just saw it...mixed feelings (spoiler alerts!)

so yeah, i just saw this at CIFF. being a huge fan of the novel and the stage adaptation, i was very pleased with how james bolton stuck with the limited third person perspective and how he used silences and images to portray nathan's inner discoveries and conflicts. my friend felt that there were too many landscape shots, mixed with twangy banjo music, and that made it feel to "brokeback junior", and while i agree in that sense and also feel that the time could've been better spent on character development, some of them were very effective.

my biggest beef, however, was the slight change to the end from the ending of the novel. now i understand they are completely different mediums, as mr. bolton was very quick to point out when i asked him about the change at the post show q&a. however i disagree with his reason for changing it. he stated he felt that the end of the novel was too ambiguous. without giving anything away, the ending of the novel is open and hopeful rather than ambiguous. in fact, the way he adapted the end made it even MORE ambiguous




* * * * * * * SPOILER * * * * * * *







in the novel, nathan walks back from the plantation after the rape and attack that supposedly left him dead. in that walk, he questions if he is dead or alive. he walks to roy's church, not sure if he's at a wedding or a funeral, roy sees him and they run into the woods together and in so many words, decide to run away and start a new life.


in the movie, bolton handles the "am i dead or alive" walk from the plantation VERY well, but then keeps with that concept. he sees roy at church, but roy doesn't see him. he goes to see him at the barn, they embrace, and then the next shot is on the school bus. we are reintroduced to the beautiful ongoing motif of roy looking in the rearview mirror and locking eyes with nathan. but this time, he doesn't see him there. cut to roy's face, then cut back to the mirror and nathan is there.
so is it being suggested that nathan is dead and a ghost and only roy can see him?







* * * * * * * END SPOILER * * * * * * *










that being said, i would definitely recommend people see this film. it's a beautiful story, and even with my feelings on the ending change, mr. bolton tells it rather eloquently, and besides the end, he stays pretty true to the novel. if you have not read the book, but can see it, definitely read the book after.

if you are familliar with the book, besides the end, lol, you won't be disappointed.

cheers
db