Interview with Adamson

[carol]

You might be interested to read Andrew Adamson's replies and comments in this interview. It addresses some of the questions that book lovers and fans have been raising.

[repectabiggle]

[Mr. Beaver]

I don't think the Susan and Lucy's role gave a negative message about women at all, and I definitely don't think that Lewis intended that anyone get the message that Adamson got out of the Father Christmas scene (the whole sandwiches thing). Besides, Lucy became known as Lucy the Valiant and it was just Susan's character to not go off to battles, part of who she was in the books. I think that Adamson took a little too much creative liberty with this just because he disagreed with an aspect of the book that wasn't even offensive. However, I haven't seen the movie yet and I am excited about it so I shouldn't get too nit-picky, at least not yet.

I'm also a little nervous about the change of directors for the Dawn Treader. It was my favorite book and I really want it to be done well. After two movies I will have probably gotten pretty used to Adamson's style (assuming Prince Caspian is anything like LWW) and it will be a little strange if the directing style changes drastically between Prince Caspian and the Dawn Treader.

[Lirenel]

I actually felt a little bit insulted by Adamson's insinuation that if girls don't fight, or want to fight, then we're no good. Making sandwiches? How is that not offensive to those thousands of moms who take care of their children and, horror upon horror, want to feed them? My mother has been a stay-at-home mom for 24 years, and she's one of the strongest people I know. Just because she isn't in the armed forces or something doesn't make her a traitor to her sex or even mean that she doesn't care about her country.

As long as there has been war, there have been women who bravely endured. Mothers who cared for their children on rationing and with fears that the enemy could kill them or that their husbands would come home on their shield. Women who worked as nurses, and even worked on the field as the battle raged. There were women who protected the home, in fact it was standard in medieval times for women to have complete control of the keep when their husbands were at war and they were expected to make sure the castle was well defended (now doesn't that sound like something Susan would be happy to do?). Just because a woman doesn't march into battle doesn't mean she isn't essential to winning the battle. And it infuriates me that Adamson, and the rest of the PC brigade, doesn't seem to realize this.

Yes Lucy went to battle. With the archers. Archers who are away from the thick of battle. It makes absolutely no sense to head into a night raid expecting one on one fighting with just a bow and arrow unless you're some super-special elf with lightning reflexes (and even Legolas had his knife - and yes, that is singular Peter Jackson). If you're going to have Susan use her bow, let her use it properly with a large group of archers (as some of the previews show).

OK, that's a bit of a rant. That interview just...

Alright, I'm calm now. maybe I should eat something, it's past dinnertime...[/i]

[SPop6]

[Messenger_of_Eden]

[LordRhoop]

[quote="Lirenel"][/quote]

I couldn't have said it better myself.


and as for "having to fit prince caspian into a two hour movie," I think that could have been much more effectively accomplished had they not wasted an hour and a half on scenes that are entirely made up by adamson, and not present in the book at all!

[rusmeister]

I second Rhoop's motion. Thanks, Lirinel.

It's kind of like saying, everyone in a hospital ought to be a doctor, so let's turn all of the nurses into doctors, because being a nurse is demeaning. Sure, the doctor gets the big press, but his clever perscriptions are of little use if the nurses aren't doing the vital daily care. When you get a nurse's strike you'll suddenly realize, "Gosh, we need nurses!"

And yes, M of E, you put it simply (for today's sophisticated* world), but concisely. Those tricky words, "must", "ought to" and "should" keep implying that there's some kind of authority over us. Darn it, I want to be the captain of my soul and master of my fate! Why should I have to submit to Someone else's designs for my life?

*from the word "sophistry"

I said my piece in the "Susan Kicks Butt" thread, though: http://cslewis.drzeus.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8551

[rusmeister]

[nomad]

Well, I'm not nearly as upset about either movie. Have any of you ever tried to adapt a piece of literature to the stage or screen? I have a couple issues with the changes I think are serious, but geez! In the end, they are good movies. But my comments on that are on the movie post.

That interview didn't ask any of the questions I would like to ask. Like, have you read any of Lewis' other works? And specific questions about changes like why the romp scenes have been left out of both movies or why the additional battle scene in PC? (Which was not a pointless scene in the movie, but I'm curious as to the reasoning behind it) At least Adamson knows more about the books than that interviewer did.

[rusmeister]

[Pete]

[LordRhoop]

[Tharkun]

[Shadowland Dweller]

I was kind of disappointed about some things for PC, but then I had to stop and think, Adamson is an artist too, and he is not Lewis, so I cut a little slack and found on it's own, as in, something in addition to and not in place of the books, I really enjoyed the story. Hated the kiss, but that is more in line with my personal preferences, and that it felt like it was there only to attract a bigger girl fan base.... (arrgg....I had to listen to teenage girls go on about how "hot" caspian was.... )


About the feeling that only if girls march to war are they any good, I think Lucy's role counteracts that, she essentially won the battle because she was both brave, strong and didn't go into battle.

I would agree with the person who said it was more violent, I had a feeling it would be and so my neither of my sons will see it until they are a bit older.