I was pretty excited to pick up a copy of “The Dark Tower” blu-ray on Black Friday. I saw the film during its theatrical run, liked it, and planned to add it to my collection when it made its way to video. Plus, it certainly didn’t hurt that I could snag it for such a good deal!
I know, I know. There are, of course, many who do not share my enthusiasm for this particular movie. Some are casual moviegoers, others are critics. Some, of course, are Stephen King fanatics who apparently find this film version of his most complex and expansive literary work to be a failure.
Some of this backlash seems to be rooted in the feeling that the filmmakers have changed too much of King’s source material. For one thing, the entry point into this story is Jake, rather than Roland. I’ll admit that I was disappointed that the movie did not begin as The Gunslinger does, with King’s excellent opening line: “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.” It would have been awesome to see the story come to life in that specific way.
But I do not fault the filmmakers for framing the story the way they do here. Doing it this way is a different approach than the post-apocalyptic context The Gunslinger opens with, but this is no less intriguing. And my feeling is that general audiences will probably respond better to a movie that starts on Earth and gradually reveals its sci-fi and fantasy elements than one which dumps viewers into a mystical world at the outset. (Granted, the very first scene is a strange, and perhaps misguided, way to open the film, but I am generally referring to using Jake’s experience vs. Roland’s as the starting point.)
Do I have problems with the film? Sure. I agree with those who say that there are a lot of missed opportunities. For example, more could have been done with Roland’s character. He is, after all, the truest protagonist in the novels. His stoic nature is well conveyed, but there is very little reference to his personal history or his essential motivations. In addition, the underlying mythology of the story is not particularly well represented here. It is hinted at in interesting ways, but I have to wonder how much a casual moviegoer would glean watching the movie. I am able to read things into it, but others may find the lack of clarity and depth frustrating. Ultimately, though, I see this as an introduction to the world, and not the whole picture. Given that, and the fact that the filmmakers were tasked with bringing so many of King’s strange and complex ideas to the screen, what we end up with is a (all things considered) fairly crisp, coherent film.
I have just one big quibble, really. In the books, Roland is obsessed with reaching the Tower. He is pursuing it with dogged persistence and narrow focus. His quest is larger, and a bit different, than the view the movie takes. Relying strictly on what this film presents, you wouldn’t have a sense of the broader implications of the story.
But as I said: I see this film as just the beginning. I assume there are plans to address and incorporate many of the elements fans regret not seeing on screen this go-around. As far as I know, despite the lackluster reception of this movie, there are still plans to do a TV series.
I do not think this film is half as bad as a lot (maybe even most) of King’s adaptations. Appraising it in terms of the acting, dialogue, editing, general production values, special effects, etc., this movie actually stands above many King adaptations that have been done. I do not think this is a great movie by any means, but I cannot call it bad. When I watch it, I see a film that is trying hard to honor King’s source material while simultaneously appealing to a wide audience. This is no easy task, and was never going to be.
 |
| I love the image on the actual disc! |
In the end, “The Dark Tower” gets just enough right in terms of characters, references, and inherent meaning to make me grateful that a decent film based on the novels has finally come along. It is certainly loose in terms of its faithfulness, but I guess I’m okay with having a film that is more so inspired by the novels than to not have one at all.
Comments
Post a Comment