well. after promising myself so faithfully to do one list each wednesday, i already broke my promise after the first week. to my defense i can only say that that was the day when my favourite person in the world finally arrived here in my town, and we had better things to do than sit in front of the computer. i did get sick also later that day.
but. this is a new week, i am fine and ready to post my weekly list of films and books i saw and read.
- North and South. novel by Elizabeth Gaskell and BBC mini-series from 2004.
i first saw the movie, now i am reading the book. which is a procedure i highly recommend for everybody who does not want to spoil the movie version of a great piece of literature. chances you don't like the movie are much higher if you have read the book first, which is only normal because no actor or place will ever look exactly as you have imagined them while reading. on the other hand, part of the possibility of using your very own imagination gets lost as well. so i guess it depends, but i personally always prefer to see the film first.
the story is set in england, in the middle of the 19th century, and
circles around a rather unusual heroine for the time. margarate hale comes from the beautiful south of england and is taken from there to an industrial town in the darker north when her father decides to move. there, she is confronted with work, dirty air and a set of people very different from everybody she ever knew before. her antagonist, or the male hero, is the owner of a cotton manufactory, john thornton.
actually, the whole love story resembles at least in parts very strongly the constellation in austen's pride and prejudice, which i find very interesting, as the setting is so totally different and also some of the main themes of the novel such as issues of faith, social security of the working class and power. the movie features some extremely enchanting pictures and passionate scenes, fantastic victorian costumes and some great acting. i think i have read about one third of the book yet and like it just as much as the mini series, and would like to recommend it very highly to everybody who likes jane austen, the bronte sisters or charles dickens.
- in bruges. when andreas was here, we took the rare opportunity to go to the cinema and watch a movie in the original version with german subtitles. we didn't really know anything about the
film, and were positively surprised at how good it actually was. the story is about two assassins, one elderly and one younger, who are being sent to bruges in belgium by their boss. they don't really know why or what they are supposed to do there, it is cold and around christmas and the whole thing is a little surreal. while the elder one of them really enjoys the sightseeing and the fairytale-like atmosphere, the other one gets in touch with a girl who sells drugs and a dwarf who is shooting a movie there.
i won't tell more of the story, but the end is perfect, and all the characters have so much depth, that you feel with them even if you don't really like them. or feel that you really shouldn't like them. anyways, see it, i think it's already out on dvd.
but. this is a new week, i am fine and ready to post my weekly list of films and books i saw and read.
- North and South. novel by Elizabeth Gaskell and BBC mini-series from 2004.
i first saw the movie, now i am reading the book. which is a procedure i highly recommend for everybody who does not want to spoil the movie version of a great piece of literature. chances you don't like the movie are much higher if you have read the book first, which is only normal because no actor or place will ever look exactly as you have imagined them while reading. on the other hand, part of the possibility of using your very own imagination gets lost as well. so i guess it depends, but i personally always prefer to see the film first.the story is set in england, in the middle of the 19th century, and
circles around a rather unusual heroine for the time. margarate hale comes from the beautiful south of england and is taken from there to an industrial town in the darker north when her father decides to move. there, she is confronted with work, dirty air and a set of people very different from everybody she ever knew before. her antagonist, or the male hero, is the owner of a cotton manufactory, john thornton.actually, the whole love story resembles at least in parts very strongly the constellation in austen's pride and prejudice, which i find very interesting, as the setting is so totally different and also some of the main themes of the novel such as issues of faith, social security of the working class and power. the movie features some extremely enchanting pictures and passionate scenes, fantastic victorian costumes and some great acting. i think i have read about one third of the book yet and like it just as much as the mini series, and would like to recommend it very highly to everybody who likes jane austen, the bronte sisters or charles dickens.
- in bruges. when andreas was here, we took the rare opportunity to go to the cinema and watch a movie in the original version with german subtitles. we didn't really know anything about the
film, and were positively surprised at how good it actually was. the story is about two assassins, one elderly and one younger, who are being sent to bruges in belgium by their boss. they don't really know why or what they are supposed to do there, it is cold and around christmas and the whole thing is a little surreal. while the elder one of them really enjoys the sightseeing and the fairytale-like atmosphere, the other one gets in touch with a girl who sells drugs and a dwarf who is shooting a movie there.i won't tell more of the story, but the end is perfect, and all the characters have so much depth, that you feel with them even if you don't really like them. or feel that you really shouldn't like them. anyways, see it, i think it's already out on dvd.
1 comment:
Yeah, In Bruges is well worth watching! Really good movie.
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