At 14:51 02-03-03 -0500, you wrote:
>"The Grifters" is a good adaptation, but the best
adaptation of a Jim
>Thompson book has to be "Coup de Torchon" a French
adaptation of Pop.
>1280. What's remarkable about this version is it
takes Pop. 1280 out of
>West Texas and moves it to a French territory in
Africa, and the movie
>still captures the feel of the book
entirely.
>
>The one movie I've bene wanting to see but can't find
is the French
>version of "Hell of a Woman". Has anyone on this list
ever seen it?
>
>-Dave Zeltserman
I do not share the same enthusiasm as Dave for "Coup de
torchon", very good film by itself, but IMO did not capture
the final essence of 'pop. 1280' by lacking this near
metaphysical level Thompson's novel reaches. But I place the
novel very high in my personal pantheon, and I always
considered it as the best novel by Thompson.
'Hell of a woman' was adapted in a French film by Alain
Corneau (Serie Noire - 1979), in which the best part is the
first class interpretation by two actors: Patrick Dewaere and
Bernard Blier. The grim atmosphere created by Corneau added
to the basic qualities of this film, which is good but not
prominent. Even if the script was co-written by Georges
Perec, the well known writer, and the story adapted to French
locations and French style of characters. And I do not think
it recreates really the ambiance of the novel nor Thompson's
universe... But I did not watch it again recently. Dewaere
committed suicide in 1982 (he was 35 years old) and his dead
cut short the promising career of this ultra-gifted
actor.
E.Borgers Hard-boiled Mysteries
http;//www.geocities.com/Athens/6384
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