The transition from literary to cinematic storytelling

The conversion of a literary narrative into a cinematic one is never easy, even when the author is the one who writes the screenplay for both versions.

The crucial question of how to undertake this transformation and its outcome will affect the role of the director, cinematography, acting and music in the construction of the film's plot.

It is possible that, while not entirely flawed, the script of the film version failed to captivate its audience in the same way that the novel did.

Was it the pacing? The director's creative liberties? The overall harmony of the production? A little bit of everything seems to have happened in the English-language debut of a Colombian director (now facing legal troubles) known for previous films such as Summer Birds (2018), Embrace of the Serpent (2015) and Wind Journeys (2009).

Also, despite its allegorical power about pervasive colonialism, xenophobia and abuse of power, the story is not riveting, but the director's stamp and cinematography by Chris Menges ("Mission and Silent Screams") invite you to watch it, of Mark Rylance carries the film on his shoulders with his portrayal of the judge, which is decent but not riveting, perhaps because of its fierce fidelity to the literary tale that gives it a very introspective and psychological story. For novels, but not so much for films.

Films of the past have fascinated by abandoning the literal meaning of literary stories and focusing on the powerful design of the story as anchor, for example we see them in Miracle Lane (Fons 1995), The Name of Miracle. "The Rose" (Annaud 1986), or even "White Nights" (Visconti 1957), the unity of the three stories ("Miracle Lane"), the nuances of the police in the story ("The Name of the Rose") and the joy of the third night (White Nights) gave their films a better response.