Looking at a pair of film adaptations and the bookworms that were left unhappy
Arrow Heads — UK-based Arrow Films has quickly become one of the most exciting and dependable names in home video curation and distribution, creating gorgeous Blu-ray releases with high quality artwork and packaging, and bursting with supplemental content, often of their own creation. From the cult and genre fare of Arrow Video to the artful cinema of Arrow Academy, this column is devoted to their weird and wonderful output.
I’m of the belief that most financially successful authors have made the bulk of their fortunes by selling the rights to their work to Hollywood. OK, so that may be a bit of a stretch, but not by much. For almost as long as it’s been in existence, the film world has depended on authors and their novels and short stories (and in some cases, poems) to keep the cameras rolling. This hasn’t always been a simple money grab. Titles such as Gone with the Wind and The Silence of the Lambs have become bona fide classics in their own right, existing apart from their literary counterparts. At the same time, efforts such as The Sheltering Sky and (more infamously) Dune remain prime examples which show just how delicate the process of bringing a work of fiction to the screen can be. Recently, Arrow Video released two great titles, 1946’s Black Angel and 1987’s Flowers in the Attic, both of which derived from the literary world and both of which were met with mixed results from either the fans who embraced the novel or the very author who created the work in the first place.
Black Angel
Film noir owes a great debt to author Cornell Woolrich, whose vast body of work remained the go-to source for many of the genre’s beloved titles including The Window, The Guilty, and Phantom Lady, among others. When Alfred Hitchcock adapted a Woolrich short story and transformed it into Rear Window, it solidified his standing among cinephiles, a respect and affection which continues to this day. For the most part, Woolrich saw the majority of his works transformed by Hollywood with characters and plots changed. It’s safe to assume the author was okay with this since it happened so often. Yet one instance in which the author decidedly hated seeing his work tampered was 1946’s Black Angel. The noir title dealt with a woman (June Vincent) trying to prove her husband (John Phillips) is innocent of murder while he sits on death row. Desperate, she enlists the help of an alcoholic piano player (Dan Duryea) with ties to her husband and the crime, and together they infiltrate the club of the man (Peter Lorre) they believe is the real killer. Black Angel doesn’t operate any differently than most noir titles of the day, including those based on other Woolrich works. However, that seems to be why the author disliked the film as much as he did. As the audience sees this standard (but still effective) movie play out, it quickly becomes apparent that Woolrich was trying to convey something greater than just a pulpy good time. One need only closely examine the character played by Duryea (excellent in one of the most conflicted roles of his career) to see this. You get the sense that Woolrich was trying to comment on alcoholism in a way that was meaningful while telling an entertaining mystery. With as many traces of this theme swept under the rug as possible, save for the shocking ending (where the subject is on full display and is illustrated brilliantly), Black Angel remains another film noir that proves solid, but nowhere as telling as its creator intended.
Flowers in the Attic
The first installment of novelist V.C. Andrews’ iconic book series was a tale of dark family secrets which for a time proved to be one of the most controversial works around thanks to its mix of religious fervor and unspeakable passion. The story deals with a widowed mother and her four children who arrive at the home of their stern grandmother after their father dies, leading to betrayal, torture, and death. Aimed at the young adult/teen market, the book flew off shelves at stores and libraries and ensured Hollywood wasted no time in bringing a version to the screen. Horror master Wes Craven originally took on the assignment, but quickly failed to win the author’s seal of approval (which was incidentally in her contract) and was dismissed despite penning a very solid adaptation which is still available online. Instead, Jeffrey Bloom was brought on and provided a version of Flowers in the Attic that managed to retain the look and feel of the novel, along with the basic setup and plot points. The film generated enough money to be considered profitable, but Andrews’ legions of fans were disappointed at Bloom’s sanitized version, which had removed the more shocking and scandalous aspects. As a film, Flowers in the Attic stands on its own just fine. The gothic settings, the family’s saga, Oscar winner Louise Fletcher’s still-terrifying turn as the unforgiving grandmother, and a startling ending (borrowed heavily from Craven’s script) have all made Flowers in the Attic a worthy and enduring cult classic. It wouldn’t be until 2014 when Andrews’ fans were treated to a more faithful version thanks to Lifetime’s sprawling mini-series (which proved more laughable than anything else), but for a specific generation, 1987’s Flowers in the Attic remains a favorite.
It’s hard for authors and readers alike to separate themselves from the works they feel a deep attachment to as they make their way to the big screen. Yet it should always be remembered that the two mediums aren’t beholden to each other. Literature and film are two separate and distinct entities, each a different canvas with a specific artist at the helm. I’m of the belief that a film adaptation should not be a direct translation of the novel it comes from, since both page and the screen were meant to be approached with different visions and sensibilities. It appears that many in charge of adapting these works tend to feel the same given how examples such as the aforementioned ones have been commonplace for decades in the film world. It’s a simple inevitability that it’s just impossible to please everyone, be they reader or author. Ultimately, the real test comes in seeing whether or not the films, the original works they come from, and their creators are remembered down the line.
Black Angel and Flowers in the Attic are now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Arrow Video.