In 2000 the story was made into a short (33 minutes) children's film, retitled The Pirates of Central Park, and reset in New York City. Names are changed, but the essential story is kept intact. And so is the voice--the original story is narrated by one of the boys, and much of Dunsany's words are retained. The film features a young Jesse McCartney before his teen boy singing career.
Dunsany's story is rather an uncharacteristic tale by its author, but its adaptation to a film works fairly well. I saw it on YouTube (link here).
Raising the question, "If you were going to have a go at filming Dunsany which project would you choose?" May I suggest The Blessing of Pan? I would leave it to the British to produce a period piece. I can imagine an adaptation taking place in the rural American South, the conflict being between an evangelical fundamentalist minister and residents of a small town returning to paganism. It would require a delicate hand which admittedly, we may not possess.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the first question would be: what form of film? For something animated, I'd certainly chose differently than for a realist film. But even setting that aside, I'm not sure there is any choice for me. I would never have expected a film of My Talks with Dean Spanley, yet there is a very good one (titled Dean Spanley).
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