Posted by myrrh on November 24, 1999 at 21:31:06:
In Reply to: Re: meanderings... posted by Gayle on November 24, 1999 at 20:30:58:
: Sounds like you are betwixt and between the Cooper characters and the LOTM characters.
Yes, I guess I was saying that I was glad that Mann attempted, through those re-tooled irreverant/disdainful/toungue-in-cheek lines, to consciously carry over from the book those characteristics of Natty, cuz it makes him so interesting. Even though the book's readers and the film's viewers probably got a similar kick out of that part of his character, certainly our filmed Hawkeye is much different from Cooper's guy! And vive la difference!!! Mann's Hawkeye is one of THE overall all-time most appealing, sexiest creatures ever conceived and brought to life on film!
And another note: in the music pages, I think, I read someone (R. Edelman?) say what an incredible, and generally overlooked, job Daniel Day Lewis did to bring that character to life, because in real life DDL is so completely different than that! And it's so true! I just watched the short "making of" piece, and there's a shot of DDL and Madeleine Stowe getting instructions for a shot in the fort (just before they steal off to their secret rendezvous), and you can tell, as DDL turns to the director to listen to instructions, he's just SUCH a different person inside from what he portrayed! It's quite phenomenal, I think, the job he did.
Thought I'd throw that in, since it came to mind.
Just watched the film again tonight, since my blood has been so deeply stirred by all this discussion!
: And the lines under discussion, although they are pretty much canned 1990s one-liner material, do express the way Natty thought. He would have used language a little more archaic and flowery, but nonetheless, Mann had his attitude down pretty well.
Yes, agreed. Same attitude, more palatable for modern audiences.
: in the movie, I think Mann portrayed Duncan very authentically - he was Young, and therefore cocksure and tunnel-visionned to a great extent. It wasn't until the end of the movie that he caught on to Realities and started to behave with any degree of awareness - and in the book, he never did!
It was nice that he redeemed himself in the film. It sort of rounded things out. Interestingly enough, every major character had shining points and shortcomings. That's the way a good story should be!
: I haven't seen the DVD but I think Mann did his interpretative and creative best with the original. There was nothing that could have made it better - we should simply admit that you can't improve on perfection and the DVD is testimony to that. We haven't lost a thing - only had our original impressions confirmed - it's a Classic.
Well said! I was thinking the same thing earlier tonight. We still have the original, untampered with.
Myrrh