completely missed the point

Rating: 1/10 (28 January 2007)

I really don't understand the hype about this film. It was terrible - gratuitously violent and confusing - from beginning to end. I went to see it with misgivings (and got two friends to go along - they hated it as much as I did!) because I loved the book even though a review in the Chicago Tribune led me to believe some major changes were made to the story line. No kidding! The movie missed the book's point and philosophy completely. They made up half the characters and those that were actually in the book were completely different in the movie, and not changed for the better! Luke was barely recognizable (I only knew it was him because of his name), Rolf was nonexistent, and they created new characters (such as Kee - ridiculous character, racist premise) for no good reason that I could fathom.
The plot bore little resemblance to the book. I would be interested to know why those who made this movie felt compelled to make these changes - the story P.D. James wrote was excellent the way it was - and what the author herself thinks of this film. The book had religious overtones, and the violence in the book is as much the fear of violence as the violence itself. Also, the characters are well-developed and believable. Theo is a character who goes through a complete transformation as he deals with the people he meets (such as Julian, whose role in the book is central to the plot and she certainly is not a terrorist, but instead the first woman to bear a child in 25 years). He is also forced to deal with the issues he has ignored up to now. His cousin, the Warden of England, is reduced in the film to one confusing scene that doesn't add anything to our understanding of the story. The only character I sort of liked and who was even remotely (I do mean remotely!)like the original was Michael Caine's character, Theo's friend Jasper.
And the Quietus - what was with all the advertisements? They never tell you what it really is. In the book it is a crucial incident which leads Theo to join the rebels in the first place. In the movie, it's reduced to almost a footnote - "suicide in a box".
I could continue with this rant, but my real disappointment and anger is that an awful movie based on a wonderful book by a great author will not attract new readers. If I had seen this movie before reading the book, I would never have read the book.