Hitchcock

Blondes make the best victims. They're like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints.

-Alfred Hitchcock

Sorry folks for the extremely long delay in posts. I was out sick last week and am catching up on my work as I write this. Hard to type two blogs at once - so if you read anything on home theatre systems that does not fit in with this post, I apologize.

Before contracting the flu, I travelled to London, Ontario to see Hitchcock (2012) with a friend. The theatre was a small, art house-esque theatre with major chain prices. I was willing to pay anything to see another homage to my favourite director, Alfred Hitchcock. I first saw him when I was 16 in media studies watching Psycho (1960). Unlike my fellow classmates, my desire to watch horror and thriller films was extremely limited. So when I jumped at the sudden opening of Marion Crane's shower curtain, everyone giggled at my terror. But for a newbie to those genres and Alfred Hitchcock films, I didn't know what to expect. Looking back Psycho may appear tame, but special effects would've only created skeptics of film goers sooner.

When I discovered the novel "Alfred Hitchcock and The Making of Psycho" was being produced into a movie, I was excited for more insight into the film. I was anticipating the creation of Psycho from Hitchcock's point-of-view, even though the adaptation of this novel is from the research of Stephen Rebello. But this film felt more like a love story between Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville. Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren, as well as the entirety of the all-star cast, did an excellent job in their performances; although, Hopkins looked more like Hannibal Lecter had been stung by a bee. The plot, however, captured less of the making of Psycho than I anticipated.

I wanted to know more about Janet Leigh's work on her character, how Anthony Perkin's emulated Norman Bates without much work, and the environment surrounding a film like this in the 1960s. I would have to re-read Rebello's work to get more inside looks at the creation of Psycho. Hitchcock's romantic narrative caused me to stir in my seat in anticipation for a sudden killing spree or violent episode, but nothing. I can't say I'm thoroughly disappointed in the film - it did deliver in the promise to find out more about Psycho and Hitchcock, but it overplayed the romantic card too much.

While out sick I decided to watch Psycho again and I can only regret not being alive when the film came out in 1960. I would have loved to been scared mid-movie at Marion Crane's death and not being the only one startled by this. But I guess I'll still be remembered as the boy scared by a black-and-white film in 2003.

I think I must have one of those faces you can't help believing.

- Norman Bates, Psycho (1960)

Bridge to Terebithia

It was up to him to pay back to the world in beauty and caring what Leslie had loaned him in vision and strength.

- Katherine Paterson, "Bridge to Terabithia"

Bridge to Terabithia was one of my favourite books growing up. It was introduced to me in grade 5 (1996/97) as a reading assignment. I was not excited to read it at first. But Katherine Paterson has a great sense of her reader, knowing they can connect with Jesse in any way, shape or form. That's what drew me into Bridge to Terabithia - Jesse Aarons, Jr. His story captivated me as I was able to relate to the pressures he is under and the struggles he faces. 

As I grew up I often thought about how this novel would be adapted to film, as most of my favourite books were already films or turning into them. But when David Paterson, son of Katherine Paterson, and Jeff Stockwell created the screenplay for Bridge to Terabithia, they did not consult me first.

Director Gabor Csupo captured the basic emotion of the novel throughout, providing excellent visuals in setting but with a modern take (as the book was published in 1977). The Aarons household, farm and life are emulated exactly as I imagined - poor, bleak and hard-up. But the light in Jesse Aarons' life emerges when Leslie Burke arrives, and the momentum picks up in both story and emotion.

I know I am saying emotion a lot in this post, but the novel provides a lot of it. And while I try to remain unbiased based on reading the novel, I was looking for the emotional aspects of the novel to remain in the novel. And I think because this is a Disney film, there's an over-emphasis on visual effects and theatrics when it comes to "Terabithia", the imaginary land developed by Jesse and Leslie. I understand - it's a children's novel and is adapted into a children's movie; however, the film has such adult themes - death, grief, rebellion - that aren't always understood by youth. Escaping into a world of imagination is not childish, and letting children have a childhood is important, but I think what irritates me with this film is the interpretation of Terabithia. It's sort of how I imagined the world to be, but was too over the top in terms of theatrics. The battle between Jesse, Leslie and The Giant Troll, as well as May Belle's entrance into Terabithia, are too drawn out in showing the character's interaction with the imaginary world. It's nice to have an imagination though - guess mine's stifled by sitting at a desk all day.

