Thursday, December 01, 2005

There is no such thing as the simple truth...


Good ol' Mr. Kern led me to another amazing book, which in turn led me to lead my book club to read it this month; Russell Banks' THE SWEET HEREAFTER.

What can come off as 5 simple monologues told by 4 people is actually a densely well crafted tale of death-life and question of truth in existence. Banks' language is well balanced and not condescending to any of the characters.


If you will remember, Banks also wrote AFFLICTION and RULE OF THE BONE, both of which I have sitting in my room waiting for me to crack them open. Only two of his books have been made into film - AFFLICTION was done by Paul Schrader and spotlighting James Coburn in a final role and Nick Nolte in a non THREE FUGITIVES character.


Since I am presenting at book club this month, I added the viewing of THE SWEET HEREAFTER film by Atom Egoyan as part of our discussion. The film works perfectly for our comparison - taking the basic narrative structure and beaking it all apart, moving events and moments completely out of order... but making them add to the emotional whole of the tale in a very effective way.


Some of the major changes happen with Mitchell Stevens (played by Ian Holm) who is shifted to the lead role for the film. His role is increased and fleshed out completely. In fact, the iconic image on all of the posters is in fact part of a flash back story that Stevens tells. The story contains one of the most moving visual frames I have seen in a long time; an image of a child staring into the camera... with a blade being held by its head. I was blown away by Egoyan's interpretation of that story... and of the images he made and how he used them in the film.


It is a beautiful film - well shot and well acted. The locations are gorgeous and really draw the viewer into another world... and isolated place... where a discussion of death and life truths could take place.

Check it out...

Yo

6 comments:

Kern said...

Jed,

Right on! I'm quite glad you enjoyed the book and the film. Egoyan's interpretation of the book was quite a feat. Also of note in the film is Sarah Polley's rendition of "Courage", a song by The Tragically Hip, if I am not mistaken. Her version is quiet and haunting as opposed to the rollicking bar band sound of the original.

Banks, to me, is one of America's literary treasures. It used to seem ridiculous when people toss around the term, "writing the Great American Novel", mostly because I felt it was very difficult to pinpoint what the distinguishing characteristics of an American novel would be. In comparing the literature of other countries it's sometimes easier like immediately thinking France=existentialists for example.

Once I began reading Banks, and Richard Ford, I started to get the feeling that these men, and men like John Updike as well, were able to tap into a certain element in their stories which underlines the subtle struggles hiding beneath the surface of everyday men. It is easy to sometimes decry the American Dream as tired or dead.

Authors like Banks and Ford give it an open casket funeral. Maybe the American Dream is dead. Maybe under a red, white and blue veneer of success and Go Get 'Em attitude rigor mortis has set in for the common man, but works like this and Ford's Rock Springs let us gaze upon these hidden feelings in all their naked, flawed glory.

Kern said...

Jed-I don't know if you caught my blog entry yesterday, but if you get a chance I think it's one of the funnier things I have written in a while.

Damfino said...

Alex - I wish I could open my trap and have such well written and beautifully composed thoughts as you just wrote come out!!!

"able to tap into a certain element in their stories which underlines the subtle struggles hiding beneath the surface of everyday men" and "Maybe under a red, white and blue veneer of success and Go Get 'Em attitude rigor mortis has set in for the common man, but works like this and Ford's Rock Springs let us gaze upon these hidden feelings in all their naked, flawed glory."

You have finally nailed the exact complicated elements of what makes these works shudder through my blood as I read. Perhaps it is the fact I can identify with the American landscapes... or attitudes... or dillemas... but these stories and these authors do connect with me in a way that often seems inexplicable.

Dude... right on.... RIGHT FUCKING ON!!!!

Kern said...

Athankyou! I wanted to expound more, but I was trying to the little rant before my break was over.

I thought it was not too bad for improvising...

krysta jo said...

Wow - this is pretty deep for a snowy Friday morning.

Kern said...

It snowed up here too!