Modern Son

     I’d like to start of this blog post by saying happy thanksgiving everyone. I hope everyone’s spending quality time with those you love. Now onto another American staple, Richard Wright. This past Monday, Mr. Mitchell screened HBO’s modern adaptation of Native Son. As I watched I felt that there were too many changes from the original plot and character in order to fit modern times. First, with Bigger, or Big, as he’s called in the movie adaptation. He takes on a whole new persona. What I found most interesting about him as a character (in the book) was fear of seeming afraid. A pivotal moment for him was the fight in the pool room. In the movie, Big had a counter-culture which made many of his actions questionable. At times I felt that his choices didn’t fit how he was portrayed. I was sad to see the fight scene omitted and adapted into a sad substitute, but that might be picky.
     Without giving too much away, I did want to mention that I enjoyed the ending. I spent much of the movie wondering at what point to story would go back on track, but I eventually appreciated it for it’s own creativity. Mr. Mitchell spoke about a potential version where Mary doesn’t die and I think that would’ve made for a very interesting story. SPOILER(ish) COMING: The end of Big I f ound to be very contemporary, and it’s not what I expected. Yet it was the best ending that the movie could’ve had, especially with so many deaths like Big’s in the news. Perhaps some kind of social media controversy in response to Big’s death could’ve been added too, but alas another missed opportunity.

     Overall, I did enjoy the idea of a modern Bigger, but there was so much lost in the process.

Comments

  1. Lucas WoodDecember 11, 2019 at 12:50 PM

    I think that a modern rendition of any old story is always bound to have its faults. However I enjoyed the take HBO had on Richard Wright's historically significant novel. I was reminded of a few renditions of Shakespeare plays I have seen. In which an old, but still relevant story is placed in a more modern setting.

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