Our BetterMost Community > Creative Writer's Corner
Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll
MaineWriter:
--- Quote from: brokebackjack on November 18, 2006, 01:19:30 am ---AP told me a few weeks ago that she ALWAYS intended to have a prologue from the moment she decided to write the story. Why? Because it is concieved of as a series of flashbacks, where the drive of emotional build has precedence over chronology. Hence the placement of Dozy embrace, the urination: FLASHBACKS. This is thoroughly modern AND completely classic--instead of those magnificent speeches, she uses mental flashbacks. A work for OUR time, not the 5th century BC. And the result was a new sort of work, one which changed the very nature of the short story in the English language. The prologue sets the tone, allows the reader to understand he/she is about to enter a total desolation while setting the construction of the tale of J & E in granite.
It's over before it starts.
Now, I hate jack's death. But it was necessary. AP wept over her characters but KILLED JACK OFF.
Why? Because she had to, if she was to succeed in her goal..
Ennis in the prologue is of an indeterminate age, because that's what she wanted us to think--no easy answers, we make our own. The ultimate reaction comes from the heart, the mind, and the experience of the reader.
OR viewer.
AP left a spark of hope for the Ennis of her prologue. Ang lee left a spark of hope for the Ennis of his epilogue. Get the connection here? To translate the book to film he put the emotions and hope-spark of the prologue into an EPILOGUE. One a mass audience would get, while preserving the essence of the story.
--- End quote ---
This is very interesting, but what I don't understand, then, is why she consented to have it published in the New Yorker without the prologue.
I am an Editor in real life, and we edit author's contributions before publication, and of course, they have the opportunity to rebut our changes. I don't work at the New Yorker but I would assume Annie was afforded the same opportunity. If the prologue was so important and essential, why didn't she argue, or argue harder if she did argue, to have included?
The first version of the story I read was the New Yorker version--not in 1997 but last fall when people were starting to talk about the movie after it won at the Venice Film Festival. The New Yorker still had the story online at that time. I read the story, several times, then saw the movie and after that, read the "Story to Screenplay" version of the story, which does have the prologue. I have said many times that I preferred the New Yorker version...precisely because I did not read it as a flashback. Now, reading your post, thinking about the two versions of the story and the movie, I may need to change my entire worldview on BBM. Hmmm....
To your other comment, regarding your bafflement over Jo's comments...I think there are people out there, who despite countless viewings of the movie still see it in only the most superficial way, ie, as a love story between Jack and Ennis. They, for whatever reason, perhaps because it is too painful, seem unable to get to the deeper heart of the matter of what this story is about and what it can teach us. But we are all just human and the story touches us all in different ways.
Leslie
magicmountain:
--- Quote from: louisev on November 18, 2006, 08:37:59 am ---folkeses:
I am off to Mediamarkt to get a new keyboard. I have dropped so many rice cake crumbs in this keyboard that the spacebar is permanently on hold and the E won't spring back up.
In addition, I have done some rethinking about what will happen at the end of the Red Stallion, and have decided to make one off stories an open ended endeavour. (i.e. more of them and regularly.)
I.e. instead of a chapter a day of a larger book, you may get a story every week or two.
--- End quote ---
It would have to be the E key wouldn't it!
Just watched the Biography Channel interview with Hugh in its entirety. Would you believe Hugh and Heath attended the same drama school in Perth Western Australia - at different times of course. Their pairing was meant to be!
magicmountain:
--- Quote from: DavidinHartford on November 18, 2006, 07:23:41 am ---Maybe this guy will catch Dupree's eye?
Can'tcha just see this guy walk into the bar one busy Saturday night? The room stops, Duprees eyes widen. Jeeves just sinks lower into his chair with his head down. He knows he can't compete with that!
--- End quote ---
Yeah well David I don't know that many guys would be able to compete with that so Jeeves has got plenty of company. (Unless it is true that gay men tend on the whole to be more attractive which I read somewhere that research has indicated. Who knows? Maybe this guy is just average!)
MaineWriter:
--- Quote from: magicmountain on November 18, 2006, 09:01:18 am ---Yeah well David I don't know that many guys would be able to compete with that so Jeeves has got plenty of company. (Unless it is true that gay men tend on the whole to be more attractive which I read somewhere that research has indicated. Who knows? Maybe this guy is just average!)
--- End quote ---
The looks thing...that's Ellery's theory. But maybe you read it somewhere too.
L
David:
Gay guys more attractive?
No, not really. The things is, there are plenty of average and unattrative gay guys out there. They are just self conscious about their looks and don't make themselves known as much. Or they hide behind a keyboard like me.
Truth is, the world (both straight and gay) loves to watch the pretty people.
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