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MK 发表于 2008-11-13 23:47:00 |
A movie is too short to tell the acclaimed story of Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. That was why the first attempt to convert the original novel to a visual product ended in an eleven-episode TV series in 1981. I have not watched the drama yet though I very much love to. The TV show must be so impressive that my UK colleague P recalled it immediately after he heard the name of the movie. I place little hope in finding the TV show here or back home in China. To get a copy of the book is probably not too difficult.
I am very interested to find out the original ending of the story. I also expect a more detailed and vivid description of the complicated and subtle emotional touch among the three characters in the book. I believe that texts carry richer images than images do for human’s memories. Using or copying Charles’ comments on the difference between painting and photography, I shall say that image is a reflection of details, but writing is an expression of feelings. Hence paintings are better than photos, text is better than image, and book is better than the move – at least for memoirs.
However Mr. M, who invited me to the movie, has warned me that the book carries much more religious themes in it. He must understand very well how strongly I feel against the Catholic preaching part in the movie as I am an atheist like the old Charles.
I remember when the movie was over, M and I walked out from the cinema. I was puzzled and I asked him:”So, what’s the ending message? After all those struggles, the director wants to tell us that Charles finally found his peace in god and settled down with the past???” Both of us were a bit confused. And it was all Julian Jarrold’s fault. Because he-according to M’s reliable source-edited the ending part and made Charles believed in God. Such manipulation is totally unacceptable to me. If Evelyn Waugh was still alive, maybe she wants to use the book to knock Mr. Jarrold’s head (I don’t mind help Ms Waugh do that). Hence I am greatly interested in the book: only after I study the original work in details, shall I be able to make the arguments about the “modified ending” base on an in-depth understanding of the book.
I made a joke with P while talking about the movie: Isn’t it weird that all the handsome nice guys from Oxford University appear in movies are gay?
He laughed and gave me a nod.
电影简介
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