IMHO most of James Clavells novels are pretty humdrum affairs but 'King Rat' really hits the top notch. To me it is one of the 20th centuries GREAT pieces of literature in Clavells masterful exploration of how various members of a society manage to live on the edge of survival.
However, to attempt to portray this in a feature film is like watching a formation air display on a pocket TV screen, or enjoying a steak by liquidising & sucking it up through a straw. It has no hope of doing the subject matter justice.
I can see so much valuable material left out and so many shortcuts that it can only fail. However, I realise that a feature film is a medium that reaches vastly more people than any other and this was a very good attempt. Very well cast, well acted and well directed.
Perhaps a mini-series? 'King Rat' is well overdue for a remake of some sort.
However, to attempt to portray this in a feature film is like watching a formation air display on a pocket TV screen, or enjoying a steak by liquidising & sucking it up through a straw. It has no hope of doing the subject matter justice.
I can see so much valuable material left out and so many shortcuts that it can only fail. However, I realise that a feature film is a medium that reaches vastly more people than any other and this was a very good attempt. Very well cast, well acted and well directed.
Perhaps a mini-series? 'King Rat' is well overdue for a remake of some sort.