Dear Will,
I must admit that I was disappointed. I had seen this project, from
its inception in 2006, as a chance to have RK discussed, and therefore
in the public eye. We knew, from the stage play, that some facts would
be lost to dramatic interpretation, and we had heard of David Haig's
own admitted difficulties with the "father figure".
Instead, I am afraid that this was botched. Seen from the standpoint
of the casual viewer, the characters and their lines failed to ring
true, so the obvious expenditure on atmosphere, star names and effects
carried a weak and two dimensional story line. The chance to grasp the
popular imagination with this tale has now gone. Thank heavens we had
Griff Rhys Jones and "A Remembrance Tale", last year, because no
production company will now be interested in the story of John.
To the specialist, there were those moments when I wailed "Why didn't
they ask?" The wardrobe department, and the props people did do some
research at the Library. How, then, did no one else bother to read
Tonie and Valmai Holt's excellent version of the story, or any of the
other biographies? (Incidentally, friends will be very pleased to hear
that Valmai was at the launch party for the Imperial War Museum
exhibition on Monday, in much better health.)
For a docudrama, in my opinion, this fell down in two ways: it wasn't
close enough to the facts (general or specific), and it wasn't art.
I am sorry. I had hoped for so much more. The positive aspects are
that there is a small but well-staged exhibition on this story at the
IWM until February, and that David Haig has done something "he needed
to do for twenty years". I only wish that he had done it better.
John
John Walker
Honorary Librarian
The Kipling Society
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