Film Four -- Evelyn Waugh

[jack]

The last that sticks in my mind is Bright Young Things, adapted by Stephen Fry, from Evelyn Waugh's Vile Bodies, I think.

I've only read a couple of Waugh. Scoop is absolutely brilliant, and should be read by everyone. William Boot is accidently sent as a foriegn correspondant to a civil war in a small fictious african country, where he is unfailing polite and incompetant, yet ends up an accidental success.

If you've heard me use the phrase "Up to a point, Lord Copper" it's from here -- an editor addressing his irascible boss, says "Certainly, Lord Copper" for "yes" and "Up to a point, Lord Copper" for "no".

Yet, Scoop touched me in a way the other two didn't. Perhaps because William is obviously in a temporary hiatus, and everything seems nonserious, and we can laugh, whereas the other protagonists have their lives actually wrenched about permanently, and it just felt entirely too maudlin.

So, BYT was pleasant, but I only actually laughed right at the end, when all the jigsaw pieces fell into place, on his bemeddaled return from WWII. But it was worth it.

Also, surreal but good to see David Tennant as pleasant a moustached cad. I am firmly of the convinction that whenever I see him in something, it is actually Doctor Who, averting a dalek plot by a cunning ruse involving acting in a film.

Comments

[the-alchemist.livejournal.com]

I disliked the silly tacked-on happy ending, but thing might only be because I'm such a fan of Vile Bodies and the original, much darker ending.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Oh! I didn't realise; it seemed plausible to me. (I haven't read the book.)

Actually, it felt good; finally finding a wife and son seemed to put everything else, from the constant careering bachelor bankruptcy to the war, into perspective; I think I'm getting middle aged and broody...

Will you spoil it for me?

I was called Chastity once...

[the-alchemist.livejournal.com]

Well, you really ought to read the original, since it's brilliant. But if you don't want to...

First up, it remains very light-hearted right up until the last chapter, which is called "Happy Ending" and begins:

"On a splinterd tree stupm in the biggest battlefield in the history of the world, Adam sat down and read a letter from Nina..."

Nina's letter is fairly fluffy. She's having Ginger's baby. Adam sits down and smokes.

"The scene all round him was one of unrelieved desolation; a great expanse of mud in which every visible object was burnt or broken... He had had no sleep for thirty-six hours."

He meets the drunken Major (now a sober General) in much the same way as in BYT.

"'Funny meeting you. I owe you some money.
'Thirty-five thousand pounds'
'Thirty-five thousand and five. Looked for you everywhere before this scrap started. I can give you the money now if you like.'
'The pound's not worth much nowadays, is it?'
'About nothing. Still, I may as well give you a cheque. It'll buy you a couple of drinks and a newspaper.'"

They find the champagne as in BYT. They go into the car.

"In the corner, crumpled up in a French military greatcoat was a young woman fast asleep.
'Hullo, I'd forgotten all about you,' said the General."

She is terrified. They give her champagne.

"'Now perhaps our fair visitor will tell us her name,' said the General.
'I dunno,' she said.
'O, come, little one, you mustn't be shy.'
'I dunno. I been called a lot of things. I was called Chastity once. Then there was a lady at a party, and she sent me to Buenos Aires, and then when the war came she brought be back again, and I was with the soldiers training at Salisbury Plain. They called me Bunny - I don't know why. Then they sent me over here and I was with the Canadians, what they called me wasn't nice... [etc. etc. this is a very long speech] ...and the French sent me up here in a train with some different girls who were very unrefined. Then I was in a tin hut with the girls, and then yesterday they had friends and I was alone, so I went for a walk, and when I came back the hut was gone and the girls were gone, and there didn't seem anyone anywhere until you came in your car, and now I don't rightly know where I am. My isn't war awful'
The General opened another bottle of champagne."

Adam falls asleep while the General seduces the former Chastity.

"And presently, like a circling typhoon, the sounds of battle began to return. THE END"

****

It's one of my favourite endings of all time. It was completely unexpected the first time I read it.

Re: I was called Chastity once...

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I may wekk get round to reading it at some point, but have the impression I mightn't really appreciate it, so don't know that I will soon.

[fanf]

Sounds like Scoop has a similar setup to the Flashman books, except that Flashman is an outright coward and liar, and utterly selfish - yet he ends up being an accidental success.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I still want to get round to reading those. And you should definitely read scoop :) I guess that would be a good description, I have some sympathy for the accidental hero (though William would do the right thing, just knew almost nothing about it).