![]() ![]() Its not a bravura piece of film making, but it is simple and pure - I always think of Ozu's movies when i think of The Dead, its at that level of purity and simplicity and deep wisdom. Its rare indeed for a movie version of a literary masterpiece to be itself a masterpiece, but I think its fair to use this term for this movie. The only slight miss-step is the use of music to accompany the devastating final soliloquy. It is simple and true, with outstanding acting. He never gave in to temptation to play it up or use fancy technique to expand on the story. James Joyce, quote from The Dead Under cover of her silence he pressed her arm closely to his side and, as they stood at the hotel door, he felt that they had escaped from their lives and duties, escaped from home and friends and run away together with wild and radiant hearts to a new adventure. To bring such a short story to the cinema was always going to be tricky. Even his own wife of many years loved a man now dead more than him. ![]() ![]() In beautifully spare language it tells of the realization of Gabriel Conroy that his life, and the lives of so many around him are controlled by memories of the dead. It may in fact be the finest short story in the English language. The Dead is unusual - it had to be 'padded', as the short story itself is a tiny, relatively short gem. There are many reasons for that, but usually it is the need to cut down a complex novel to the size of a screenplay. So many literary adaptations are disappointments. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |