Great theme poor execution !

It troubles me that so great a novel was so mishandled in this cinematic treatment. The story in my mind seems to be timeless, the quest for the meaning and purpose of ones life. Although there were moments that I thought were memorable,particularly the coal miner who reveals his inner turmoil and the encounter with the holy man in India, most of the film was less compelling. Although true in many aspects to the novel I felt the movie failed to provide the qualities that a film adaptation can offer, such as primarily interesting locations and lovely foreign vistas, instead we're given dinghy stage sets ! The film was certainly well cast , Power was inspiring, Tierney was manipulative and Webb was especially well cast as the society conscious expat. However, the role of Baxter's Sophie was somehow less effective given the poor production value she was presented with. In the novel her death Is devastating given the tragic events that led up to it in her earlier life, yet the film seems to provide little background to the murder therefore making its impact somewhat hollow. In my opinion, her demise should have been captured against a sweeping backdrop of seedy hotels found within French ports that cater to a world of sailors and their milieu. The same could be said for the passing of Webb as Templeton, we should have been shown his extravagant nature with shots of the Riviera and glimpses of his mansion, but instead we are witness to his death in a simple scene that takes place in his bedroom. The scope of this film was international and yet the production seemed remarkably humdrum considering the glorious avenues presented by the book. For me it was really an opportunity missed.