Key points
Book/film info
Synopsis/my notes
FT 553 notes
Book/film info
Novel written by: Kurt Vonnegut
Screenplay written by: Stephen Geller
IMDB link
FT 553 notes (from 08/03/04)
So much of Vonnegut's life surrounded by death. How to deal? Laughter. Reductio. Faith in reason. Questioning all that isn't tangible.
After WWII, Vonnegut lived in Schnectady, moved to Cape, wrote short stories. Tried to teach, started longer works. Incorrectly slotted as sci-fi writer. Spoofed sci-fi, used genre to dissect society. Like Twain (Huck Finn about adulthood, race relations), never lost sight of what he wanted to say. Vonnegut's Twain successor.
Vonnegut had three kids. Sister got cancer, died, then husband drowned. Vonnegut inherited sister's three kids. Tough to raise on small salary. Lived through destruction of Dresden. Had been scout, captured during Battle of Bulge, sent to "open city" (doesn't contribute to war effort). U.S., Great Britain decided to bomb Dresden despite Geneva Conventions. Germany was bombing London and other cities; Allies decided to do same thing, terrorize population. Firestorm -- bomb in circle around target. "So it goes."
Wars fought by children who don't know any better. Have them say no to war.
Despite Vonnegut's doubts (couldn't do any better with war), book became a best-seller, became bible for anti-war movement (along with Joseph Heller's "Catch-22"). Came out as Vietnam was heating up. Picked up by Universal, ironically a right-wing studio.
Vonnegut also wanted to do pilgrim's progress. Bunyan -- progress toward Paradise. Billy Pilgrim -- prison on Tralfamadore. If go outside, will die.
Postwar America, feel-good values, GI bill, marry boss' daughter, woman's place in kitchen and bedroom, etc. All comes crashing down (marriage, wife, Cadillac).
Tralfamadorians don't see universe in same way. Even if we destroy ourselves, ecosystem will right itself. Aliens don't put humans at center of universe. Vonnegut uses them to give different perspective. Test pilot will destroy universe. Moment programmed that way.
Time, space viewed in different fashion. Time a falsification, an agreement to agree. Anthropencity blinds us to other realities. Another book with that theme -- "Timequake", with Vonnegut's alter ego Kilgore Trout (who has to write).
Tralfamadorian answers to existence: concentrate on good moments, forget bad ones, which you can't do anything about. Human condition not exciting or filled with prospects.
Film won Jury Prize at Cannes, other nominations. Applauded in Europe, but not in U.S. -- reviews went down party lines. Took decade to get same renown in U.S. George Roy Hill fly-by.
Four timelines:
-- pre-WWII
-- WWII
-- post-WWII
-- Tralfamadore
Each timeline has dramatic arc(s), could be book in itself. Swimming lesson (sink or swim, passiveness) crux of Billy's situation throughout.
How to turn "So it goes" from literary to cinematic device? Do leaps in time, which happens every time Billy is pressured. Even though he's passive, shifts in consciousness. Cut between plots -- impression of chaos, yet developing. In same spots emotionally.
Not enough of Kilgore Trout, not enough space. Too literary a conception.
Geller's biggest problem: Billy's passivity. All other characters active. Very little dialogue in book, Geller had to write in Vonnegut's style (simple declarative sentences, reductio). According to Vonnegut, Billy loved Spot, loved Cadillac (used car that he drove a hard bargain for). Took spot to Tralfamadore. Used dog to set off relationship with wife (montage of Billy and Spot outside house, wife calling them in).