BS: Unite Against Whatever

Subject: BS: Unite Against Whatever
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 02:29 PM

In the spirit of pointless internet petitions, try this one on for size.

A few weeks ago I watched a fairly recent adaptation of the Count of Monte Cristo. It starred James Caviezel and Guy Pearce. Rather pretty costuming and scenery, but it lacked passion, conviction. A postcard had more dramatic tension. Edmond didn't feel like something who was driven by the black passion of revenge. Worst of all, however, was the way they changed the ending. Dantes was played as the poor victim, instead of a man twisted by hate who colly sets about destroying his enemies. He kills Guy Pearce and then it's a happy ending, where the family goes home with him. What a sad, disgusting Hollywood ending. When you find out that your real father killed the man that raised you, or the man you would have married but thought dead, it doesn't just resolve itself like that. The ending left me feeling sick to the stomach. The original story was one of the best ever written.
So because of this I want to start up an internet pettition to stop the butchering of books into films. STICK TO THE SPIRIT OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Unite Against Whatever
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 03:21 PM

Oh, you are optimistic about your chances, aren't you?

Subject: RE: BS: Unite Against Whatever
From: Don Firth
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 03:22 PM

Greetings, Scaramouche.

Do you claim kinship with André-Louis Moreau, the protagonist of Rafael Sabatini's excellent historical novel, Scaramouche? I read that when I was about fourteen years old, and it remains one of my favorite historical novels.   I pull it out and reread it every few years. In fact, it was one of the things that inspired me to take up fencing when I was fourteen.

The movie version with Stewart Granger was a romp, but it was downright pathetic compared to the novel. I don't think anything short of a twelve-part (two-hour episodes) television mini-series ala Masterpiece Theatre could even come close.

I haven't seen the version of The Count of Monte Cristo that you mention, but did you see the 1975 TV version with Richard Chamberlain as Dantes? I thought that was pretty well done, and did a good job of recreating the original story. Tony Curtis as Mondego was a little weak, partly because an assumed French accent overlaying his basic Brooklyn speech wasn't too convincing, but Donald Pleasance as Danglars was marvelous. Chamberlain, I though, was excellent, as was Trevor Howard as the Abbé Faria and Kate Nelligan as Mercedes. Worth a look if you get the chance.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Unite Against Whatever
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 03:39 PM

It's a favourite and inspired the name, yes. Sabatini is the best.
Much more than an adventure novel or swashbuckler, it's one of the best books of the century. Period. If O'Brien can receive such literary fame, why not Sabatini? A very intellectual writer, who didn't feel the need to be superior about it, but could always tell a tale. All of his protagonists preffer their wits to force. Andre-Louis starts out as a very cynical young man who discovers his ideals.
Add to that a clever use of the Commedia del Arte and you have one cracking novel of the French Revolution.
Maybe on a good day the Beeb might have a go.
Don't you think the Sea Hawk is almost as good a tale of revenge as the Count?
The Errol Flynn "Captain Blood" is a great example of how you can have a good film that follows the spirit of the book. Some of the changes were even an improvement, like Arabella's character.
I heard good things about the Chamberlain Count, especially as he's a bit unexpected, isn't he.

Subject: RE: BS: Unite Against Whatever
From: Amos
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 03:49 PM

In the same vein, I am sure you would both enjoy Isabel Allende's recent novel Zorro, reconstructing the creation of the sword-wielding Californio hero of the same name.

I couldn't put it down. Until I finished it, anyway. Then I could.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Unite Against Whatever
From: Don Firth
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 04:36 PM

It's been a long time since I've read The Sea Hawk, but I think I'll pull it out and read it again. The Errol Flynn movie of The Sea Hawk was a fun romp, but it didn't seem to bear any relationship with Sabatini's novel.

I think it's sort of a tribute to Sabatini that he created a fictional character in Captain Blood that lots of people believe was a real person. Right. The movie was a pretty good adaptation of the book.

I would heap blessings upon anyone who would make a sincere effort to do a good adaptation of Scaramouche and actually came close. It's such a great story.

And if they would do the fencing scenes with real fencers, with no swinging from chandeliers, leaping over the furniture, and running up and down stairs. I was in San Francisco in 1950, taking fencing lessons from Hans Halberstadt while they were doing location filming of parts of the Stewart Granger version. The two brief duel scenes in the Bois de Boulogne were actually shot in Golden Gate Park and coached by Halberstadt. Two of Halberstadt's better students did the fencing. It was shot in the early morning fog and at a distance. Woolfred Wooten, who looked a bit like Granger, stood in for him, and Gordon Scheiley (sp?), wearing slightly different clothes for each duel, "died" twice on the morning they filmed the scenes. In the salle d'armes, I fenced with both of these guys. That final idiotic dragged-out "duel" scene in the theater was filmed somewhere else. Typical Hollywood flummery!

And Zorro! Another boyhood hero of mine. Thanks for the heads-up, Amos   I'll have to get the book!

The 1940s The Mark of Zorro had one of the best duel scenes ever filmed. Both Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone were good fencers, and Fred Cavins, the fight director for that film, just turned the two of them loose to do their own thing. Apart from the fact that it was completely anachronistic—they used a style of saber-fencing that came into existence many decades after the period being portrayed, and both of them were using modern, light-weight competition sabers (I have two just like them)—the actual swordplay was excellent (give or take slipping on a carpet now and then). Which shows they can do it!

Fun!!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Unite Against Whatever
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 04:55 PM

Peter Blood is really three people rolled in one. The actual Colonel Thomas Blood (famous for stealing the Crown Jewels) the greatest rogue of his day, Alexander Selkirk who is the basis for Crusoe, and last, but not least, Morgan.

The Sea Hawk is based on the exploits of Captain Ward, yes that one, and it can hold it's own against any history book of the Corsairs.
My favourite, I think.

Cinematic swordplay is, perhaps, the ultimate form of interpretative dance.

Subject: RE: BS: Unite Against Whatever
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 11:18 AM

Years ago I joined a group invented by his royal highness Bruce Utah Phillips. The group is Y.A.W.N. ------ YAWN -- as in when you're tired---or just "sick and tired" of stuff.

Stands for Youth Against Whatever's Next !

Art

Subject: RE: BS: Unite Against Whatever
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 03:20 PM

Cool, where does one sign up?