I am a movie fanatic and I say this: Do yourself a favour - read the book. Its lyrical. Transports you. The movie is a romantic thriller. A different atmosphere to the book. Really, read the book.
Only by watching the trailer I can tell the movie doesn't do justice to the book. John Grady is not supposed to be smiling or even be happy, which the movie seems to show. The book is dark and profound and the movie turns it into some kind of romance that is really at odds with the impending doom permeating the novel.
Billy Bob Thorton doesn't even talk about this film he directed because it was suppose to be an hour longer. The original includes a lot more detail, but the studio cut it out. Stupid.
I'll second that. Blood Meridian is perhaps one of the best works of contemporary American literature. Like Moby Dick, The Sound and the Fury and The Bible all rolled up into one epic masterpiece.
I love the comments people have written about this trailer. I don't intend to watch this, though I just finished the book. It's unjust to take the story from an excellent novel and not even mention that the story is based from Cormac McCarthy; they give no due credit. Also, what I dislike about movie productions is that they skip the hardest parts of the creation of an original idea that's been crafted into a story and make sometimes millions off of something that they've distastefully skewed and poorly portrayed.
I've read the book 3 times, and I've seen the movie about 30 times. I think the movie follows the novel really well actually. I didn't think the movie had that much of a romantic atmosphere - I thought it captured McCarthy's vision beautifully. It's one of my all-time favorites.
I liked the movie and love the soundtrack. The crappy music on this trailer is far from the more spanish soundtrack. I do agree with others that the trailer basically gives away the entire plot, so I'm glad I didn't see it prior to watching the movie. It would have ruined it. Why are people so surprised that the book is better than the movie? Isn't that how it always is? Either way, I thought it was still entertaining and I look forward to reading the book.
Watched it again, liked it a bit better than previous comments suggest, and actually, think it could have been a very good movie with a more inspired ending. BTW, poor Henry Thomas got no respect in this film. All of a sudden he became like a bit player.
I enjoyed the movie, and I think that Billy Bob Thornton does a good job, but one thing that's always stuck with me is that, in the book, I think that John Cole was 16, and Matt Damon was at least thirty when he made this. Lucas Black was commendable, though.
@MrTfoot ¿alguien sabe el nombre de la canción y el cantante en la escena dance-hall? Me gusta la música latina, bailo para mucho. George in Escotia. Does anyone know the name of the song and the singer in the Dance-hall scene? I like latino music, I dance to it a lot. George In Scotland.
The film is good, but it doesn't capture the sense of impending loss and despair that the novel does. I think some of the themes of the novel just don't come through in the film. Good job directing, though.
It took me all week to read the book. I could have watched this trailer and seen the whole story in 2 minutes 30 seconds. Well, a crappy interpretation of the story at least.
Once again, words of condemnation for this crap have to be muted becuase it's really not fair to judge something that had what, by report, 30+ minutes cut from it. Why bother making a film if that has to happen over and over again. Tell the filmmaker what the time parameters are and stay within them. Jeez.
cruz helped create a bizarre screen phenomenon - making damon leading man material - which is befittingly an off-the-boat girl audience phenomenon. unassimilated people that think all anglos are the same. damon has the classic irish thug look you find on corners of boston, hells kitchen and washington heights, a little inbred and unpredictable which is why his true calling and best screen work is when he plays creeps.
what a piece of crap. It was hard to make this disaster based on such a masterpiece but good Bob Billy made it. Plus, the girl had blue eyes.... skrew you Penelope Cruz!
this is a parody right? i mean, a movie of all the pretty horses....directed by billy bob thornton, with matt damon & a techno-indie soundtrack? really??
