Reviewed by thepunktheory on
Let's kick off with the novel. It was a fascinating read that kept surprising you with a twisted plot that was hard to see through. I could hardly put the book down, as I was so intrigued to find out what would happen next. Especially the ending came as a huge surprise!
Well, I am convinced that you could make an amazing film out of this, so I was excited to see Scorsese's adaptation.
First of all, Leonardo DiCaprio gives a stunning performance as Teddy Daniels. But that's already where my praise ends.
In the novel Daniels has many flashback both about his time in the army in Germany and about his dead wife. In written form those little inserts work out rather well, tying in with the overall vibe of the book. However, in the film especially the army parts felt completely out of place. Those scenes were more irritating than a welcome addition. The parts about his wife also didn't feel as atmospheric as they could have been. The connection with the overall story is not a strong as it is in the book and much of the intensity was lost.
In general I have the feeling you need to watch the film multiple times to fully grasp what's going on. If you only see it once you might end up a bit confused.
To be honest, this being a Martin Scorsese movie with so many great actors among the cast I had expected something better. I know many of his other films and this is most certainly not his best work.
Well, the movie looked promising but ended up as a weak and confusing adaptation of the novel. It may not even be the best book out there, but it certainly was a thrilling story to read!
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 11 March, 2017: Finished reading
- 11 March, 2017: Reviewed