brucec@orca.UUCP (07/02/84)
The ARTS cable network broadcast a dramatization of John Wyndham's "Day of the Triffids" last Saturday. My advice to those who missed it is: if it comes on again, SEE IT! This version, unlike a Hollywood version done back in the 60's (I think), was very faithful to both the letter and the spirit of the book. It was emphatically not high-budget, special effects, movie-type sf. The emphasis was on character and theme. The central characters were well developed and well acted (I believe that the actor in the leading role was the teacher in the BBC series "To Serve Them All My Days," which is currently being re-run on Masterpiece Theater on PBS). Although the story involves the deaths of billions of people, this is shown in the deaths of a few, making the impact much greater, because it is focused. The basic theme of the story is survival: what it is worth, and how expensive it is to the survivors and the victims. The theme runs thrrough this entire program, rather than being tacked on as a message at the end. It never gets preachy or dull, because the story really is suspenseful: it is never clear until the end whether anyone will survive, let alone the main characters. I've always been partial to this book as just about the best end-of-world story to come out of the gloom of the 40's and 50's (well, with the exception of "Earth Abides," of course). The producers of the program have done a beautiful job of adapting the book to the screen. The production values are good, though not as good as if it had been done with a large budget. What keeps the visual aspect of the film going is the "look" of the program: a good use of light to aid the mood, and the immediacy of tape. The score is also quite good, providing a brooding dissonance for the nasty parts, and good suspense music for the creepy parts. This is easily the best thing I've seen on TV this year. Bruce Cohen UUCP: ...!tektronix!orca!brucec CSNET: orca!brucec@tektronix ARPA: orca!brucec.tektronix@rand-relay USMail: M/S 61-183 Tektronix, Inc. P.O. Box 1000 Wilsonville, OR 97070
consult@uwmacc.UUCP (07/06/84)
I saw "Day of the Triffids" on ARTS as well, and everything that
people have been saying about it is true. It was very well done.
However, I have the same problem with this movie as I did with the book:
What the hell do the Triffids have to do with anything???! As far as I
can tell, this is another (very good) end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it
story. Why the Triffids? There could have just as easily been
cougars running around feeding on the blind people. The impression
is that the author was saying "well, what about man-eating plants? we
have to have some of those in here! put a few in...no, wait! let's
name the book/movie after the plants to!!"
Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to downgrade either the book or
the movie...it's just that the Triffids seemed pretty useless...
(or am I missing some deep, dark philosphical point about man
tampering with nature, etc etc etc ?)
-- Rob DeMillo MACC
Adric: "...I don't know what this thing is,
but it's pointing in your direction..."ags@pucc-i (Seaman) (07/09/84)
> What the hell do the Triffids have to do with anything???! As far as I > can tell, this is another (very good) end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it > story. Why the Triffids? There could have just as easily been > cougars running around feeding on the blind people. There was, of course, the interesting point that the humans began by domesticating the triffids (raising them on farms), after which the triffids returned the favor... -- Dave Seaman "My hovercraft is full of eels." ..!pur-ee!pucc-i:ags
STUART@SRI-AI.ARPA (07/13/84)
From: Chris Stuart <STUART@SRI-AI.ARPA> > What the hell do the Triffids have to do with anything???! As far > as I can tell, this is another (very good) > end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it story. Why the Triffids? There > could have just as easily been cougars running around feeding on > the blind people. Early in the book, the comment is made that the real advantage people have over triffids is that people can see. Then we all become blind... I presume the author wanted a set of bad guys that were blind already, and earthworms didn't fit the bill. Chris Stuart -------