The truth is that a film is a very different medium from a novel and has different objectives. Byatt's novel, as with many 20th century works, goes into depths of character portraiture that would stop a film cold. A film needs to move forward. Thus, they had to eliminate characters (Leonora, Val, Rolan's original landlady), change some (Fergus) and combine functions of others (what became Tom Hollander's role in the film). The only thing I question is their turning English Rolan into American Roland. Was that really a necessary plot device, or did LaBute just want to create a part for his friend Eckhart? I like Aaron Eckhart, but he seemed unnecessarily inarticulate. One would expect a scholar of Victorian Poetry to be good with words, even if he is American. They also put in some American references I'm not certain a British audience would get. Do Brits know about Lucky Charms cereal, with the Leprechaun on the box and "magically delicious" marshmallow pieces? Would a Brit have thought immediately of Bonnie and Clyde in reference to stealing? Nevertheless, I adore this film. It brought me from just recognizing Jeremy's talent to needing to see all his work.
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