I've never read the book, but that should not have prevented me from enjoying this movie, as I normally love sumptuous productions such as this. The problem is that the director had some grand artistic vision which completely undermined the telling of the story. For the first half hour I was utterly confused because the story is presented through the artifice of a theater. Eventually the viewer realizes it's not a real theater, but everything that happens is presented in this surreal context, where outdoor scenes are contained in the theater. Visually it's striking, yes, but ultimately it defeats the purpose of storytelling. If the story doesn't have enough drama to hold your interest, then don't bother dressing it up with artifice. This story seems to have plenty of drama but it took a back seat to the presentation. In a way it's similar to what was done with "Moulin Rouge" but somehow that worked; this one just leaves you at first confused, then bored, then frustrated.
On the positive end, costumes are phenomenal, and Keira's face lights up the screen every time she appears.
On the positive end, costumes are phenomenal, and Keira's face lights up the screen every time she appears.