Rating of
3/4
King's 1980 classic novella reminicent of the past
bwathke - wrote on 05/15/08
Time and again, we find ourselves in midst of that age old argument that occurs when a classic novel makes that bold leap onto the big screen. The argument is of course over whether the book version of the story was better, or the movie version. In the case of a Stephen King novel, we have seen this transition all too often and in some cases, we have found ourselves debating this inevitable comparison without end. There is no arguing King’s ambition to thrill readers when observing his enormous body of dark hexagonal work, which when given the right touch, can be effectively insinuated from scary novel to theatrical terror fest. The 1989 horror classic “Pet Cemetery” for instance, caused readers and movie goers alike to sleep with the light on for weeks afterwards. And who could forget the 1980 theatrical adaptation of King’s novel “The Shining”, in which director Stanley Kubrick masterfully visualized King’s tale of the twisted, psychological dementia associated with cabin fever.
In “The Mist”, director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) makes a valiant effort to recreate the distinct psychological grip of past King adaptations. The movie directly reflects the novella, taking place in the small coastal town of Bridgton, Maine. The morning after a violent storm wreaks havoc on the town, area resident David Drayton (Thomas Jane), 10 year old son Billy (Nathon Gamble), and next door neighbor Brent Norton (Andre Braugher) head to town together for some groceries and hardware necessities. Shortly after arriving at the local supermarket, a strange, nearly opaque mist rolls in, confusing and trapping the trio along with a large group of residents inside. The individuals holed-up inside the supermarket shortly discover that hidden within the mist are various mutated, flesh eating, giant insect like creatures from whose origins are not entirely explained. It is later speculated during the film that these creatures are the result of an opening in an inter-dimensional porthole presumably caused by the failed experiments of a local military base, although it is never officially confirmed. As days pass, the residents trapped in the grocery store can only watch and speculate as the world around them is transformed into a foggy, cob-webbed hell on earth. The claustrophobia among those trapped inside begins to create a violent, “lord of the flies” type of hierarchy, lead on by the incessant rambling of area religious fanatic Ms. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden), which escalates into an unforgettable, nerve wrecking climax that is uniquely traditional of Stephen King’s style.
This maddening premise, chock full of confusion, uncertainty, and palm sweating anxiety could have the potential to rank among the classic Stephen King adaptations of the past. There is plenty of terrifying action, along with genuine “gross out” images, and the overall tension and suspense level remains at a full blown “10” for nearly the entire movie. Darabont’s adaptation loosely echoes the genius of King’s 1980 novella, perhaps not as directly as some of the earlier transitions, but closer than most King fans may have guessed. At times, Darabont does falter as he attempts to create a straight from the book, word for word dialog with the actors, which at times disrupts their flow and gives them an over zealous enthusiasm for even the most mundane details of their disposition. But, who can blame him? The uniqueness of King’s storytelling is one that can never be fully transitioned to the big screen, it can only be, and has only been vastly attempted. The drama Darabont creates is for the most part filled with relatable human behavior, along with very graphic special effects, and even at times humorous unlikely heroes (the grocery clerk or bag boy for example). In the end, “The Mist” leaves viewers disturbed, frustrated, uncomfortable, uneasy, but above all……….very, very, scared.
-Brandon Wathke
brandonwathke@comcast.net
