Danuta, a middle-aged Polish teacher of literature
Answers
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Personally I am not a fan of Fantasy or SF books. I read Tolkien’s books about 30 years ago when I was still a student and I liked them very much. I reached for the next fantasy book two years ago to read Harry Potter and to learn what the whole thing is about.
When it comes to SF books I am not very fond of the world of robots or space travel and aliens. I prefer books which, yes, are set in the distant future but which deal with universal problems like “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury or “A Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood.
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I find film adaptations quite interesting, mainly due to their visual assets and amazing high-tech special effects used in the filming. I think they contribute immensely to the development of cinematic technique and must be very interesting for their creators. Many years ago our breath was taken away by “The Space Odyssey, 2001”. Also “Jurassic Park” was advertised as the first film in which computer animation was used to make dinosaurs move. “The Matrix” was a fashion setter. When you are browsing through glossy magazines today, many photographs and clothes are inspired by this film.
On numerous occasions these films have a splendid cast. Among the stars appearing in them we can mention Kenneth Brannagh, Richard Harris and Maggie Smith (Harry Potter), Sean Connery (The Highlander), Val Kilmer (Willow) or Ewan McGregor (Star Wars), not to mention the stars of “Matrix” and “Lord of the Rings”.
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It makes me think about the condition of today’s young generation. I perceive the young people’s fervent interest in fantasy/SF as a form of escapism from real life. I am particularly worried about people who read nothing but fantasy. As long as one keeps a certain proportion in one’s reading, everything is all right. But reading, or more often, just watching exclusively this one type of films is a signal that a young person is disillusioned with the world surrounding them or perhaps emotionally is at the level where only fairy-tales appeal to them, though they would treat with contempt a suggestion to read any classic fairy-tales.
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I am afraid that convincing “non-believers” about the attractiveness of fantasy films is as difficult as convincing their fans about these films’ shortcomings or limitations. Fantasy/SF films get such huge publicity today that anyone interested in verifying their judgement can choose for themselves. Personally, I find film adaptations more enjoyable on the eye and less time-consuming than books (especially important to a non-believer!). “Lord of the Rings” is not a bad choice to start with.
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