I took a film class in both high school and in college. It was during one of these or a creative writing class–I’m not sure which–that I read an excerpt from the screenplay for The Icestorm. I couldn’t tell you why we read it, what points the teacher was trying to make to a bunch of teenagers in a script about experimentation with sex and drugs in the 70s. I do remember the scene involved a drug-induced mishap that lent itself to a sexual experience for one of the characters.
So it was surprising how different that scene was from what I expected when I finally watched the movie a few weeks ago after having a preconceived image in my head all these years. It was more surprising how differently the scene played out in the book. Truth be told, I’m not in the habit of watching movies and then reading the book. In fact, I’m most likely to avoid any “based on the novel” movie completely.
But after watching The Icestorm, I had more questions than answers and went off on a little Google search. Lo and behold, it was based on the book! However, the book left me with that many more questions. Ironically, that is exactly how the characters feel after the events of an evening. More questions than answers. Moody specifically leaves the reader on a cliff hanger that is pseudo-biography of his own childhood in 1970s Connecticut. Relationships and the people’s actions as they grow and discover that the boundaries of socially acceptable behavior are in limbo as a result of experimentation to escape the mundanity of daily life and reality.
One of my favorite things about the book was the author’s note at the end. I’ve heard of film makers stating that they hate doing the commentary for DVDs because it takes away from the viewers ability to come up with their own conclusions and analysis of the film and choices made along the way of producing it. Similarly, I don’t like it when an author spells out each action/reaction of how they developed a story. I like uncovering symbolism and determining why certain characters acted the way they did. On the other hand, I have always enjoyed discussion in class and book clubs where people point out things you may have missed and expound upon what you did discover. Having the author’s opinion can be valuable.
Moody avoids the traditional author commentary by discussing the movie and its relationship to the book–yet another perverted relationship involved in this particular story. He never fully states that films are inferior to books, only that they are different, although it is implied that he does believe the former. They serve a different purpose. The abstract quality of events throughout the book are reflections of the confusion experienced by the characters, while in the movie they are so fleeting as to be pointless.
Moody points out that there are things you can do in a book that it is impossible to do on film–such as first person. Sure you can tell a story on film from the general first person point of view, but it is shot in third person or utilizes the awkward effect of voice-over. He states early on something about words that is one of the many reasons book lovers are obsessed:
Sometimes I think words are so beautiful so flexible so strange so lovely that they make me want to weep, for import, for their proximity to eternal mysteries…
There are thoughts that can only develop on page that can never be fully expressed through action on screen. His discussion of words in this section reiterates how masterfully he manipulates emotions throughout the entire book and his prose flows beautifully until you realize you have not been living through the eyes of the character in charge of the moment.
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They showed that movie to teenagers? That’s inappropriate. Its an OK movie but it’s about sex. Schools shouldn’t be allowed to show it.
No, we did not see the movie, we read an exerpt from the script that was not particularly graphic. The film is pretty benign in visual content although there are numerous suggestions made throughout. Had we been 14 I would have considered it poor taste, but looking back is was fine for teens 17 and over. We were also analysing it from a film makers perspective rather than for plain enjoyment/titilation.