Overall I would have liked to see a more (I guess) serious interpretation of the story be taken. The themes of the story are ones that children have a tough time understand, so making the film into a imaginary land is good to draw in the audience, but takes away from the overall story. But that's biased - I read and thoroughly appreciate the novel, so it's hard to keep my opinion separate on this one.

Although there is a generation that is very familiar with the book, if you are over 40, then you probably haven't, and we need to reach them. [...] Everyone who read the book and sees the trailer says, 'What is this? This is nothing like the book. What are you doing, Dave?' And I say, 'You know what you're seeing is 15 seconds of a 90-minute film. Give me a little leeway and respect. Go see it, and then tell me what you think.

- David Paterson (son of author Katerine Paterson) on Bridge to Terabithia's adaptation

The Hobbit: An Expected Admiration

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

- "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien

I first read The Hobbit when I was in grade two. In 1994 that book wasn't even available in my elementary school, but my teacher ordered it for me because no other books were challenging. Plus my active imagination needed to compete against a literary master. In 2009 I read that book at Brock University again for Popular Narrative and Children's Literature - weird, eh?

Peter Jackson is managing to take a whole book and slice it into three parts - he, like the rest of Hollywood, sees the values of a series - and I think it is important this book is not left to just one three hour film. By doing three films (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey/The Desolation of Smaug/There and Back Again) Jackson is, hopefully, going to be able to capture the magic of the original novel.

That being said - I am going to try to keep my opinions of the book separate from my opinions of the film adaptation. 

Normally I overreact in an action sequence for films like The Hobbit but I was so engulfed in witnessing how "The Company" gets out of its sticky situations that I stopped fidgeting in my seat to see just how they would survive. Bilbo's departure from Hobbiton and The Shire set forth just how action packed it was, as he ran after "The Company" to begin his adventure. The amount of time it took for Jackson to bring us to that point let me know I needed to hunker down - the boots came off, the popcorn sat complacently in my lap and I sipped my pop slowly as I did not want to get up.

Sure the movie is just under 3 hours long but definitely well worth the bathroom break. My movie guest was slamming his head on the chair in hopes the film would end, but admitted he didn't want to miss a moment. The film captures all the imperative plot moments that showcase the skills of the Dwarves as well as Bilbo's burglary abilities - especially when he is able to finagle his way out of the trolls and goblins. 

In terms of its comparison to the novel - it hit all the key plots points, but every adaptation is an artist's interpretation. But because of LOTR's established visuals, Jackson was again able to capture the images created by Tolkien. I don't know about you, but I imagined Middle Earth to look similar to how Jackson portrays it. I always like when the film closely matches what others interpret the novel as. 

Filmmaking for me is always aiming for the imaginary movie and never achieving it.

- Peter Jackson

What do you think?

Popular Narrative Appreciation 101

How to Appreciate Narratives in All Their Forms

When I studied Popular Culture at Brock University, Popular Narrative was one of my favourite classes. The course description was this:

Textual and contextual analysis of popular literary genres such as the detective novel, gothic fiction, science fiction, the romance novel; adaptation of popular novels to a variety of other media forms.

- Brock University Undergraduate Calendar, 2008-2009

I studied various forms of text but primarily it was film and literature that influenced the studies in that course. The first month and a half was spent analysing "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley Wollstonecraft, watching the first feature film with Boris Karloff, the spoof "Young Frankenstein" by Mel Brooks and the remake featuring Kenneth Branagh. By the end of the unit, I felt we had over analyzed the texts that I lost appreciation for the works itself. 

That's where this club comes in.

The mission of The Film Adaptation Club is to appreciate film without reading the original narrative texts. If I never read "Frankenstein" would I have the same appreciation for the original , spoof or Sir KB's versions? Yes. But while reading the novels made me understand the narrative much better, I appreciate the value of the film much more. 

How this club will run:

It can be done weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. Members will submit suggestions for the film we will watch, and we will draw a film title out of a glass bowl (Hunger Games-style). After watching the film we will discuss the film: our likes, dislikes, comparisons to other adaptations or, if you've read the original narrative, the book. Once we get the ball rolling, we can venture into various territories of film adaptations.

Depending on who signs up, this can be done online or in person. Friends in the Niagara region, we can meet to watch the movies. Anyone can participate if you've seen the film! I welcome all comments and criticisms of the film adaptations we will watch.

Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.

- Henry Miller