Few authors are as widely celebrated asKurt Vonnegut.
This acts as more than just a narrative approach; it is actually how Pilgrim experiences his own life.
To put it simply,Slaughterhouse-Fiveis one of a kind.
Image by Federico Napoli
What came of it was 1972’sSlaughterhouse-Five, a brisk 104-minute retelling of Vonnegut’s sprawling tale.
Most of the time, fans groan over these adaptations.
It’s not hard to see why, either.
Image via Library of Congress
Written language gives readers the room and enough tools to create their own version of the book’s world.
Still, most books can still be justifiably adapted without ruffling too many feathers.
Bringing grounded works to life hardly ever feels risky.
It’s when you dip into genre territory thatthings begin to feel unadaptable.
If any book belonged in this territory, thenSlaughterhouse-Fivewould absolutely land in this camp.
The biggest challenge that Roy-Hill and co. had to face was bringing Vonnegut’s voice to life.
His writing style istheessential component to what makes that book so great.
The works ofHal AshbyandRobert Altmanare more than proof of that.
Even at its most dour, this thing continues to move at a brisk pace.
No one should ever doubt Roy-Hill’s ability to bring weight to his movies.
The real test was in whether he could make his film as bizarre and funny as the source material.
IsSlaughterhouse-Fivea comedic masterpiecelike the book that came before it?
Well, not necessarily, but it doesn’t have to be.
Vonnegut’s narrative touch is the main ingredient in what makes his novel so funny.
That throw in of comedy is legitimately impossible to lift off of the page.
Roy-Hill’s film is only as funny as it needs to be, though.
How he didn’t have more of a career after this, I’ll never know.
The fact that he wasn’t a celebrity probably helps a good bit in bringing Pilgrim to life.
He doesn’t bring any of the baggage of expectations in the same way that someone likeDustin Hoffmanmight have.
Would Hoffman have been great?
We don’t have that problem with Sacks.
The author himself was even a fan of the movie.
There will never be a better time to havebrought this book to the big screen.
Let’s hope that movie buffs come around to this underrated classic sooner rather than later.
Hey, if we’re all unstuck in time, then maybe everyone already has.
“So it goes.”