The book was a bestseller and was critically feted across the board, winning the Guardian Fiction Prize, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and becoming shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Understandably, it wasn’t long before Hollywood came knocking.
David Lean was the first to examine the idea of adapting the property, asking none other than Steven Spielberg to secure the rights to the novel on his behalf.
Spielberg was to work as a producer on the project, with Lean directing in tandem with Harold Becker.
However, Lean eventually went cold on the idea, despite having devoted a year to pre-production.
The director decided that the story lacked the requisite “dramatic structure” to translate into a successful film, and left the project in order to direct an adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s Nostromo.
Fortunately, Spielberg retained faith in the production, and stepped into Lean’s newly vacated shoes. As he later confessed, he had “secretly wanted to do it himself” all along…
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Comments
Jareth64
Oct 18th 2012, 11:04
It's a forgotten gem. A brilliant film.
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kittycati
Oct 18th 2012, 11:24
I remember seeing this movie as a child...it still loved it the next time I watched it as an adult 20 years later. Not many films can do that.
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SiMan
Oct 18th 2012, 12:27
Watched it a few years back and although i remember liking it, i have to say it didn't leave much of an impact with me. Can't remember much from it. Think i'll have to give it another go soon.
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licantro
Oct 18th 2012, 13:17
This was the film that introduced me to Drama for the first time when I was just a kid, a step in growing up and because of that I remember it fondly. The way it was filmed and the way it was told it was captivating and shockingly emotional. Being 12 years old and now 35 probably helped me to understand it better since the view of war was through the eyes of also a kid, who now is such a prominent actor, Christian Bale. It's so amusing to see how Spielberg has always been so good storytelling from a kids points of view. An amazing film.
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Hadouken76
Oct 18th 2012, 18:08
Another Spielberg and Bale film please.
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