Never Let Me Go
Kathy grew up attending Hailsham, an elite English boarding school, with her friends Ruth and Tommy. They thought they had the world at their fingertips. But as they grow, they realize they really have nothing at all. And despite feelings of love and a desperate desire for meaning, humanity’s disregard for their existence and that of others who attended schools like Hailsham can never change.
Movie Discussion
Director: Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo, Taylor Swift: Shake It Off)
Screenwriter(s): Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later)
Debut: 2010
I’m actually going to discuss the movie first today because this was one of those times that I saw the movie before reading the book. Normally, that’s a terrible decision though I’ll make the argument that I wasn’t aware there was a book when I first saw it.
I didn’t even see the thing in theaters. Several friends wanted to get together and watch a movie and one friend in particular really wanted to watch “Never Let Me Go.” I can’t remember if she’d already seen it or if she just really loved Keira Knightley*, Carey Mulligan*, and Andrew Garfield* who all star in the titular roles.
*Which would be understandable as they’re all wonderful.
Regardless, I went to watch this movie with very low expectations because I always get nervous when people pick movies for me to watch that I don’t know anything about. Especially if I feel like I’m supposed to like it. I’m really bad at pretending that I like movies if I, in fact, do not. Luckily for me, I was mesmerized. Firstly, the casting was just fantastic. Carey Mulligan is a revelation in whatever she’s in and Andrew Garfield has the perfect amount of innocent appeal to play Tommy. I rarely find Keira Knightley’s work frustrating. Really, the chemistry between these three actors is phenomenal.
Basically, the story deals with these three individuals finding out they’re a sort of clone. They’re not actually tried and true copies of actual people, they’re just created to eventually start giving up their organs and body parts in order to help actual humans survive. As they grow up, they’re monitored and put through school. No one tries to stop them from being in relationships or falling in love. Actually, there a select few individuals who worry these beings have souls. They have the students at Hailsham create artwork in the hopes of proving this. And however human you determine these “clones” to be, you can see in the story that they grow to love each other and start to bridle at the fact that they’re born simply to die. No matter how noble humans try to make the act of “donating.”
This movie just seemed like a love letter to the book. I think it captures things beautifully. The pacing is just right and the cinematography really pushes that dark, dreary feeling of fighting against something you can’t change.
Book Discussion
Author: Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day, The Buried Giant)
Published: 2005
I knew I had to read the book once I’d watched the movie. And now I can confidently say that if I was asked to list three of my favorite books, this would be one of them. The theme with which Ishiguro envelops this novel is that of inevitability. Fighting against something you can’t change. Having hope for a way out. Something that never materializes.
I have often been accused of being a much bigger fan of sad endings than happy ones and I can’t really deny it. When a student came into the library the other day and asked me for books that ended in happiness for the characters, I, uh, had sort of a hard time putting together a list. Harder than I thought it would be anyways.
It’s not that I dislike when some things turn out alright for characters. I don’t hate happiness.* I do, however, dislike when everything gets tied up neatly for a character by the end of your movie-viewing experience. Some people don’t want movies to be realistic and I guess that’s fine if that’s how you’d like to consume your entertainment but I’d much rather watch something with characters to whom I can relate. I don’t know about you, but things don’t always end up hunky-dory for me. I like characters who struggle and have to change and/or grow. That’s a more meaningful journey to me because it feels more like my own journey.
*I’m cynical but not THAT cynical.
This book nails that feeling of inevitability. Really, that’s the theme.
Inevitability.
The translation of that theme from book to movie is practically perfect. I felt the same reactions from both the book and movie. They felt irrevocably related. Extensions of the same thing. That’s why I give this adaptation an “A” and that’s why I’ll never stop getting destroyed every time I read this book and watch this movie.
Thus endeth the reviews of my personal adaptation grading scale. Next week I’ll be reviewing…
Well, I’m actually not sure what I’ll be reviewing yet. It will be a fun surprise. However, going forward, I’m hoping I’ll get recommendations in the comments. I can always come up with ideas on my own but like to get suggestions from others so feel free to help me start putting together a list!
– Ethan
For the Book Lovers 