and gelled hair together with the ease with which he pops cigars,gives Scarlett those piercing looks from the corners of his eyes,holds her,looks her in the eyes and delivers those romantic lines...Ah,that's the magic I missed so much in this mini-series!Also,while they technically achieved a great feat and also recreated several situations that reminded you of Gone With The Wind but it was certainly the chemistry that was just not there besides the detailing of the lead characters that was somewhere missing!I also found that the treatment in many scenes was all too rushed up.And had Scarlett not been touted as the sequel to Gone With The Wind,I might have enjoyed it even more because it sure has a charm of it's own.However,all said and done,I must admit that putting this production together is a laudable effort indeed!All in all,I guess to this day it's hard to imagine any actor who would take up the mantle of playing these two legendary characters made memorable by Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable!
The next novel whose adaptation I loved was BBC's Jane Eyre(2006) written by Charlotte Brontë starring Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson playing the parts of Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre respectively! Now,I regard this television mini-series the best adaptation in terms of narrative, performances and direction.(At least it's my personal favorite!)But once again,it was the emotional chemistry between Jane and Mr. Rochester that struck a chord with all of us!Ruth Wilson's Jane had innocence and her trials,heartaches brought tears to our eyes as did Toby Stephens brooding portrayal of Mr. Rochester which brought out the very essence of the character's dilemma, disillusionment and disappointments that nailed the performance.But when I watched the prequel to Jane Eyre titled,Wide Sargasso Sea authored by Jean Rhys,I was unable to somehow relate to the character of Mr. Rochester. From the way it was written,I was made to believe that Bertha was the villain of this piece while discounting Mr. Rochester's flings and affairs in the days of his youth!All in all,Wide Sargasso Sea was all about Mr. Rochester's attraction towards Bertha as the focus of the story veered too much on the intimacy level shared between Mr. Rochester and his wife,Bertha rather than the emotional upheavals and turmoil he was going through as also there was no mention or show of Adele,his daughter from his earlier relationships.I felt that in terms of writing,Wide Sargasso Sea had great scope in fleshing out the ghost of Mr. Rochester's past as well to show his imperfectness and let the audience have been the judge of whose misgivings were greater to be redeemed,whether Mr. Rochester's or Bertha's!I truly felt that introduction of some more character's from the protagonist's past would have helped in sustaining the plot-for example,bringing in Adele to the narrative could have added an all new dimension as would have the introduction of Jane accidentally bumping into her prospective employer Mr. Rochester at the cross-road of his crisis would have made for an interesting viewing.Perhaps,it could have been that Mr. Rochester is somewhere in the vicinity of Lowood on some business and they bump into one another at the local market?How's that?It would have implied that they were destined to meet for they were soul-mates like the Eshton's twins bound together in some unworldly way! And the story would then have connected beautifully in Jane Eyre when Jane actually rescues Mr. Rochester the second time around as he falls off the horse.I also felt that the casting of Mr. Rochester in Wide Sargasso Sea lacked the mannerisms,charisma and spirit that we saw in Toby Stephens portrayal which wowed us on all counts!Now,I felt that if they had to cast a younger Mr. Rochester in Wide Sargasso Sea then they'd might as well have taken Toby Stephens and perfected him to look the part.That was my view till some weeks back but it was not until recently when I watched Under The Greenwood Tree that I felt James Murray would have been an apt choice and suited the role to a T to play the part of Mr. Rochester in Wide Sargasso Sea. James Murray is one actor to watch out for...with the right choice of roles,he could go far in his career!(Psst...BBC should cast him more often in their period dramas and mini-series!)
Next on the list is Jane Austen's classic novel,Pride and Prejudice adapted by BBC One in 1995 starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle which according to me is the best version and most faithful adaptation of the novel till date that supersedes all others in terms of flawless direction,perfect casting and beautiful picturization.The casting of Mr. Darcy is bang on! Even in the stiffness and sternness on the countenance of the man,you can observe the gradual transformation taking place beneath since the moment he sets eyes on Miss Bennet that you begin to discover the tenderness and love residing deep inside in his heart which we at the beginning thought was filled with vanity,disdain, and aloofness!Good character arch I must add!It is simply brilliant in all aspects(not to mention the scintillating chemistry between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet) which makes for a refreshing watch and has a repeat value to this day even though it's six episodes long! Last year,a sequel to Pride and Prejudice titled,Death Comes To Pemberley authored by P.D. James was aired on television and those of you who might watched it could tell me how they found it!Now,I wouldn't like to generalize my observations (or thrust my opinions on you) particularly since I haven't watched this series in the first place...but you could tell me whether the plot resonated with the very thoughts, ideas and writings of a Jane Austen novel?In a typical Jane Austen's novel the different elements you were generally a witness to was-the Victorian era,societal differences,rich man-poor girl(girl was not really poor,but if you compare the boy's situation with the girl whom he is in love with,then it's yes,there was a stark difference),a blossoming love story, conflict/difference of opinion,acceptance and finally a resolution that culminates into marriage.Could you connect with the story in this new setting?Relate to the characters of Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet?From the premise of the novel that I read and the title,Death Comes to Pemberley sounded to me more like a dark-edgy suspense thriller!I personally felt that if Jane Austen were alive she would never have approved of her stories turning benign characters sinister and her plots getting thicker with the story reduced to a Sherlockian game shrouded in murder,mystery and crime. So,to start with it's an anomaly from the genre of Ms. Austen's writings where her lovable characters are transported into a world far from the reckoning of your imagination and are playing detective to solve a crime.I guess,this suspense-filled plot would have been best suited for yet another of Austen's novel-Northanger Abbey where as you may recall the female protagonist is fond of reading Gothic novels or even Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre (Do you remember the well-guarded secret surrounding Bertha who lives in Thornfield Hall?And very little is known of her existence but with the strange occurrences taking place gradually the mystery of her existence begins to unravel). So,to start with I wouldn't watch Death Comes to Pemberley for the afore-mentioned reasons together with the casting(as I'm already so accustomed to seeing Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle play Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet respectively) but I am waiting to read your comments that would convince me otherwise! :)
So, I'll conclude this month's post with some questions that have lingered in my thoughts all along...
1.What is your take on sequels/prequels to best-seller classic novels that have been successfully adapted to television/films in the first place?Just to elucidate the above question-For example:Would you prefer to watch a Jane Eyre or Wide Sargasso Sea?Which from the two would your choice be?And why?(I guess that would answer the question as I understand your thoughts on this subject.)
2.And the pointed question-Should classics be remade in the first place?Would you like to see Gone With The Wind, My Fair Lady etc. come alive once again?If Yes,why?If No, then why not?
I shall be waiting to read your lovely answers in the comments section of this post.Till then it's bye from me for now!
Love,
Sonyaa
No comments:
Post a Comment