Movie Review: Jack the Giant Slayer

The latest in Hollywood's trend of "re-vamping" classic fairy tales, Jack the Giant Slayer was probably the most ambiguous in terms of both reception and plot line. According to IMDB, the 200 million dollar film made just in the vicinity of 30 million dollars in its opening weekend, a low gross by any standard. From my perspective, the storyline also fell somewhat flat. The typical fairy tale ingredients were all there: the reluctant hero, the captured princess, the scheming adviser, all that good stuff, but they weren't always utilized very effectively. Overall, I'd say about about 40-50% of the movie followed the typical fairy tale (for lack of a better term) cliche.

On the other hand, there were several elements of the film that were not only original (as far as they have never been used in any version of the story I know of), but they added a degree of sophistication and subtlety to the plot line that was completely unexpected. During the introductory portion of the film, for example, the legend of the giants and their conflict with the human realm was recounted (simultaneously via alternating shots and dialogue) to farm boy Jack and Princess Isabelle in remarkably poetic verse. Accompanied by 3-D graphics and a well-crafted back story,  this eloquent prose gave the opening sequence a degree of class and intrigue not usually seen in fairy-tale stories, especially ones intended for younger audiences.

Moving onto the beanstalk itself (in some ways the real star of the show), the initial climb by Jack and the King's men to rescue the princess, and the travails they encountered while doing so, could easily be compared to climbing Mt. Everest: the physical exhaustion, violent weather and constant danger of falling to your death (the last of which happened to several unfortunates) were all laid out with a gritty realism that made the journey seem all the more epic.

 

With regard to the human characters, both Jack and Princess Isabelle displayed some unique traits. Aside from both of them being very clever and resourceful (sometimes in completely unexpected and bizarre ways), Jack was portrayed more realistically than I had ever seen before. Although enthralled with fantasy and adventure stories, he was certainly not ignorant of the world around him. For example, when Princess Isabelle ran away from home and happened to show up on Jack's doorstep on a stormy night, he was in no way fooled by her disguise and had a bit of fun at her expense before revealing that fact. Princess Isabelle, as well, displayed traits atypical of the usual fairy-tale princess. Aside from an independent and "call-no-man-master" personality (not exactly new in this day and age but still refreshing to see, nonetheless), she was no pushover when it came to combat, either. Although not directly involved in the melee, she donned armor, was entrusted with a critical task at the height of the battle and, with Jack's help, managed to take down a giant without even drawing a weapon.

All of this aside, the most intriguing aspect of the film for me was something I could never have imagined. One of the centerpieces of the film was an ancient crown that could give whoever wore it complete control over the giants. After Jack used it to defeat them in battle (and eventually became king himself), the crown was altered over successive generations. There was a whole sequence towards the end of the film where the crown was shown being polished, re-sized and expanded upon with jewels, fine cloth, precious metals and other additions over a period of hundreds of years, eventually becoming the centerpiece if the modern British Crown Jewels (fitting, since this story originated in the British Isles). This was accompanied by a multitude of voices, each one reciting a different segment of the "Jack and the Beanstalk/Jack the Giant Killer" story, some of which would be  immediately recognizable to any child today. This sequence reminded me of an important fact about myths and folk-tales. Historically speaking, most prominent and enduring stories (including Greek myths, tales of King Arthur and even Robin Hood) rarely spring from a single source. Regardless their origins, they tend grow and evolve over hundreds and sometimes thousands of years, acquiring new characters and plot lines depending on the time and place in which they are told, as well as who is telling the story. The sequence with the crown at the end of Jack the Giant Slayer was an absolutely perfect metaphor to demonstrate this concept; I doubt even Joseph Campbell could have done it better.

Although several elements of this film did adhere (sometimes irritatingly so) to the typical cliches of fairy-tale stories, the multiple attempts to bring in fresh takes and understandings to a beloved story definitely paid off in the end, and made desirous to the see the film again (unfortunately, that never happened, so I wait with patience for the DVD- available two days after my birthday!)

Book Review: The Silver Lotus

"Like father, like son". This is one phrase that we hear all the time, and was probably one of the first we heard as children. In the case of Thomas Steinbeck, eldest son of legendary American author John Steinbeck, however, this saying has never been more true. I was a fan of the father's work in high school (The Red Pony, The Pearl, Of Mice and Men), and now have discovered the literary magic of the son through his magnificent novel The Silver Lotus.

Spanning roughly from the 1890's until the 1910's (though this is difficult to determine, since actual dates are mentioned maybe three times in the entire book), The Silver Lotus takes its title from the name of its main character: Lady Yee is the youngest daughter of a wealthy merchant in the Chinese port city of Canton. Unsurpassed in beauty and unbelievably intelligent, Lady Yee is the jewel of her father's existence.

On the surface, captain Jeremiah Macy Hammond is the last person one would expect to be integrated into such a prominent Chinese family (an American merchant captain descended from a Nantucket whaling family). Nonetheless, his fine morals, deep sense of dignity and shrewd yet honest business ways earn him the singular honor of Lady Yee's hand in marriage.

Together, Captain Hammond and Lady Yee have many adventures sailing and trading across the Pacific, and when they finally settle down in Monterey, California, Lady Yee's almost superhuman instincts of perception combine with her husband's vast business network to profoundly change the sociopolitical culture and situation of ethnic minorities of the California coast.

The most remarkable feature about Steinbeck Jr.'s work is that the book contains very little dialog. In 342 pages the amount of actual spoken words adds up to perhaps five pages at most- hence the entire story is told in retrospect, making the reader feel like they are reading a historical account. Its been a while since I read anything by Steinbeck Sr., so I don't recall if this was his style as well. Nonetheless, it was still a very interesting literary technique.

Although some are extensively featured and others are only a passing reference, the sheer number of cultures, nationalities and religions (not to mention their foods, clothes and vast amounts of trade goods) paints an almost global picture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries while still focusing on the simple and loving relationship between an American merchant captain and his beautiful Chinese wife.

Thomas Steinbeck has written other books besides this one, and they apparently have been well received. Whether I will eventually read them or not is uncertain, but one thing is certain; in his firm grasp of characters and storytelling, Steinbeck Jr. is every bit as good as his father, and perhaps in some instances has even surpassed him.