Porthonians Critics make your Minds up!

[kenny]

Hail CompanionsIts just fascinating that some people cant make up there mind.On the one hand we get people criticizing Stone for a near historiacall accout of Alexander.Then we get Porthonians worrying that the Manifred books may be used fo a second film,,, People in this forum have generally knocked Manifreds books
however it wouldnt go ammiss as a movie,, yest there are fictitious parts but as a whole the story was not that far off from true things.The thing I like with those books was the comeradery with Alexander his close friends even his dog,,, Ideal for a movie and of course still plenty of action to show Alexanders achievements.I know people here loath the idea of the Manifred books been used,,, But her guys you may be pleasantly supprised. Its always said that the good things are worth waiting for and this could be the bunny.Just to conclude do people here think that the Farrel hair was worthy of such attention or do some people have nothing better to say,,, In respect,,, I nefer heard of Peter Jackson looking for 3 foot dwarfs with huge hairy feet even he needed rather more make up than a little blonde dye.
Kenny

[marcus]

Hi Kenny,To some extent you might well be right, although if people disliked StoneGÇÖs film it doesnGÇÖt follow that they should be any happier with LuhrmannGÇÖs. The big difference is that there was much eager anticipation for Stone; and now that itGÇÖs been and gone people are probably much more wary about what the next film (if itGÇÖs ever made) might be like.I fear I am somewhat guilty in respect to the Manfredi books. Just because I thought the books were bad, it doesnGÇÖt necessarily mean that they wouldnGÇÖt be good fodder for a film GÇô and I have mitigated much of my dislike for the books by conceding that it might be the translation thatGÇÖs at fault. ItGÇÖs true that, as itGÇÖs a novel, thereGÇÖs no reason why Manfredi *shouldnGÇÖt* have included some fictional episodes. To tell the truth I was less concerned about those than I was about the very dull and unexciting prose, which thrilled me not one iota. However, there is one GÇÿfictionalGÇÖ episode for which I cannot forgive him GÇô that of the visit of Thalestris. ManfrediGÇÖs books purported to be PtolemyGÇÖs reminiscences, but there is no indication that Ptolemy included it in his account, and it seems quite clear from Plutarch that it didnGÇÖt happen. So including it (for the sake of titillation only, as far as I can tell) is a liberty taken too far.ThatGÇÖs just my view, of course; but it does serve to highlight why I, for one, am less than happy for ManfrediGÇÖs books are a poor basis for a film. Anyway, why donGÇÖt they just turn Curtius into a film script GÇô it covers exactly the same ground as much of Manfredi, and the prose (for example in the Penguin Classics translation) is a darn sight better than in the Manfredi books; the characters have more dimension; and the speech is more believable.All the bestMarcus

[kenny]

Marcus Hi.I respect and understand your ideas with the Manifred books maybe the answer lies somewhere in between.Did you not like the part where Memnon had a brief chat wityh ALexander outside the walls.. Or whem Perdicas did a one on one challenge with a Persian hero akin to Achilles and Hector.You can't say you missed the part where Memnon was hiding amongst the Persian dead at Granicus and so swiftly dispatched two Macedonian soldiers looking over the carnage.Even little touches like Ptolemy taking Alexanders dog for a walk everynight.Mens own little stories,,, But as you say Marcus its horses for courses!Kenny

[marcus]

Hi Kenny,It's been some years since I read the trilogy, so I'm afraid my memory of little scenes like that was always going to be shaky.Unfortunately, I found the whole thing so dull and lifeless, that even more memorable scenes such as those you mention were bound to be swamped by the turgidity of the rest. I'm sure there are some good moments in the trilogy ... but I despair of having the nerve required to read through to find them again. After all, I couldn't bring myself to read the last couple of chapters of the third volume - by that time I'd had enough.CheersMarcus