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Yes, I know I'm almost 2 years late on this. What else is new?
I was vaguely aware of The Dark Is Rising film when it came out, but I heard nothing good about it so avoided it. But recently I finally got hold of the Christopher Eccleston Dr Who episodes, and on finding a reference to his role as the Rider in The Dark is Rising, and finding a copy of the DVD in my local library, decided to take the plunge.
I don't really want to get into the faults of the adaptation (I've seen plenty of comment around the net, the most amusing of which is this). I found the film reasonably entertaining, and enjoyed the visuals - though if ever a film should have been shot in England by an English director, this was it. At least the Harry Potter books pastiche English stereotypes, so the Hollywood lenses aren't so problematic. The Dark Is Rising film had none of the book's soul, deeply rooted in the rich soil of English myth and landscape. But I was glad of that - it leaves my book-borne images of the story intact, and can regard the film as something separate; some of the names and some of the plot is the same, but the story is not.
What I was left pondering - which, given my Lucius Malfoy obsession will come as no surprise - was the role of the Rider and how Christopher Eccleston played the character. I couldn't help thinking how much more menacing Jason Isaacs would have been in the role. Not because of the way CE looked (I thought his costume was awesome, and on playing back without sound to get a few screencaps, his expressions did the job) but because of the way he sounds.
One review I saw said that the Rider was as menacing as a case of pink-eye. To me he sounds a bit flat, and I'm not sure whether that's his delivery or his accent. Traditionally, villains tend to be played with upper class accents to underline their power and reduce sympathy from the viewer (Lucius being a prime example) - I'd be curious to know how this comes across to those not from the UK. Can a villain have a northern accent?
Guy of Gisborne pulls it off pretty well in the BBC's Robin Hood - though the comparison to the rather camp Sheriff works in his favour. His backstory helps too, I expect - it must be easier to play dark with passion when you're a tortured soul. Whereas the Rider is the embodiment of Darkness (according to the film - it's been so long since I've read the books that I don't remember whether he has more of a story), which is a lot harder to play convincingly. I was left wondering whether the lack of intensity in the delivery was a good thing for the character, symbolising a certain detachment while making his 'Clark Kent' persona potentially creepier because he seems so unthreatening. But for that to work, we need to believe in the menace, and I was left feeling that CE actually felt darker as Doctor Who (possibly because it's more of a shock when someone we expect to be good is harsh).
ETA: An example of The Rider's other persona, in one of my favourite scenes from the film, here.
On a lighter note, while searching for the Lucius clip I came across this rather amusing video. :)
I was vaguely aware of The Dark Is Rising film when it came out, but I heard nothing good about it so avoided it. But recently I finally got hold of the Christopher Eccleston Dr Who episodes, and on finding a reference to his role as the Rider in The Dark is Rising, and finding a copy of the DVD in my local library, decided to take the plunge.
I don't really want to get into the faults of the adaptation (I've seen plenty of comment around the net, the most amusing of which is this). I found the film reasonably entertaining, and enjoyed the visuals - though if ever a film should have been shot in England by an English director, this was it. At least the Harry Potter books pastiche English stereotypes, so the Hollywood lenses aren't so problematic. The Dark Is Rising film had none of the book's soul, deeply rooted in the rich soil of English myth and landscape. But I was glad of that - it leaves my book-borne images of the story intact, and can regard the film as something separate; some of the names and some of the plot is the same, but the story is not.
What I was left pondering - which, given my Lucius Malfoy obsession will come as no surprise - was the role of the Rider and how Christopher Eccleston played the character. I couldn't help thinking how much more menacing Jason Isaacs would have been in the role. Not because of the way CE looked (I thought his costume was awesome, and on playing back without sound to get a few screencaps, his expressions did the job) but because of the way he sounds.
One review I saw said that the Rider was as menacing as a case of pink-eye. To me he sounds a bit flat, and I'm not sure whether that's his delivery or his accent. Traditionally, villains tend to be played with upper class accents to underline their power and reduce sympathy from the viewer (Lucius being a prime example) - I'd be curious to know how this comes across to those not from the UK. Can a villain have a northern accent?
Guy of Gisborne pulls it off pretty well in the BBC's Robin Hood - though the comparison to the rather camp Sheriff works in his favour. His backstory helps too, I expect - it must be easier to play dark with passion when you're a tortured soul. Whereas the Rider is the embodiment of Darkness (according to the film - it's been so long since I've read the books that I don't remember whether he has more of a story), which is a lot harder to play convincingly. I was left wondering whether the lack of intensity in the delivery was a good thing for the character, symbolising a certain detachment while making his 'Clark Kent' persona potentially creepier because he seems so unthreatening. But for that to work, we need to believe in the menace, and I was left feeling that CE actually felt darker as Doctor Who (possibly because it's more of a shock when someone we expect to be good is harsh).
ETA: An example of The Rider's other persona, in one of my favourite scenes from the film, here.
On a lighter note, while searching for the Lucius clip I came across this rather amusing video. :)
