(WARNING: SPOILER ALERT)
There’s always that small slither of dread when one of your favourite books is made into a film. The element of disappointment is inevitable. Obviously no interpretation will match perfectly with your imagination but there are some film adaptations that make you want to the punch the cinema/TV screen. Differences in interpretation are understandable but when fundamental parts of the plot are either changed or removed entirely, it’s a whole different story…
The Northern Lights – Philip Pullman / The Golden Compass – Chris Weitz
In The Northern Lights, Lyra is an orphaned girl living in a parallel universe where she travels the world with the Golden Compass, a fortune telling instrument , in order to find her kidnapped friend Roger. After several dramatic episodes including talking polar bears in armour, Lyra is abducted by the same people holding Roger captive. Up until this point, the film has remained more or less faithful to the events in the novel. However, the fundamental issue with the film is the ending. Weitz simply cuts it out. The film concludes with Lyra and Roger flying north in search of the mysterious Lord Asriel. The book? Roger is murdered. Awkward sort of detail to miss out, especially since his death opens up a bridge to a parallel universe and thus leads onto the second book of the trilogy. Kind of an important feature but I don’t know, maybe child murder would have put a downer on the whole Hollywood happy ending thing.
My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult / Nick Cassavetes
My Sister’s Keeper tells the story of Anna, conceived as a donor child in order to provide organs for her older sister Kate who suffers from leukaemia. Anna files for medical emancipation from her parents when she is asked to donate a kidney to Kate. Following a series of events told through the eyes of various people affected by Kate’s illness, it is revealed Kate told Anna to file for emancipation because she wants to die. Until this point, Cassavetes’ interpretation is brilliant. Then boom. The ending. Picoult’s novel ends in an unbearably tragic manner as Anna dies in a car accident, meaning Kate receives the kidney she needs. The film? Let’s completely change the ending so there is no car crash, Anna lives and Kate passes due to her illness. What’s the point in doing this? Maybe the original ending was too tragic. Perhaps there’s some big artistic statement being made. Personally, I don’t get it.
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde / Dorian Gray – Oliver Parker
Artist Basil Hallward has painted a portrait of Dorian Gray, a beautiful young man, influenced by Lord Henry Wotton’s doctrines on youth and beauty. Upon seeing the painting, Dorian wishes that it would grow old while he remains eternally youthful. There are so many problems with this film adaptation I could word vomit for hours. One is the addition of Emily Wotton, Lord Henry’s daughter. Not only is she not a character in the novel, but her presence in the film almost belittles the characters of Sybil Vane and Basil into insignificance. Parker also replaces the dramatic climax of the novel, the murder of Basil, with a drawn-out struggle which ends with Dorian stabbing the portrait and the explosion of his house. Entirely unnecessary, melodramatic and unfaithful to the novel, Hollywood’s desire for all things macho takes away the subtle moment of revelation Wilde depicts so well.