For me, personally, It would be Snatch. It’s such a great movie that I could watch again and again. So many interesting characters and a unique style that sets it apart from so many other movies. There’s just that extra something in that movie
What about you, fellow Lemmites? What is your favourite movie?
For me it’s definitely Fight Club. No big spoilers below, see it if you haven’t.
The theme of hitting bottom purposefully in order to rebuild yourself consciously into who you want to become has stuck with me.
I’ve been through some shit since then and have had to rebuild. It’s nice to look on it as an opportunity rather than a punishment.
The film was a near perfect rendition of the book. The only other case I can think of like that is LOTR.
So many things about that film are spot on - the casting, the direction, the music (Pixies, Dust Brothers). Again, LOTR also hit all the right notes in that respect.
I had the pleasure of meeting Chuck Palahniuk at a signing some years ago.
At the time I’d been active in an IRC chat room associated with his online writing group. The guy who ran the website for the group had written a script and got Chuck’s approval to run a contest. Buy a t-shirt for the site and you get one entry. Top prize, you get a character named after you in Chuck’s next book.
So here I am at his reading/signing and I brought two shirts to have signed. And he recognizes this means there’s stakes here.
“What’s your name?” “Pronell Mordini.” “…I hope you lose.”
And I did lose, but I still got a good story. Also my real name is really awkward and I don’t blame him one bit.
You won, today.
LOTR did make a few notable changes, but I would argue they worked in the films benefit and didn’t lose anything. for example Arwen saving Frodo is an excellent change
Translating a book to film is somewhat analogous to translating literature, particularly poetry, from one language to another. If the translation is too literal it risks failing in the target medium, whereas if it’s too idiomatic then it risks reshaping the source material.
In the case of LOTR, as you say, the changes made for a better film, while remaining true to the source material, and so were entirely justified. The Hobbit, on the other hand, was a complete travesty, partly because they practically rewrote the story.
“Translation is that which transforms everything so that nothing changes.”
– Günter Grass
I agree there’s no room in the films for Glorfindel but it’s still a shame. Also they were such a sausage fest even with Liv Tyler lol, no argument from me.
Hey, trivia, when Arwen was riding Frodo to Rivendell in flight to the ford she coaxes her horse to ride faster. Noro lim Asfolath, noro lim!
Asfolath is actually the name of Glorfindel’s horse so there’s that 🙃
I have watched that movie so many times, I can practically watch it in my head. I love everything: the music, the acting, the effects, the story. It’s sooo good, one of those films that really makes you think.
“The things you own end up owning you.”
That was a key line for me. You end up burdened by too much stuff.
My parents weren’t hoarders but moved a lot and had so many shelves of books, heavy furniture, etc. Cinder block and board shelving. All heavy to move.
Pain in the ass.
And i love it because there is so much to unpack and to interprete. I never heard or saw yout take on the story. It eaven changed what i got from the movie with me growing up.
As the other one replying said, “The Things You Own End Up Owning You.” (I dunno why it capitalized those.)
I whittled my belongings down a lot and felt more free. Also in one scene the two men in the back seat say the things they’d regret not having done should they die.
“Paint a self portrait.” “Build a house.”
I wanted to build my own house. Always had. I learned construction methods, saved, found land, got a good job nearby… then my health and rest of my fell apart and it took me a decade and bankruptcy to get fixed and get back up on my feet again.
Part of what healed me was meeting the woman who would stay by my side and encouraged me to get surgery.
Now my path isn’t building a house but I love the life I’ve rebuilt. Got a degree, got a iob, and was able to buy my wife the house she had always wanted. Now I work from home with a shitload of pets to keep me company.
I made music for a minute. I used the sound byte from when they kick Jared Leto’s ass and say “I wanted to destroy something beautiful”. In my head he understands how obsurd it is to be perfect and be an example of a person.
There is something about that movie that hit most men right on the pulse of what was going on in the world. We realized we wouldn’t all be rock stars and we were pissed off. We were sold a dream that wasn’t sustainable. We knew better but those older than us sold it because they bought it.
But with time they have realized it isn’t the money or the things that bring satisfaction or even fulfillment. And we are all aware from this epic piece of art.