Here are a few other things that I like about the Cloud Atlas movie as opposed to the book:
• In the far future, everyone wears ponchos!!!! This is totally awesome. I love ponchos. What's more, I love crocheting ponchos. In the credits of the movie they listed a knitter and a knitter/crocheter. It never occurred to me that I could quit my job and crochet ponchos for the movies as a living. I'm now SERIOUSLY considering it.
• Several of the stories made more sense to me in the movie than they did in the book. Most notably the one about the young composer between the wars. The ending of that story made no sense to me in the book. It made more sense in the movie.
• Sonmi's story was much more moving as it was portrayed in film. Her mode of speech was very flat and had little affect. In the book, there was nothing to contrast with that flatness. In the movie, the dichotomy between the flatness of her speech and the emotions on her face as we saw her story unfold made me really connect with her in a way that I hadn't in the book.
• The way the movie moved more fluidly between the stories allowed me to see the echoes between the stories more clearly.
I'm sure there are more things. I'll post them as I remember them.
So, Molly, was there anything in the book as awesome as everyone in the future wearing ponchos? I don't think so!
6 comments:
Okay - I think you've both hooked me. Now I want to read the book AND see the movie.
Excellent. Do it. Then report back. Full disclosure, though. The book is long and the movie clocks in at like 3 hours. :-)
AH!!! I loved the shawls too - and the glass in the far future and the little detail of the button from the first story ending up in that far future story.
I support your movie knitting endeavors.
There were absolutely some of the stories the benefited from the drama of visual storytelling. The composer story climax was very moving. Sonmi's as well.
I didn't like the way the stories were cut up - the book the stories (except for the far future) were ct in two - with a really great and exciting cliffhanger. With the quick back and forth between the stories in the movie - I felt like some of the drama got homogonized. Like - now all the stories have a chase scene, and here is the moment when everyone experiences terrible doubt.
I totally understand your comment yesterday about the book not giving you someone to emotionally root for - I agree with that. Except for Sonmi and the guy in the far future - I rooted for those two like crazy, but maybe because they had the most emotional drama.
HAve you read the thousand autumns of Jackob De Zoet? I think you would love it - it's got all the great things of Cloud Atlas with some serious emotional deliciousness.
I loved the Bourne identity moves of Sonmi's guy in the future. That was way better visually as well.
I disagree with you about the effects of the quick cuts I think showing those connections heightened the themes of the movie for me and did nothing to change the drama of them. Although it's possible that you have a higher tolerance for ambiguity than me. I know it's supposed to be arty to leave things unexplained, but I always suspect that it's laziness on the part of the storyteller.
Eileen, if you get a line on that crocheting or knitting for the movies job, hook me up! (Oh, that was an unintentional pun. ;)
THere is nothing I like better than a good fiber arts pun, Maureen. Hook up, indeed!
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