The Dead

This short story by James Joyce (as part of The Dubliners collection) is indeed a classic portrayal of Dublin society in the early years of the 20th century. Unfortunately, this film version falls short of establishing any sort of close affection for the characters. The power of Joyce's written story was that you could feel you were sitting beside these characters. While legendary director John Huston did accurately visualize the story, the character's felt too distant and unfamiliar. Perhaps he reproduced the short story too accurately, neglecting the fact that cinema viewers, unlike novel readers, require visual treatment and entertainment in addition to our imagination. This certainly would have been a better play than a movie. Film for art sake is commendable, but not for entertaining... I recommended reading the novel instead of wasting any money on this film...

There is not a wasted shot i this amazing retelling of Joyce's The Dead. I remember reading this story in high school and thinking it was one of the most beautiful stories ever written. Huston not only does it justice, he paints a canvas as beautiful as an oil painting. It's gut wrenching revelation is stunning and heat breaking. Anjelica Huston has never been better.