> "a.n.smith"
ansmith@netdoor.com writ:
>
> [SNIP]
> > I just wrote a paper about how Hollywood's
attempt's to
> > "clean up" Cain in the olden days sucked the
true morality
> > of the novels out of the film versions. At
least to me...
>
> Will we get to see it?
I don't know. I'll have to see if anyone out there in journal
land is looking for stuff about Cain. Plus, I'm not a good
critic. The idea was great, I thought, but my execution
lacked, oh, let's say "goodness."
Okay, if you haven't read Cain's Double Indemnity or seen the
film version, the next paragraph is full of spoilers. And
also, you should be ashamed. Go find both now, today, and
enrich your life.
All of the critics I read seem too caught up in the film
version of Double Indemnity, saying it's superior to the
novel. It's a great one, sure, for what it is. But it's not
really the book, not that easy of a comparison. I loved
Cain's depictions of the ravenous affair, the "goddess of
death" who looked "washed-out," and the ending on the cruise
ship, "The moon." So Chandler thought he was *improving* on
that with his tough guy voiceover banter? Not in my mind. I
also like the fact that the characters in the book have to
face the consequences of their actions and decide on if they
can live with themselves or not. The film seems to force the
issue with the
"She shoots me, I shoot her, so now I'll confess." Yeah,
fine, but that's so typical. Jumping off a cruise ship in a
suicide pact? All right!
Neil Smith
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