The John Thaw as Inspector Morse episode The Wolvercote tongue has perhaps the most iconic TV policeman ever (Thaw as Morse), great actors (for example, Simon Callow) and a great book on which it is based.
It is terrible.
The heart of The Jewel that was Ours, Colin Dexter's book on which TWT is based, had deep in its convuluted centre, a crime committed long ago which devastated two families. In one it left a paraplegic, in the other a dead girls. All that happens in the present including the theft of the tongue and the murders that follow can all be traced back to that dark heart, the primal cause. How that truth reveals itself, whorl by whorl, to show the interconnectedness of all things was the most fascinating thing about the book.
The TV serial has the same setting, more or less the same characters and then proceeds to tell another, far more boring tale. One can only wonder why. Perhaps the scriptwriter wanted to do a deliberately anti-Morse story, the kind where the various threads don't really tie in together. Whatever the motivation, we end up with a disconnected story with many threads which do not really relate to each other. A crowd of tourists land up, a theft happens, a woman lies dead, an affair ends, a don makes his excuses for not attending a party, the body of the unfortunate don is found, the prime suspect of the original theft remains at large, the tour guide's mind is elsewhere, the don's wife commits suicide, the tour guide's wife also ends up dead, the prime suspect returns with a daughter in tow, the murderer is found without too much fuss and then the tongue is also found. Morse is left contemplating life through the bottom of a beer glass. Good night.
What was that?
I find it unforgiveable when a scriptwriter mucks up a perfectly good story just to seem clever or original or for any other 'creative' reason. One can forgive them some flourishes, a little artistic liberty, the removal of inessential elements but to tamper with the heart should carry the death penalty with no appeal IMO.
The only excuse for doing this would be if one landed up with a better story than the original. If you are not confident of doing that, desist.
I am reminded of an anecdote in Thomas Kennealy's 2009 book, The Making of Schindler's List which is Tom Kennealy's personal journey that led to the book and the movie. Spielberg first hires Kennealy himself to write the script but Kennealy is unable to. The job is then passed to a succession of other writers who also labour manfully but fail. Finally Spielberg calls Tom and tells him, "Tom, I am going to do what you told me years ago. You told me 'Just shoot the bloody book Steven'. I am going to do just that" And he does.
Listen to the master. Stick close to the book and the original story.
It is terrible.
The heart of The Jewel that was Ours, Colin Dexter's book on which TWT is based, had deep in its convuluted centre, a crime committed long ago which devastated two families. In one it left a paraplegic, in the other a dead girls. All that happens in the present including the theft of the tongue and the murders that follow can all be traced back to that dark heart, the primal cause. How that truth reveals itself, whorl by whorl, to show the interconnectedness of all things was the most fascinating thing about the book.
The TV serial has the same setting, more or less the same characters and then proceeds to tell another, far more boring tale. One can only wonder why. Perhaps the scriptwriter wanted to do a deliberately anti-Morse story, the kind where the various threads don't really tie in together. Whatever the motivation, we end up with a disconnected story with many threads which do not really relate to each other. A crowd of tourists land up, a theft happens, a woman lies dead, an affair ends, a don makes his excuses for not attending a party, the body of the unfortunate don is found, the prime suspect of the original theft remains at large, the tour guide's mind is elsewhere, the don's wife commits suicide, the tour guide's wife also ends up dead, the prime suspect returns with a daughter in tow, the murderer is found without too much fuss and then the tongue is also found. Morse is left contemplating life through the bottom of a beer glass. Good night.
What was that?
I find it unforgiveable when a scriptwriter mucks up a perfectly good story just to seem clever or original or for any other 'creative' reason. One can forgive them some flourishes, a little artistic liberty, the removal of inessential elements but to tamper with the heart should carry the death penalty with no appeal IMO.
The only excuse for doing this would be if one landed up with a better story than the original. If you are not confident of doing that, desist.
I am reminded of an anecdote in Thomas Kennealy's 2009 book, The Making of Schindler's List which is Tom Kennealy's personal journey that led to the book and the movie. Spielberg first hires Kennealy himself to write the script but Kennealy is unable to. The job is then passed to a succession of other writers who also labour manfully but fail. Finally Spielberg calls Tom and tells him, "Tom, I am going to do what you told me years ago. You told me 'Just shoot the bloody book Steven'. I am going to do just that" And he does.
Listen to the master. Stick close to the book and the original story.
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