Discuss Lord Jim
Discuss → Movies → Lord Jim → General
It's an epic starring Peter O'Toole...
posted by rudely_murraySTAFFMOD on September 30, 2019 at 10:23 PM
...with James Mason and various other great character actors in supporting roles, handsomely produced in beautiful Cambodia with plenty of action set pieces and seafaring derring-do... and it's an utter bore.
Something about this simply doesn't add up! But there we have it.
Reply by Fergoose
on October 1, 2019 at 1:15 PM
I think its the subject matter. Lord Jim is an outstanding novel, possibly my favourite by Conrad, but like all of his earlier, better work, it is not so much narrative driven as it is based on the internalised thoughts of a man as he responds to unusual or challenging circumstances. Such things do not great cinema make.
Being controversial, I'd say this also applies to Apocalypse Now (inspired by a Conrad novel). I gave that 6/10 and Lord Jim 5/10.
Reply by rudely_murray
on October 1, 2019 at 11:28 PM
I take your point about Apocalypse Now but, while it wouldn't earn a place on my all-time list as it does for so many, the craft on display is so dazzling and it expands on/deviates from the text to such a creative degree that I feel it largely deserves its classic status.
I have had a copy of Lord Jim lying around for years which I have never read. I really need to pick it up!