Exodus Spoiled

For some reason, I decided that I ought to see* the movie Exodus, especially having read the book and appreciated it. It was a foolish thought. The film exemplifies the reason that I try to avoid movies made from books that I've read. It changed key details of the plot and of the characters' personalities to make for better (and shorter) screenplay, and it completely skipped huge chunks of background information -- the stuff that made the written drama compelling. Without the personal histories of the characters, their behaviors on the story were shallow and pointless. I understand that the nearly four-hour movie couldn't have included much more than it did...but that's why producers and screenwriters should stay away from epic novels and create epic films of their own merit instead.


* Actually, I saw it quite some time ago, but I've gotten into the aggravating habit of writing a few lines of a post to remind myself what I want to write about, then leaving it for another time...which never comes because I'm too busy, tired, or disconnected to write the rest of it. I'm afraid there are more posts of this nature in the wings.