Review David Cronenbergs Adaptation Don Delillos Cosmopolis
Your final Writing Assignment of at least 1,000 words will take the form of a film review of David Cronenberg's adaptation of Don DeLillo's Cosmopolis, evaluating the success or failure of the cinematic presentation of the literary text.
As an occasional reviewer of books and films for The Buffalo News and other publications, I'm always aware that I'm recommending, or not recommending, a novel or a film to an audience that will need to spend money and time to read or see the work. Even though I and your classmates will be the readers of your “review,” you should imagine that public audience in deciding whether you consider the adaptation either a success or a failure. Please be definitive in your recommendation, as that is what your readers want to know: should you see this film or not?
At the very beginning of the course we considered some basic challenges to film adaptation of literary novels. Your review should at least discuss some of these issues: a. fidelity to the source text; i.e., whether or not the adaptation accurately depicts the story as you've understood it from your reading of Cosmopolis; b. condensation; i.e., whether or not the respective director has managed in two hours or so to include key elements of character, plot, and historical setting; c. narration; i.e., how the director has handled the preponderance of interior monologue and the third-person narrator, as opposed to dialogue and external dramatic action; and d. what other aspects of cinematography, interior sets, exterior locations, incidental music, and special effects contribute to the film genre. Of course, you should consider the quality of the cast's performances in representing the complexity of their characters (e.g., Robert Pattinson as Eric Packer). All of the above is ultimately a reflection of Cronenberg's directorial skills. In the film, however, the director also served as the principal screenwriters in adapting the complex texts by DeLillo. So attention should also be paid to how they have pared the literary text for the predominantly visual medium of the cinema.
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This is a David Cronenberg's adaptation of Don DeLillo's Cosmopolis critics, but the original novel also need to see, and then in accordance with the above requirements (Your review should at least discuss some of these issues :) write a film on it, thank you!
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Film Review of David Cronenberg’s Adaptation of Don Delillo’s Cosmopolis
Of all the novels that Don DeLillo wrote, no one expected Cosmopolis to be the one that makes it to Hollywood. In his article on The Guardian, Child (2009) accurately said: “Cosmopolis is one of DeLillo’s worst-received novels, attracting highly mixed reviews upon its publication in 2003.” It is, therefore, astonishing to see David Cronenberg take up the task of directing and writing the screenplay for the movie Cosmopolis. However, it is precise to say that he did a great job in adapting DeLillo’s novel. Some reviewers like Simek (2012) called his adaptation faithful, and this does not even begin to describe how good Cronenberg’s work was. Cronenberg is of Canadian descent, and it is crucial to state that Cosmopolis , a 2012 film, was not his first rodeo. He is also known for adapting J.G. Ballard’s tale of auto-erotica, Crash, and also William S. Burroughs’s hallucinatory drug trip, Naked Lunch. However, no one thought he would go for the least filmable novels whose entire plot unfolds within the confines of a white stretch limousine. Cronenberg’s genius is indeed exhibited in the film. However, it is essential to point out that a person’s reaction to DeLillo’s depiction of power, money, and self-destruction today will greatly impact one’s attitude towards the movie.
First of all, Cronenberg paid attention to the main idea DeLillo was presenting in the novel. The novel Cosmopolis is an intellectual narrative about the devastating effects of capitalism on both the wealthy, such as the main character Eric Parker (Robert Pattinson) and the poor. Cronenberg was indeed wary of DeLillo’s plot and loyally followed it. The film begins ordinarily when Packer, the movie’s protagonist, decides to take a haircut. The haircut was not an anomaly, but the events that transpired before Packer finally made it to the barber introduces the audience to Cronenberg’s wittiness. However, as is always the case by all adaptations, there were bound to be slight changes to the main story. Cronenberg did make salient changes, but the outcome clearly depicts a clearly thought-out screenplay. It is indeed evident that Cronenberg took the time to decide what should be in the film and what should be left out. One example involves Packer’s investment and study of the Chinese Yuan instead of the Japanese Yen which DeLillo details in his book. The changes Cronenberg made were indeed thoughtful and never had any effect on the main idea or plot.
It is also accurate to say that Cronenberg made the best of the 108 minutes (duration of the movie). 108 minutes is quite short for a movie, especially one that is based on a book. However, Cronenberg manages to shrink the storyline and yet still maintain the central idea of the novel. First of all, Packer’s character in the film is quite different because unlike in the book where his suicidal state is not directly depicted, he seems to have a death wish. He is also defined by his frustrations of his finite ability to effect change as he sees his bet against the Chinese Yuan falling short fas...
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