Blood & Rhetoric

The Harbinger of Death: Anthony Minghella, Arthur C. Clarke

Writing by Jana on Wednesday, 19 of March , 2008 at 12:50 pm

I was going to write a post today about novel-based films not always sucking when compared to the actual novels.

I was going to use The English Patient, written by Michael Ondaatje, and later turned into a 9-Oscar winning film by the incredibly talented Anthony Minghella as a perfect example of that fact.

And then today I learned that Anthony Minghella had died yesterday morning from internal haemorrhaging, mere days after undergoing surgery that was originally deemed a success. 

He was 54. He was one of our most talented directors; with such films as: ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’; ‘The Talented Mister Ripley’, and the aforementioned ‘English Patient’, which is one of my favourite films, as well as one of my favourite novels.

Along with this tragedy, with have the death of Arthur C. Clark, at the ripe old age of 90, who was one of the most important science fiction writers of the last century.

Two creative minds. The same day.

Arthur C. Clark had almost 100 novels under his belt, and many short stories; including, The Sentinal, the short story that would later be turned into 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick (yet another talented dead guy). He and Kubrick worked on the actual novel of the film together, which might also give pause to the whole novels adapted off films always suck theory.

I’ve never read anything by Anthony C. Clark. But now, I want too.

I wonder if that statement gives credence to the whole “more fame after death” thing?

R.I.P dudes, you’ll be missed.

Category: dead people

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