book into film
Scottie Bowman (bowman@mail.indigo.ie)
Sun, 07 Jun 1998 08:59:08 +0000
Why make films of Salinger's works at all ? They're singularly
unvisual & don't greatly depend for their power on the feel
or appearance of the `real world' - which is what film does best.
Their essential action isn't even vivid dialogue - which is not
Salinger's strong point anyway. They are principally about
personality & character (of pretty unusual people at that) &
the various internal pilgramages which they undertake.
If a cluster of ideas have found their most perfect expression
in one medium why try to translate them into another ?
It's a bit like reconstructing Chartres Cathedral out of matchsticks
or performing the last quartets of Beethoven with a bunch of
trombones. Interesting no doubt - but not what the man intended.
If the wish is simply to teach one's old classmates a bloody good
lesson, as you yourself point out, they won't listen or understand
anyway.
Scottie B.