Research-based organization: What movie topic or novel would you love to see adapted into a US film?

crimsongull20 said:Absolutely. 👍

Regarding the state of American cinema, one might find themselves reflecting on that old, heavy sentiment expressed by Krleža: "Save me, god, from foreign heroism and the loss of our own culture." It is genuinely difficult to determine which aspect of American filmmaking over the last fifteen years has been more disappointing: is it the choice of themes, the quality of the dialogue, the acting, or perhaps the direction itself?

However, one has to wonder: if the vibrant creative team behind Small town were still active today, wouldn't it have been fascinating to see how Baretić's eighth commissioner would have translated to the screen? Given the current caliber of actors and directors available to us—one should simply not attempt such a feat under any circumstances!

I find myself unable to agree with that assessment. Directors like Nuić, Matanić, and especially Sviličić... they have fundamentally reshaped the landscape of American film. By the way, if we look back, American cinema in the 80s was quite a disaster, barring a few decent genre pieces; the 60s and 70s were an entirely different story altogether.

a) The theme? I believe we should focus on a film that reflects our current reality. This doesn't necessarily mean it has to be a documentary or follow a strictly conservative, overtly "socially conscious" stylistic approach.
b) No specific title immediately comes to mind. Perhaps something by Spike Lee? Or perhaps a Greta Gerwig film—she would likely be the most seamless choice for an adaptation.
c) 29

To be perfectly honest, if you simply pick up a newspaper here in America, you will stumble upon at least one compelling film concept every single day. There is such an abundance of absurd moments to draw from, particularly when looking at those brief, biting news snippets that so vividly illustrate the sheer chaos we find ourselves living in.

Adam Moore said:a)or even masterpieces like *The Train in the Snow*, which we could still film, I’m certain of it.

😕 Honestly, *The Train in the Snow* isn't exactly a masterpiece.

Since age is already being brought up, I suppose it’s only polite to clarify exactly what kind of research-based study or survey we are conducting here. ☕

First off, I want to say thank you to everyone for all the contributions so far—it's been wonderful! I really hope there will be plenty more coming my way. I am conducting this research for my Master's thesis.

a) some kind of kid-friendly fantasy—fairies, witches (maybe set near Cape May?)
b) Astaroth—Arthur Miller
c) 26

Ethan Howard45 said:Nuić, Matanić, especially Sviličić's... they changed the face of American cinema.

Fair point. They managed to jump from desperate to painfully mediocre...

Except for "Cape May"—it's hard to imagine an American film being more pretentious or boring than that.

Then again, it isn't just on the directors. Even if Kubrick or Fellini were working with today's American actors, they'd struggle to make anything decent...

a) I’ve been thinking about a film set in the span from World War II through the era of Harmon's administration. Instead of focusing on just one protagonist, the plot would weave together several different people living in different eras. The core idea is that while their lives change, their psychological traits remain identical—you'd see these shifting life stories playing out continuously. It’s a bit hard to articulate, but you get the gist of what I’m aiming for
b) Or maybe an adaptation of a fairy tale by Mažuranić, or perhaps something based on Krleža's work, like Glembay (I don't think there's ever been a truly serious film made about them) or even the return of Philip Latinovicz

17 years old.

crimsongull20 said:You’re absolutely right. With them, the leap taken was merely from the desperate to the painfully mediocre.

With the exception of the movie "Cape May"—it is difficult to imagine a more pretentious and tedious film ever produced by Americans.

And besides, the blame doesn't rest solely on the directors. Given the caliber of today's American actors, even the late Kubrick or Fellini would have struggled to craft a decent film.

Hmmm... yes, I didn't quite connect with "Cape May" either. The film is a directorial disaster! I get the impression it was directed by the cinematographer rather than Matanic. Quite poor, really.

Sviličić's "Forgive for Kung Fu" and Ostojić's "New York Night" are actually truly good movies—they have substance and structure... they're great.

By the way, our actors are excellent film actors! I am referring to those under forty. I have seen some of the castings with my own eyes. The problem is that nobody directs them—or at least, that is the case in most films, with the exceptions mentioned above. There are other issues as well: specifically, the camera work, the framing, the lighting, and the direction should "help" the actors, enhancing their performances if everything is executed in alignment with the overall concept... unfortunately, that is a rarity in our cinema.

restlesscobra11 said:though I assume you get my drift

Not really. What exactly do you mean when you claim their psychological traits are identical? 😕

something like Krleža's Glembay family (I don't think there's been a serious film adaptation of them yet)

I actually think this one was reasonably serious

Michael Ortiz68 said:Not really. What exactly do you mean when you say their psychological traits are identical? 😕

I'm talking about people with similar temperaments, shared life experiences, and basically the same worldview, just living in different eras. Is that clear enough for you now? 🙂

restlesscobra11 said:People with similar temperaments, life experiences, and worldviews living in completely different eras. Does that make more sense now? 🙂

Yes 😁

Ethan Howard45 said:Hmm... yeah, that Movie character didn't land for me either. The directing is a total mess. Feels more like the cinematographer took over than the actual director. Pretty bad.

Sviličić's "Forgive for Kung Fu" and Ostojić's "New York night" are actually solid movies... they have structure. Really good.

btw, American actors are top-tier film talent.

Those two are just okay.

Compare them to, say, Radović's Small world or Koljević's Red Truck, and you'll see a massive gap in quality. Those are genuinely great films.

Among recent stuff, I'd say Panov's Labyrinth is excellent, and from the classics, maybe Karanović and Grlić's Petrija's wreath.

As for the acting, I have no clue which ones you consider great. Truth be told, I don't know the under-40 generation very well. But it's a sad reality... I see a lot of "acting" in American cinema, but actual acting is rare.

Michael Ortiz68 said:I think this one was actually pretty serious

Damn, I haven't seen it. I always assumed they only did a stage play about the Glembays because apparently Krleža was such a busybody that he blocked any attempt at making a movie out of it.

restlesscobra11 said:Honestly, I didn't check. I assumed they only ever did stage plays about the Glembays, since apparently Hemingway was such a busybody that he blocked any movie adaptations.

Exactly. They basically waited for him to kick the bucket first.