Clooney & Soderbergh's Solaris- art or pretention?

POSTED BY: chrisisall
UPDATED: Tuesday, December 2, 2008 19:28
VIEWED: 2564
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CHRISISALL

Monday, December 1, 2008 12:37 AM

Wow. Critics hated Supernova more than I thought- this is the best review I could find:
http://www.cinemablend.com/reviews/Supernova-92.html
But no matter- we know what's good, eh?

The Spader-like Chrisisall

THESOMNAMBULIST

Monday, December 1, 2008 12:44 AM

Critics shmitics! They know nothing!

ECGORDON

Monday, December 1, 2008 1:14 AM

I read the book by Stanislaw Lem first.

I've seen Tarkovsky's film twice, completely, and both times it was a monumental chore getting through it. There are only a couple of scenes worth remembering, and unfortunately the best of them is the final shot in the movie. I have never understood why it is rated so highly by critics and movie-goers, and the only reason I watched it a second time was to see if it might have been my mood the first time that was the problem. It wasn't.

I liked Sodergergh's version a lot more, bought it on dvd, and wish it had been longer (although not as long as the original - 99min. vs 165).

I do like thoughtful, contemplative SF, in both books and films. 2001: A Space Odyssey is my favorite SF film of all time, and #3 on my overall list.

CHRISISALL

Monday, December 1, 2008 1:23 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:

I liked Sodergergh's version a lot more, bought it on dvd, and wish it had been longer (although not as long as the original - 99min. vs 165).

The original cut of Soderbergh's Solaris was reportedly 30 min. longer- I hold out hope for an extended edition some day.

2001 was a film I didn't like much when I first saw it (at 17), but now in my forties, I find it to be one of the best SF movies ever (though Serenity, Blade Runner, Planet Of The Apes & Star Trek TMP still rate higher on my subjective favourites list, sorry Stanley).

The Vulcan Chrisisall

SICKDUDE

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 7:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
I read the book by Stanislaw Lem first.

I've seen Tarkovsky's film twice, completely, and both times it was a monumental chore getting through it.

Me, too!

I read the book first, and really enjoyed it. To this day, it's one of my favorite scifi books. (Although I prefer the out of print "The Invincible" of all of his works!)

The 1972 movie was horrible. I cannot even watch it all of the way through.

When the Clooney movie was announced, I was pretty excited. And I enjoyed it. But personally, I feel they changed the focus of the story. The movie featured the tagline "What if you could live that day all over?" or something like that. They made it about the relationship.

I personally feel that this misses the point of the original book altogether. To me, it has very little to do with the events on the station or the characters themselves; I feel the book was a no-holds-barred look at what might happen when we met something truly alien. That is to say, we would have no idea what the heck we were even seeing. The protagonist never does find out why the dopplegangers were sent. Were they gifts, attacks, just mimicries, attempts at communication, what?! And after 100 years of exploration, the scientists really have no clue about the nature of the planet. Ultimately, the book is criticizing standard scifi that features aliens and predicamnets similar to aspects of ourselves and our own past. Aren't Klingons basically just angry, war-like humans? Lem takes the point of view that space exploration would be really boring punctuated by boughts of trying to talk to whales.

And all of that is lost in the movie, at least the theatrical cut.

"Your gratuitous jello awaits." - Dr. Helen Magnus, Sanctuary

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 7:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sickdude:

I read the book first, and really enjoyed it. To this day, it's one of my favorite scifi books. (Although I prefer the out of print "The Invincible" of all of his works!)

I may have to track that one down now.

Quote:

When the Clooney movie was announced, I was pretty excited. And I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed it IMMENSELY, but I did feel like something was cut out or missing- I JUST found out about the 30 min. of deleted scenes...

Quote:
Aren't Klingons basically just angry, war-like humans?

I liked V'Ger better, it was a less conventional Trek alien.

The Kohlinear-attaining Chrisisall

SICKDUDE

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 7:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:
I may have to track that one down now.

Used book stores with a good scifi selection should have the late-70s paperback. And I think you'll like it. It's cerebral like most of his works, but it has a vaguely "Aliens" like feel.

"Your gratuitous jello awaits." - Dr. Helen Magnus, Sanctuary

CHRISISALL

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 7:28 PM

Thanks dude.

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