In Which I Squee
May. 21st, 2010 07:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
metonomia...over a few different things.
Firstly, I don't think I've squealed to y'all about this yet - I'm taking Latin next year! I am so so so so so soooo excited! This is great for so many reasons. Firstly, it's looking more and more like at least my history major, if not the lit one as well, will be focused on classical and medieval studies, so having some Latin will be pretty much a necessity. Secondly, Latin appeals to so much of my geekery - Church, television, literature, um...yeah. I like old stuff. Thirdly, the prof for the first quarter is my history prof from fall quarter this year, and he is basically the coolest old classicist EVER. So excited. This is the first of many many languages I need/want to study, and it feels like such a fun and awesome academic step.
Secondly - I finally watched The English Patient, and am...less disappointed than I thought I would be. It's a lovely movie - the cinematography is gorgeous and the acting is great, and it rekindled my assurance that my hypothetical future daughter will, in fact, be named Hana. It's just...I have that book on such a high, untouchable pedestal that the movie could not help but fall short. The language, the poetical prose of the novel, the back and forth of the worlds and stories and ages, the raw emotions and the feeling it gives of touching something deep and intrinsically human in the reader ... it is one of my favorite books ever, ever. The movie fell short in a few ways, for me. One, I disliked a bit how they changed Caravaggio's role - I suppose I'll have to do a re-read to make sure I wasn't just missing something, but I *know* they changed his relationship to Hana, and I'm pretty darn sure that in the book Caravaggio is not after Almasy. He certainly suspects that the patient IS Almasy, but I really never got the sense from the book that Almasy was responsible at all for Caravaggio's capture/torture. Hm. So that was distracting. Also, I was insanely bothered by the fact that they cut all of Kip's backstory. So mad. His parts are some of the most raw and beautiful, and they just weren't there. I see why - most of his stuff is very internal, so it would be very difficult to translate to screen, but still. KIP. AND, they cut out all the gorgeous imagery with the white lion statues. And then finally, I felt like the film fell a bit short in showing the violent, angry nature of Almasy and Katharine's relationship; another thing that somehow just didn't quite translate to film. I did enjoy it, though, and watching it again with the commentary helped even more - hearing about the decisions they made helps reconcile me to the changes. So all in all, a really gorgeous movie, but I will always love the book way more. Seriously, everyone should go read The English Patient. And then they should go read Herodotus' Histories. And then they should come discuss them with me. :D
Firstly, I don't think I've squealed to y'all about this yet - I'm taking Latin next year! I am so so so so so soooo excited! This is great for so many reasons. Firstly, it's looking more and more like at least my history major, if not the lit one as well, will be focused on classical and medieval studies, so having some Latin will be pretty much a necessity. Secondly, Latin appeals to so much of my geekery - Church, television, literature, um...yeah. I like old stuff. Thirdly, the prof for the first quarter is my history prof from fall quarter this year, and he is basically the coolest old classicist EVER. So excited. This is the first of many many languages I need/want to study, and it feels like such a fun and awesome academic step.
Secondly - I finally watched The English Patient, and am...less disappointed than I thought I would be. It's a lovely movie - the cinematography is gorgeous and the acting is great, and it rekindled my assurance that my hypothetical future daughter will, in fact, be named Hana. It's just...I have that book on such a high, untouchable pedestal that the movie could not help but fall short. The language, the poetical prose of the novel, the back and forth of the worlds and stories and ages, the raw emotions and the feeling it gives of touching something deep and intrinsically human in the reader ... it is one of my favorite books ever, ever. The movie fell short in a few ways, for me. One, I disliked a bit how they changed Caravaggio's role - I suppose I'll have to do a re-read to make sure I wasn't just missing something, but I *know* they changed his relationship to Hana, and I'm pretty darn sure that in the book Caravaggio is not after Almasy. He certainly suspects that the patient IS Almasy, but I really never got the sense from the book that Almasy was responsible at all for Caravaggio's capture/torture. Hm. So that was distracting. Also, I was insanely bothered by the fact that they cut all of Kip's backstory. So mad. His parts are some of the most raw and beautiful, and they just weren't there. I see why - most of his stuff is very internal, so it would be very difficult to translate to screen, but still. KIP. AND, they cut out all the gorgeous imagery with the white lion statues. And then finally, I felt like the film fell a bit short in showing the violent, angry nature of Almasy and Katharine's relationship; another thing that somehow just didn't quite translate to film. I did enjoy it, though, and watching it again with the commentary helped even more - hearing about the decisions they made helps reconcile me to the changes. So all in all, a really gorgeous movie, but I will always love the book way more. Seriously, everyone should go read The English Patient. And then they should go read Herodotus' Histories. And then they should come discuss them with me. :D
