A Scanner Darkly
Okay, I was clearly the person in the cinema who enjoyed the film the most (admittedly, American independent is a bit of a minority taste in London to begin with). I've managed to collect my thoughts together into something a bit more organized.
The first thing to observe is that most people found the movie rather confusing. Now, PKD has written a lot of confusing work, and a fair amount that was just plain confused, but ASD is far from the worst offender. However, a plot in which the narrator is slowly but surely losing mental coherence is always going to present problems. Especially when adapted to a movie, which necessarily compresses the plot. You lose fairly important details of this progression, such as Fred watching Bob on the monitors, becoming increasingly convinced that he's up to something.
While we're on the subject of details, conversations are much slower in the book than in the movie. Again, I think the decisions are justified. The bicycle scene is even funnier in the original, but it wouldn't have added much to the movie. Donna explaining the exact action of cocaine makes the whole argument between Bob and Donna make more sense, but at the cost of pace. All in all, pretty much all of the decisions have a justification.
There seems to have been a lot of debate as to whether or not Bob would remember enough about being a cop to shut down New Path. I think it's clear in the book, but simply because you're given access to his internal thought processes: he recognizes the planting patterns as being similar to the ones used by cocaine farmers.
The more I think about the style of the movie, the more I like it. In fact, I find it hard to think of a movie more suited to a technique that leaves you trying to figure out what's real and what's not the whole time. From the way that parts of the shot are uncoloured, to parts of the shot moving in 3d whilst others remain static, it constantly messes with your perception of what you're seeing. All in all, pretty much the first truly faithful adaptation of a PKD novel (Blade Runner is excellent, but it actually vastly improves upon the original, ASD didn't really need the help.) Also, probably Linklater's best movie since SubUrbia. It's a bit odd to think that such a highly regarded director seems to have produced very few good movies. Go figure.
Anyway, for those of you who were wondering what I was going on about when I mentioned "Corinthians", I've put the quote at the bottom. Actually, there's quite a few biblical references in A Scanner Darkly, mostly relating to resurrection (understandable, given the circumstances).
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass,* darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
*Mirror
The first thing to observe is that most people found the movie rather confusing. Now, PKD has written a lot of confusing work, and a fair amount that was just plain confused, but ASD is far from the worst offender. However, a plot in which the narrator is slowly but surely losing mental coherence is always going to present problems. Especially when adapted to a movie, which necessarily compresses the plot. You lose fairly important details of this progression, such as Fred watching Bob on the monitors, becoming increasingly convinced that he's up to something.
While we're on the subject of details, conversations are much slower in the book than in the movie. Again, I think the decisions are justified. The bicycle scene is even funnier in the original, but it wouldn't have added much to the movie. Donna explaining the exact action of cocaine makes the whole argument between Bob and Donna make more sense, but at the cost of pace. All in all, pretty much all of the decisions have a justification.
There seems to have been a lot of debate as to whether or not Bob would remember enough about being a cop to shut down New Path. I think it's clear in the book, but simply because you're given access to his internal thought processes: he recognizes the planting patterns as being similar to the ones used by cocaine farmers.
The more I think about the style of the movie, the more I like it. In fact, I find it hard to think of a movie more suited to a technique that leaves you trying to figure out what's real and what's not the whole time. From the way that parts of the shot are uncoloured, to parts of the shot moving in 3d whilst others remain static, it constantly messes with your perception of what you're seeing. All in all, pretty much the first truly faithful adaptation of a PKD novel (Blade Runner is excellent, but it actually vastly improves upon the original, ASD didn't really need the help.) Also, probably Linklater's best movie since SubUrbia. It's a bit odd to think that such a highly regarded director seems to have produced very few good movies. Go figure.
Anyway, for those of you who were wondering what I was going on about when I mentioned "Corinthians", I've put the quote at the bottom. Actually, there's quite a few biblical references in A Scanner Darkly, mostly relating to resurrection (understandable, given the circumstances).
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass,* darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
*Mirror
posted by Losing Side at 2:09 AM
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