The Man in the High Castle
Alternate reality have always been fascinating for viewers and readers everywhere . The earthly concern explored in Philip K. Dick’sThe Man in the High Castle , however , just might be one of the most unsettling alternate reality of them all . The macrocosm ofHigh Castleis a world where the Axis won World War II , incur the German Third Reich and Japanese Empire in control of the United States decades subsequently in the 1960s .
The novel itself was a massive success and remains a cult classic to this day . ButAmazonelevated the beloved dystopian novel to an integral fresh level in the form of its goggle box serial adaptation of the same name . With its first sequence released in 2015 , the series has so far aired three gripping seasons , with a 4th and final time of year wait in the fall of 2019 . But as with many book to sort adaption , Amazon made quite a few changes to the tale of the novel - and some of them worked far well than others .
Worked: Making Hawthorne Abendsen a more significant character
Hawthorne Abendsen had a major role in the series , long before he was ever actually insert . He is , after all , the man in the High Castle himself . The novel features the type of Abendsen , a reclusive writer who somehow holds the key to the realities of the public and of World War II . But Abendsen does not appear until the terminal routine of the novel .
High Castlequickly introduce Abendsen at the start of the serial ' second time of year ; and long before he arrives , his influence is felt in the form of his secretly disseminated flick . With the starring casting of the role player Stephen Root in the role , Abendsen has far more free weight on screen than he ever does on newspaper , and forms a meaningful relationship with the serial ' central character , Juliana Crain .
Didn’t: Trying to make Joe a more important character
In a novel filled with dystopian world and shocking bend of events , type development is occasionally charge as lower-ranking in importance to the prowess of reality building . In Dick’sHigh Castlenovel , the type of Joe Cinnadella is a walking cliche , who turn out to be a shady figure and an assassin and is cursorily dispatched of once his on-key homicidal nature is revealed .
In Amazon’sHigh Castle , however , Joe Blake is allowed to be a more emotionally conflicted character , as the series drop far too much metre trying to sympathize an almost robotic character through boring backstory and senseless human relationship . Joe ’s character basically routine as the human equivalent of a commercial-grade prisonbreak in the series ; his way out from the serial early in season three was one of the good choices the show ever made .
Worked: Greater representation of diverse populations
In a world controlled by the Axis powerfulness , it ’s not exactly comfortable to be a extremity of a various biotic community that is n’t Nipponese . However , that does n’t break the series from explore various various groups in far greater item than the novel ever did . From day one , Rick Worthy ’s Lemuel Washington is a major player , and season four promises to integrate more African American activists .
Early seasons also depict the plight of handicapped individuals in a humanity determined to advance genetic flawlessness . Similarly , time of year three prominently feature the lesbian and gay subcultures of man and women trying to subsist their animation in the face of ultimate persecution .
Didn’t: Decreasing the role of the I Ching
TheI Chingis an ancient strain of fortune telling that arises from Chinese origins , but in the world of the AmazonHigh Castleseries , the text is most frequently referred to by the salvia Nipponese trade wind minister Nobusuke Tagomi . Tagomi refers frequently to theI Chingas his guideline through lifetime , and through his noesis of theI Ching , Tagomi is even able to travel between realms , learning the true world and living in multiple universes .
In Dick ’s novel , however , theI Chingis revealed to have a much more significant role . It ’s not just the sassy old Tagomi who utilizes the divination text : it ’s revealed that Hawthorne Abendsen himself made use of theI Chingin order to get at the straight answer of World War II , and publish his world - changing novelThe Grasshopper rest overweight .
Worked: Changing The Grasshopper Lies Heavy from a book to a series of films
InThe Man in the High Castlenovel , the first semen of dubiousness regarding the fate of World War II and the existence of the novel ’s world are planted as a result of Hawthorne Abendsen ’s secret religious cult novelThe Grasshopper Lies big . It makes common sense for entropy to be spread in the write word , when Dick ’s medium itself was the written Bible .
Therefore , it make perfect sense that Amazon changedThe Grasshopper lie Heavyfrom a novel to a serial publication of pic reels . In the form of film , the vivid and iconic imagination of World War II and the Allies victory is perfectly emotionally compelling for the characters and viewing audience likewise , powerfully visually communicating the pauperization for the Resistance to fight against this regime .
Didn’t: Increasing the prevalence of science fiction elements
Alternate realities are the bread and butter of this work . Without the notion of an other earth , there are no stake deserving defend for in this series , since the fibre would otherwise feel ensnare within their world . Having type like Tagomi be able to locomote from realm to realm provided an ab initio deeply emotional plot line .
But the third season decided to double down on the inclusion body of multiple reality , and absurd science fabrication grad technologies were introduce as a result . The inclusion of increased scientific discipline fiction constituent made the otherwise substantial third time of year considerably weaker , as far too much time was wasted on endeavor to explain and deal - wave away scientific impossibilities .
Worked: Introducing the character of John Smith
It ’s nearly impossible to scan anything about Amazon’sThe Man in the in high spirits Castlewithout it turning into a praiseful analysis of Rufus Sewell ’s tremendously complex character of John Smith . A former American soldier , Smith conformed to the Nazi ideology after the Axis triumph and work his way up through the regime . He has been in person affected by his decision to adapt , lose his disabled son , and the rest of his syndicate shortly later .
He is a tremendously complex and conflicted character , masterfully act as by Sewell from sidereal day one . And this character , arguably the strongest in the integral serial , is entirely a existence of the Amazon series . It ’s voiceless , if not instantly unsufferable , to imagine the serial publication without Smith at this point .
Didn’t: Introducing the Lebensborn
As part of the series ' misplaced desire to search Joe ’s lackluster character in greater detail , the 2nd time of year spend a in effect flock of time on the concept of the Lebensborn . These children were deliberately conceived in monastic order to develop genetically everlasting member of the succeeding race , and were supervise and observe back in Germany .
Joe , of course , was one of these such births , and he finds other members of this class of citizen in his opulent , self - indulgent dangerous undertaking through drugs and riches in Germany . His fraught relationship with his absentee father ultimately takes up far too much screentime , too , and far too much expounding rather than plot of land progression .
Worked: Making Juliana the main character
The Man in the High Castleis , in many manner , an ensemble serial . So , too , is Dick ’s novel . But for the most part , the novel focus on reference such as Robert Childan - a secondary , if not third character in the Amazon serial - and Nobusuke Tagomi , a secondary main persona in the Amazon serial .
But Amazon was right in shifting the overall focus of the narration to the incredibly impregnable and fiercely independent Juliana Crain , play to badass perfection by Alexa Davalos . Juliana ’s chronicle of loss and growth and ego - preservation has provided some of the series ' most absorbing and deeply aroused moments . To concentre the series around any other character would never have influence as well .
Didn’t: Killing Frank Frink
InThe Man in the High Castlenovel , Nobusuke Tagomi saves the lifespan of Frank Frink , a man he has never met , because he is moved by Frink ’s artistry and the emotionality that his oeuvre contains . Frank is Jewish and , as such , lives basically on the run , trading in antiquity and weaponry , but give a secret heat for art . He is an important character , in both the serial and the novel , and chouse death on many function .
But in the third season , the Amazon serial made the mistake of ending Frank ’s story once and for all . More than most of the other supporting characters , Frank underwent considerable personal growth and heroic journey , proving time and again that he had become one of the most valuable and most selfless persona in the series .
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