The Novel

Muriel Spark's novella is a short, powerful feminist indictment against a woman's "natural" place in society, and the portrayal of one woman's frustrated, self-destructive fight against these conventions.

When I read it - now years ago - I found it impressive and of a singular voice. Later, after digesting its ideas, I thought of how incredible a film it would be.

Then I found out it was made into a movie - this one. From all I've read and seen of it (stills and a trailer), it doesn't seem like it adapted the raw, unrelenting psychological force the book embodied.

I suppose it was the more restrictive times of filmmaking, coupled with E. Taylor as the star, that would inhibit the narrative intensity the original source material related.

However, from what is being released in contemporary cinema, perhaps some enterprising independent (possibly female) filmmaker would pick this novel up to adapt it into the gritty, difficult, confrontational film it should have become in the first place.

If you haven't read the novella, please do. It's intense and excellent. I could see it being adapted in the same hard style as Drive, Shame, Bellflower or Blue Valentine.