I first read Asimov's The End of Eternity over fifty years ago and have judged it to be the best science fiction story I have ever read. So it was with some trepidation that I watched Konets Vechnosti today. I knew the film was made in 1987, so I anticipated several problems: 1) The characters in the film would fall short of the expectation I had built up over fifty years from the book, which I have read many times; 2) The storyline in the film would be very different to that in the book; 3) The sets would fall short in visual and technical aspects (I mean, I expected relatively crude sets and dated computers, etc, common in seventies films).
As I watched the film, I began to realize that it is a SUPERB realization of the book. The actor playing Harlan fits the bill spot on: not too old, not too young. Superb casting. As for the character of Noys Lambent, which simply has to be a powerfully seductive woman according to the book, the actress playing her is iconic and is exactly as I have ever imagined she would be like. If you read the book, you will know that there has to be somewhat of a mismatch between Harlan and Lambent: he is not overly handsome and is totally inexperienced with women, she is devastatingly attractive and something of a society playgirl. Yet together, in the film, they are exactly matched in some mysterious way, as in the book.
The other actors in the film are very well cast, particularly the Finge character. The Twissell character seems to be less sympathetic in the film as in the book, but I suppose that's because Twissel's own crimes are confessed to in the book, whereas there was none of that in the film.
As for the sets, they were convincing, with a lot of good special effects.I did not think this was a cheap production, but a film with excellent standards alround.
All in all, the film makers have done a superb job here. highly enjoyable and to be recommended.
Spoiler Alert! The only slight quibble I have is with the ending of the film. In the book, Harlan ends up with Noys in the Twentieth century. In the film, he rejects her and walks off down a busy street. This left me wondering whether Noys ever really cared for him or whether she was just playing her part in the great conspiracy of the Hidden Centuries to destroy Eternity.
As I watched the film, I began to realize that it is a SUPERB realization of the book. The actor playing Harlan fits the bill spot on: not too old, not too young. Superb casting. As for the character of Noys Lambent, which simply has to be a powerfully seductive woman according to the book, the actress playing her is iconic and is exactly as I have ever imagined she would be like. If you read the book, you will know that there has to be somewhat of a mismatch between Harlan and Lambent: he is not overly handsome and is totally inexperienced with women, she is devastatingly attractive and something of a society playgirl. Yet together, in the film, they are exactly matched in some mysterious way, as in the book.
The other actors in the film are very well cast, particularly the Finge character. The Twissell character seems to be less sympathetic in the film as in the book, but I suppose that's because Twissel's own crimes are confessed to in the book, whereas there was none of that in the film.
As for the sets, they were convincing, with a lot of good special effects.I did not think this was a cheap production, but a film with excellent standards alround.
All in all, the film makers have done a superb job here. highly enjoyable and to be recommended.
Spoiler Alert! The only slight quibble I have is with the ending of the film. In the book, Harlan ends up with Noys in the Twentieth century. In the film, he rejects her and walks off down a busy street. This left me wondering whether Noys ever really cared for him or whether she was just playing her part in the great conspiracy of the Hidden Centuries to destroy Eternity.