Subject
Re: Nabokov filmography (fwd)
Date
Body
From: "Peter A. Kartsev" <petr@glas.apc.org> >
> I am attempting to gather
together a filmography of any novels, stories, or even > poems by Nabokov
that have been made into films. I'm also interested in any > films based
to any degree on Nabokov's writing. > > I am currently aware of both
_Lolita_ films, the 1978 adaption of _Despair_, the > 1972 adaption of
_King, Queen, Knave_, and the 1969 film _Laughter in the Dark_ > (does
anyone know if this was an original screenplay?). >
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I recall that there
was a Russian film made circa 1990, based on the short story "Skazka" ("A
Nursery Tale"). The title was changed (to something like "An Erotic Tale",
I think). I saw a short clip of it, which was quite horrible. Some years
back there was also a French TV film made in Russia based on "Mademoiselle
O".
What I find more interesting, the premise of the 1985 fantasy classic
"Brazil", directed by Terry Gilliam, while owing much to Orwell, has some
parallels with "Invitation to a Beheading". Most strikingly, the film's
ending is exactly borrowed from the novel: the protagonist (who is a lot
like Cincinnatus) escapes torture and death into another plane of
existence, where there are "beings akin to him".
Among the screenwriters of "Brazil" was Tom Stoppard, who was certainly
acquainted with Nabokov, having previously scripted Fassbinder's
"Despair". I always wonder to what extent the writers were consciously
borrowing from ITAB.
Peter A. Kartsev
P.S. And, by the way, "Laughter in the Dark" was scripted by Edward Bond.
I don't think a screenplay can be called "original" when it's based on a
published work - or did I get it wrong?
> I am attempting to gather
together a filmography of any novels, stories, or even > poems by Nabokov
that have been made into films. I'm also interested in any > films based
to any degree on Nabokov's writing. > > I am currently aware of both
_Lolita_ films, the 1978 adaption of _Despair_, the > 1972 adaption of
_King, Queen, Knave_, and the 1969 film _Laughter in the Dark_ > (does
anyone know if this was an original screenplay?). >
------------------------------------------------------
I recall that there
was a Russian film made circa 1990, based on the short story "Skazka" ("A
Nursery Tale"). The title was changed (to something like "An Erotic Tale",
I think). I saw a short clip of it, which was quite horrible. Some years
back there was also a French TV film made in Russia based on "Mademoiselle
O".
What I find more interesting, the premise of the 1985 fantasy classic
"Brazil", directed by Terry Gilliam, while owing much to Orwell, has some
parallels with "Invitation to a Beheading". Most strikingly, the film's
ending is exactly borrowed from the novel: the protagonist (who is a lot
like Cincinnatus) escapes torture and death into another plane of
existence, where there are "beings akin to him".
Among the screenwriters of "Brazil" was Tom Stoppard, who was certainly
acquainted with Nabokov, having previously scripted Fassbinder's
"Despair". I always wonder to what extent the writers were consciously
borrowing from ITAB.
Peter A. Kartsev
P.S. And, by the way, "Laughter in the Dark" was scripted by Edward Bond.
I don't think a screenplay can be called "original" when it's based on a
published work - or did I get it wrong?