I first came across this piece of awesomeness when I saw a trailer for the movie adaptation on youtube. I wouldn't recommend watching the trailer until after you've seen the movie, because it gives away all the best scenes and plot points. Anyway, the trailer did make me eager to see the actual movie, so I guess it did its job!
On the Movie: No-Spoiler Version
One of the most important elements in this story is the characterization. The three main characters, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are played by Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightly, and Andrew Garfield respectively were amazing in their roles, especially Andrew Garfield. I would also like to mention the young actors that played these characters in the first part of the movie. The resemblance between the young and old actors for each of these characters was striking - and I don't mean the physical resemblance, I'm talking about mannerisms and everything. The transition between the young and old actors flowed so smoothly I had no trouble believing that they were really the same character.
The story starts off with these three children at a British boarding school. The school seems very ordinary, but there are tiny, subtle hints that let you know there is something seriously wrong with the picture and that it is nothing like an "ordinary" school. From the children's names to their fears of going out of the boundaries of the grounds, to their playacting and their personal possessions, every detail of their lives contributes to the haunting mood of the story. A sense of pity for the children, indignation on their behalf, also builds up because we know that these children have no idea what is going on, that a very important secret is being kept from them, and although it is obvious to us - the viewers - that their lives are so different from the lives of regular children they are completely ignorant of this fact.
By the time the truth is revealed the reader is under so much built-up suspense that every tiny delay is excruciating. Again, the movie does this revelation amazingly well. One of the teachers reveals this to the children and it is clear that she is under great pressure not to say a word. The scene where her conviction that they should be told the truth battles with the orders she was given by the school admin is amazing. The actress does a great job conveying this character's emotions.
The story hinges upon the science fiction element (which I won't reveal), but it doesn't dwell on it. It's just there, accepted by the characters as their reality, accepted almost to a maddening degree. The story is, fundamentally, about human relationships, about what people do with the time that is given to them (yes, that was an LoTR paraphrase), about how people handle their insecurities and fears and pressures and their inevitable deaths.
Without giving any spoilers I will conclude by saying that this was a haunting and heartbreaking movie based on a haunting, masterfully written book. The actors did such an amazing job, especially the actors for Tommy, at conveying the mood and dystopian nature of the story. A must see, in my opinion. Although, you may want to hold off on seeing it until after you've read the book. I saw the movie first and then the book and I found that the book wasn't as moving as it could have been when I already knew the ending (can a movie be too faithful?), but I don't think the movie loses it's power at all. In fact, I watched it at least three times in the space of a month.
Have you seen the movie or watched the book? What did you think of them? What are your thoughts on the trailer? What are your favorite scenes? (I might make a different spoiler-filled post later where I describe my best scenes). Did you like my first review? Why/why not? Leave a comment and let me know!
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