In “We Can Remember You Wholesale”
by Philip K. Dick and the adaptation
movie of the story “Total Recall” Directed by Paul Verhoeven, have similarities but as always movies that are adapted
from stories usually do not stick with all the details. As I read the story it
had a different aspect it to it compared to the movie, but it had a unique
ending as well. The beginning of the story and the movie were kept similar as
for the main character’s name was kept the same but his wife’s role in the
story was way more different than in the movie. It seemed no matter how much
they tried to erase his memory and implant something else, and that something
else already existed in his mind. The story is short and of course in the movie
they had to add a lot more to give it a good viewing appeal it related somewhat
to the story but did not continue on the same path the story did. On that note
adaptation has a positive and negative impact to the story they are adapted
from. I think that the casting decision
for Douglas Quail as played by Arnold Schwarzenegger
in the movie adaptation was a good casting even though they made Arnold
play Douglas a lot more tougher than in the story but it still worked. For example
in the story he is a clerk and in the movie he is a construction worker. It seems
that in most cases movie adaptations take a different look at the story to show
a better picture or sometimes a worse one, in this case it was a good visual to
the story. Some questions that I think would have changed the outcome in both
movie and story is if the wife acted the same in both such as how she did in
the movie sort of to not give away anything or maybe the whole dream about
going to mars or being on mars. Either way they both turned out interesting in
both cases and I think the adaptation had more action than the story does but
of course did you see who was playing the main actor.
i was also wondering what the movie would've been like if the wife portrayed in the movie was like Kristin form the book, unsupportive, mentally abusive and we assume she is clueless to Douglas's past. I think they might've adjusted her role in the movie as well as his to seem like a normal happy married couple to prove how easily you could be living in a made up lie. I preferred the short story to the movie because it was more about realizing who you are as a person and how your true desires are constant even if you've experienced different memories whereas the movie reminded me of a fast paced action movie.
ReplyDeleteI am in no way a big fan of Arnold, he can't act and when he does he always has to make his character the big tough guy otherwise he won't play the character, its his only way to show off his muscles....anyway, I agree with the wife problem, in the story she was so cold and hating towards Doug and in the movie she was this sex crazed addict. I really would have liked to see a movie done closer to what the story was about, it was a slow read but it had good points to it as well,
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