Prior to watching this movie, I have only ever heard of
Dante’s Inferno – so I was more or less familiar with the story. However, I
didn’t like the “artistic take” on making everything so modern. It’s the same
thing with the Leo DiCaprio version of Romeo and Juliet… sure, a fun idea—but
it’s not the same when Chris Rock gets shot on Venice Beach instead of slayed
by a sword. The story over all though, was a good one. I’m glad I finally got
to see some sort of rendition of the story.
I feel similarly to you in that I also feel as though the steps taken to modernize the story detracted a great deal from the story. For me, it made it seem almost like an over educated South Park. Maybe a lot of it is just because I am a big fan of dante's work, but, for me, this rendition was disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know much of Dante's Inferno going into the screening either, so I can't say whether or not the modernization was more or less powerful. However, I think the important point to be made here is that in the many centuries since Dante penned The Inferno, there has been little advancement in humanity's moral fiber. People, and particularly those in charge of institutions (whether clergy or government) are as corrupt today as they were then, if not more so. The fact that this cautionary tale of the soul's damnation has existed for hundreds of years while humans continue to 'sin' is indicative of some tendency towards evil within the human condition. The point isn't that the modernization was successful or not, it reveals that Dante's piece is universally and timelessly applicable.
ReplyDeleteAs a sidenote to the actual point of this post: In the '96 adaptation of R+J, Mercutio was played by Harold Perrineau, definitely not by Chris Rock.