The most faithful adaptation I've ever seen. What you notice first is openess of the director to the viewers. All human sins that are delivered directly is what you expect from Balzac.
Modern adaptations are seeking to complecate some ideas and find something up-to-date neglecting the spirit of the original source and focusing much on a modern viewer while the original novel was written for the needs of the 19th century society. The film "Lost Illusions" shows these ideas in a way the original novel does. Perhaps, it's a flaw not to care about the audience but for me it works perfectly as the respect for the author.
Every time the idea of corrupted society is announced in the movie, you feel how how illusions are dissolve.
The voice-over narration works perfectly because then we understand how unrealible the protagonist. Only due to the narrator's voice it is become possible to criticize everyone including Lucien. He is not seen as a positive hero. We may sympathize him or criticize - that is something that arises our aesthetic response. Such a voice makes morality criticism not so dull. Moreover, it creates a sense that everyone is aware of being corrupted and immoral. It's like everyone knows a secret but no one discusses it.
The only thing I would like be improved is Lucien's evolution. It was too obvious thing to draw eyelines as a symbol of acceptance by higher society, however it was not the only turning point in the change of his personality. May assume that it's due to the lack of experience of a young Benjamin Voisin.
Modern adaptations are seeking to complecate some ideas and find something up-to-date neglecting the spirit of the original source and focusing much on a modern viewer while the original novel was written for the needs of the 19th century society. The film "Lost Illusions" shows these ideas in a way the original novel does. Perhaps, it's a flaw not to care about the audience but for me it works perfectly as the respect for the author.
Every time the idea of corrupted society is announced in the movie, you feel how how illusions are dissolve.
The voice-over narration works perfectly because then we understand how unrealible the protagonist. Only due to the narrator's voice it is become possible to criticize everyone including Lucien. He is not seen as a positive hero. We may sympathize him or criticize - that is something that arises our aesthetic response. Such a voice makes morality criticism not so dull. Moreover, it creates a sense that everyone is aware of being corrupted and immoral. It's like everyone knows a secret but no one discusses it.
The only thing I would like be improved is Lucien's evolution. It was too obvious thing to draw eyelines as a symbol of acceptance by higher society, however it was not the only turning point in the change of his personality. May assume that it's due to the lack of experience of a young Benjamin Voisin.