As good as the Good Book?
Regarding Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, do you believe that the new version, the 1971
original, and the book should all be separated into different levels,
free from critique of each other? They all have their uniqueness, just
based on the same story.
I’ve never heard someone say “Oh yes, Passion of the Christ was great, but it wasn’t as good as the Bible.”
– Caleb Aaron Osment
Tasmania, Australia
I don’t have an answer — it’s not really a question — but I like your analogy.
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September 21st, 2005 at 5:15 pm
I can’t wait to see the prequel to “The Passion.” I mean, isn’t that what “The 40-year-old Virgin” is about?
Thank you. Please tip your waitresses.
September 21st, 2005 at 5:56 pm
Technically, Passion of the Christ is new Testament - so it’s only half of the Bible -
September 21st, 2005 at 8:30 pm
Well, see, “Passion” was Mel Gibson’s version of some scrolls written in an entirely dead language and the Bible is King James’ version. At least one version, I dunno who wrote the other 50 or so versions there are out there.
September 21st, 2005 at 10:50 pm
Now I’ll know where to look if that analogy starts getting popular, John.
Analogies are better than answers any day.
September 21st, 2005 at 11:06 pm
Actually there are only two versions, Septuagint LXX (Greek) and the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), the rest are translations. “Versions” and “translations” are not one and the same. The Apocryphal books were included in the LXX but not canonized by the Protestant Church. Later on the Vulgate Bible translated into Latin, under Pope Damasus I and became the standard Roman Catholic Bible. The Vulgate pulled from the orginial Hebrew and Aramaic (Ezra, Daniel, Jeremiah, Genesis), skipping the Septuagint sources. The King James translation was largely already done by William Tyndale. Tyndale and John Wyclif created their translations as a political and religious statements, to wrest power away from the Roman Church (and the Vulgate), by granting a Bible in the common language. The King James version was merely to settle the disputes over the Geneva Bible (John Calvin) which had many controversial Protestant footnotes. King James is really Tyndale without footnotes.
Also Aramaic is spoken by nearly half a million people to this day. Iceland with a far less speakers, still holds onto Icelandic, and no one calls that a dead language.
But yes, before I go biblical history serious, the point is a good one, Dahl, 1971, and 2005, need not be compared endlessly. Key phrase: ‘inspired by’. View each work unto itself, Constantine wasn’t exactly like the comic book (he wasn’t British, didn’t have blond hair), and lots of moives aren’t exactly like the book. Differing media, differing outlooks, differing inspirations. It’s all good.
September 21st, 2005 at 11:12 pm
err ‘movies’. Ack.
September 22nd, 2005 at 5:40 am
I just finished reading The Da Vinci Code and my head is still spinning with religious legend (true or not), so I won’t get into the Biblical part of our discussion, but I agree that books and their film adaptations should be considered somewhat separately. Novels are mainly cerebral, getting into the heads of the characters. Screenplays are visual (and aural). We want the reader to picture what the characters are doing. If there are thoughts in their heads, we should be able to see some kind of visual manifestation of that, or someone damn well better be talking.
September 22nd, 2005 at 6:27 am
come on guys! jeez, the passion was a snuff film, sadistic and pretty sick. instead of a prequel why not just go for the obvious sequel “jesus meets freddy and jason”
September 22nd, 2005 at 7:06 am
They are making a sequel. Kevin Smith is directing it. It’s called “The Passion of the Clerks”. Don’t know if Jim Caveizel will reprise.
September 22nd, 2005 at 3:42 pm
I hope he brings back the giant, talking turd.
September 22nd, 2005 at 8:54 pm
The rubber poop monster rules all.
September 23rd, 2005 at 12:19 pm
John,
I totally hate the Michael Jackson analogy that’s been going around about “Charlie”. And I’m pretty sure you don’t think much of it as well, so I think you’re gonna enjoy this little flashfilm which, pretty much, mocks the whole idea of it:
Michael Jackson’s Chocolate Factory
November 20th, 2006 at 9:41 pm
I’d rather see a real true story about our real ancestors, the Neanderthals and Homo Sapien sapiens. What was their day like? Their night? Their love life or lust life? Their hunts? Fights? How leaders came to the fore? How women were treated? Their diet? Their travels? Their take on rain, thunder, lightning and the forces of nature? When was the first leader of one of those tribes given the ingenuous idea to worship the heavens and other phenomena that was defintely frightening? Since they did burials and rituals, what sort of communication system did they have? Current DNA tests are gaining ground in that specific area because finally,some scientists have actually obtained Neanderthal and sapien DNA. It is a time consuming process for sure but the future looks bright.
One thing for sur: I’ve had it with all this $$$$ making movies of the Bible. I just don’t cater to movies depicting a Bishop Usher 6000 year old world of ‘Begetting’ and Middle East writings of a flat earth with wicked gods ,fallen angels, sacrifices to the gods, murder, rape, mayhem, war, chosen ones, and all the other BS, especially about how women are viciously portrayed as very low class humans and the scum of the earth when they are menustrating, etc. Unless of course, it is stated up front that the basic tenent of all that hideous writing of those times is amply produced for entertainment and not to scare or to provide impetus to get one’s ass in church to be saved by a wicked and cruel god or Elohim (gods).
As for truth, yes, some of the events are recorded and usually by the winners in religious wars; ceaseless religious wars right up to our so-called civilized times. However, there is not and never will be any evidence for a faith based on guesswork and hope versus good science, which most people don’t get enough of-because it takes diligent time and study. Most folk, rich and poor alike, would rather have a folksy preacher with a phony Ph.D. from a non-accredited college of his and his colleagues making ,or a TV mogul from the Deep Bible Belt South,rattle off the scripture to them and have it taken as the WORD. And for the most part, most of these folk are pretty talented in their chosen professions. Why they leave their intelligence at the church entrance has always confounded me. I can get a better high then they do at a good rock concert. And I don’t have to part with my pscyhe to do it.
Okay, I still want to see some good film that gets to the root of our real history even if the scriptwriters have to treat it with a fine toothed comb to sell. I might even go for some truthful Secular movies about Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and John Adams, etc., instead of what we have had to date. Or, if we want to really celebrate a religious guy, how about the one and only Nikola Tesla. 99.9% of the people in the world don’t even know that he is the inventor of the RADIO. Marconi stole his patents and finally, just after Tesla’s death at age 85, The Supreme Court provided the final justice. Too bad Tesla wasn’t around too see it. Mark Twain and Albert Einstein, his buddies knew that Tesla nearly invented the 20th century. Tesla stepped out of bounds though when he tried to confuse Einstein on physics.
Have a Happy…and if you want to fear something, don’t let it be science…otherwise, you just might revert back in time and find out what the ‘Dark Ages’ were all about.