Originally Posted by Karen 7th October 2006


If you could write the screenplay for this movie, how would your film begin?

Nurseanne8


1. Anna and Alyosha ( a university student) would be living in Moscow where Anna was a photographer for the state controlled newspaper-Stalin is changing the course of the Communist party due to the failing health of Lenin-Anna is killed while photographing a demonstration. After the burial of Anna, Alyosha is going through his mother effects and finds a semi-recent letter from Mutz who resides in Prague. At loose ends and with no family connections-Alyosha is granted travel papers due to his student status-and travels to locate Mutz in Prague. Alyosha finds Mutz and they sit down in a tavern for some brew and a meal-Mutz is awkward around Alyosha-and Alyosha boldly asks-is Balashov his father? and there in a flashback begins the tale in Meek's book.

2. Samarin witnesses the battle between Matula and Balashov-and manages to escape the Reds-he heads to St. Petersburg where he rejoins his terrorist cell. Samarin and his cell join the ranks of Stalin's faction of the communist party-after Stalin is declared premier-Samarin advances to the rank of Captain in the Russian secret police. One of Samarin's men relate to him a tale of a young political prisoner-who is asking if anyone is from the small villege in Siberia called Yazyk-Samarin demands that the prisoner be brought to his office. Samarin and Alyosha immediately recognize each other. Samarin and Alyosha begin to relate the events of their lives-the conservation begins to center on Anna and Samarin begins to tell the story of how he came to Yazyk-and how he met Anna-Meek's tale begins. Anne r

Karen


Anne r your thoughts are just wonderful....you should be a film maker! I loved both of your ideas about telling the story in the film version.

Gee...the bar has been raised!

Herestoyou


Anne, I agree with Karen------maybe we should hook you up with Johnny so you can help write the screenplay! I don't think I can top what you wrote. I was toying with a flashback scenario too, but I don't think I could top yours. Just for the sake of being different:

1. The movie opens with Samarin running through the woods, bursting into Balashov's shack, and Balashov saying something profound like-"I wondered when you would come....." Then we would go to the flashback to the beginning of the book.

2. Open with the part where Samarin buries the hand and watches the horse fall from the train......

3. Samarin by himself facing the camera saying "You will not like me...."

(No, wait, that's already been done in another film)

Sorry, I just don't think I can top Anne on this one..........

Nurseanne8


Herestoyou-I like yours also-it is easy to think of ideas but actually the thought of writing a screenplay for this book gives me the a migraine!! Anne r

Karen

I really love y'all's think back starts and I do like your #2..burying the hand...

But I do have a soft spot in my heart for the "you will not like me" opener....sorta just grabs ya!

What is it about think-backs that captures our attention?

Nurseanne8


It grabs our attention because it illustrates how you got to the point you are at now-everything in life has some sort of impact-and when there is a story to tell-from the past we tend listen-maybe from the bedtime story part of our life? New ideas a.little weird borrowed from one of my favorite weird books "The Book Thief "-maybe severed hand's "soul" could narrate the story and b. the albino could narrate the story-since he witnessed it all-and the magic mushrooms help give him visions-c. Matula does not die immediately-turned over to the Red army as promised by Mutz-and recants the tale on the way to St. Petersburg to stand trial for the slaughter of the unarmed soldiers.d. Samarin is captured by the Red army-when he testifies he tells the story of events-and alters them so that the Legion caused all the problems with the bombs and trains and is found not guilty-and joins the Reds as a mole for his terrorist cell.

Deppraved


This is not an answer but just wanted to say sorry I dropped out of the discussion. My daughter has been sick. She should get well soon now, she had surgery today.

That, and frankly I didn't think the discussion would be such a challenge and go on so long!

When I have more time near the end of the month, I'm going to at least read through all the questions and posts.

Nurseanne8


Deppraved:I hope your daughter continues to recover quickly-and I enjoyed reading your previous posts-and with the archived discussions the material is always a click away. I will keep you and your daughter in my prayers. Take care. Anne r

Karen


I'm so very sorry to hear about your daughter! I will keep you all in my prayers!

NurseAnne's right, just jump in and add to any discussion you'd like to! We are still here.

Herestoyou


Deppraved my thoughts and prayers are with you and your daughter. Whenever things settle down, pls. add your thoughts as I've enjoyed reading your ideas.

As for flashbacks, I guess it's just intriguing seeing a middle point or end point and then viewing what's lead up to that point. Again, if you've ever seen the movie Memento, that's what I loved about that film.

Nurseanne8


I have never seen Memento-do not know why just have not guess I will rent it ASAP! and flashbacks are not exactly creative genius-and I guess PAOL could start from Samarin's entrance into the forest but I think some use of flashback is necessary to show the impact of the era-the more I think about it the conditions in Russia at that time-was why Meek was able to weave his topics of cannabalism, castrates, and stranded legion into a novel-what do you think?

Herestoyou


A little off topic here, but I should warn you, with Memento you have to follow along closely from the beginning. My hubby quit watching just after a little bit because he didn't "get it". (Of course when you're reading a newspaper while this type of movie is on, like he was, you definitely would get lost! LOL)