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RE: Nightmare Alley...

Posted by tunenut on February 3, 2022 at 15:46:43:
The book is one of my favorite old noirs and I've read it twice. A movie can simply not contain the richness of the book.

And I like the old 1947 movie. It makes some decent choices in boiling down the book, but it also constrained by the restrictions of its time. I think Del Toro did a really good modern version, which is sort of a mixture of the original book and previous movie.

Is it perfect? Not for me, no. But there are many good aspects. The visual element is done with a marvelous eye and an attention to detail (the credits note a structural expert for the carnival rides). There are lots of little carny details pulled from the reality of these old shows. It's atmospheric, and the fancy mansions, supper clubs, and hotels of Buffalo are equally well done.

The actors pretty much nail their roles.

My issues have to do with some of the alterations that have been made to fit a book into a movie. Something very cinematic (an encounter in a nightclub) is a new addition, it rings false to me. Some of the story arc is missing. In general, I would have made some different choices. But it flows as a story relatively clearly. I think it's just as good as the first movie, maybe even better.