If Giants eat humans is that really cannibalism?
The BFG starring Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill and directed by
Steven Spielberg. The movie tells the story of a girl who is abducted by a giant
when she notices him outside her window during the night. The giant takes the
girl to giant country where he tells her she must live for the rest of her
life. Soon after the kidnapping they bond and form a lasting friendship, but
she learns he is bullied and harassed by the other much bigger giants.
The BFG is based off a classic book by author Rolad Dahl.
I’ve never read this book, but my son who I went to the movie with has and is a
big fan. What stood out to me is something found in every Dahl book, a sense
that the world isn’t really a nice place. Dahl doesn’t shy away from the dark
nature of the world and puts many of his child protagonists in bad situations
they must overcome. I think Spielberg may have dialed back the darkness for the
movie, but I could be wrong. It is still there underneath the surface of the
film and hits fairly hard in a few instances. During these few times Spielberg
is able to convey the emotional impact in a meaningful way, which really isn’t
surprising given who he is.
The best part of the film is the bond between Sophie and the
big friendly giant. There interactions make the movie and Ruby Barnhill who
plays Sophie does a great job. Mark Rylance is fantastic as the BFG and the
performance capture in this movie is second to none. I personally thought the
Orcs in the Warcraft movie looked fantastic, but The BFG topped it. I can’t get
over how great all of the giants look and how they merge perfectly into the
sets. Motion capture keeps getting better and better and I can’t imagine what
they will be able to accomplish in the next few years. The movie made you
believe in the heartfelt relationship Sophie had to the Giant. The CG
completely sucked me in and I was able to get lost in the fantastical world
Spielberg created from Dahl’s book.
Spielberg’s mark is felt all the way through the film. It’s
not surprising, but just watching I picked up on how masterfully he directed
this film. The subtle changes in perspectives throughout the entire movie are
smooth. You never feel lost when the scene changes viewpoint. The audience’s
frame of reference is constantly changing from one character to another, and
even with the vast size differences the transitions are seamless. At times we
focus on Sophie and how much bigger everything in the BFG’s world is compared
to her. Then the frame of reference will change to the BFG and everything will
look normal for him. Then the other giants will come in and the point of
reference will focus on them and how much bigger they are compared to BFG. This
is all done with seemingly little effort. All of this helps frame and tell the
visual story. I’m not sure another director could have pulled these shots off
within the film.
I did have a few issues with the film. It took me a while to
warm up to Sophie as a character. There wasn’t enough backstory given to her
and her life at the Orphanage. Maybe it is in the book, but I needed to see a
day in the life or part of a day at the Orphanage. She tells the BFG it is
horrible place to live, but actually seeing part of what she had to go through
would have reinforced her wanting to stay with The BFG. The fact she went from not trusting him to
being his best friend so quickly was a little hard to believe within story.
Their friendship developed so well and so believably it is easy to overlook,
but seeing her mistreated in the Orphanage would have made the overall story
more believable. The only other complaint I had was the ending wrapped up too
well too quickly. It was an easy resolution from a big buildup. I would have
liked to have seen more of a struggle for the BFG and Sophie to accomplish
their goal. These problems bookend an otherwise very heartfelt and touching
movie.
I enjoyed watching The BFG and so did my twelve year old son.
He read the book in second grade and has fond memories of reading it in class.
I’m glad the movie did a good job in representing the story, at least for him. People
who are and aren’t fans of the book can enjoy this movie. If you want to see a good all-around touching
film then The BFG is it. The movie is Worth Seeing. It really is worth seeing
just for the motion capture CG and Spielberg’s directing, but having a good
story helps as well. If you don’t make it out to the theater to watch at the
very least give it chance on rental.
What did you think of The
BFG if you saw it? Did you think it did a good job of representing the book? If
you haven’t seen it will you give it a chance? Comment and let me know.
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