Between the teaser and several TV spots I’ve seen for “Blindness”, I’ve been very skeptical as to how accurate it will remain to Saramago’s novel. Yet, judging from this trailer, I may have been very wrong. While the spots I’ve seen seem to focus on the government’s reaction to the white blindness epidemic, this trailer focuses on the characters that make the novel so relevant and touching. The montage at the beginning of the trailer shows each of the main characters each going blind in the exact same manner as in the book. Most of the dialogue is straight from the novel as well, in fact the only discrepancy I can find is that the doctor’s wife insists on going in the ambulance with her husband even though she can see, whereas in the book she lies and tells them she has gone blind at that very moment.
It’s entirely possible that this trailer could have been crafted in such a way in order to hook fans of the book, as the TV spots have proven that there is definitely some material with the government and Sandra Oh’s character that was invented for the film. Yet, I feel somewhat assured that this trailer shows that my favorite characters will all be there and that their stories appear to be somewhat unaffected in this adaptation.
To learn what other film adaptations are coming in Fall/Winter 2008, check out our list here.
