If it ain't broke, don't fix it . . .
I tend to veer towards the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy. So my heart sank when I read about the proposed film version of Edge of Darkness – particularly when I saw Mel Gibson's going to star in it.
Some images from films and books stick in your mind for ever. And Edge of Darkness – a stunning 1980s nuclear thriller – is full of them, from the nuclear trains rattling through the night to the accompaniment of Eric Clapton's eerie soundtrack, to the plutonium at Gleneagles scene to the black flowers opening on the hillside.
The quick and dirty plot synopsis involves the late and much lamented Bob Peck playing a policeman whose activist daughter (played by Joanne Whalley before she married Val Kilmer and disappeared off the radar in the States) is murdered on their doorstep. He starts asking questions and discovers that she and several other campaigners have broken into a nuclear power station. It soon becomes apparent that there are some exceedingly dodgy dealings happening at a very high level. Peck is absolutely outstanding as the man who's toed the party line all his life, but he's run close by Joe Don Baker playing a maverick American CIA agent.
The only thing that gives me any hope is that Martin Campbell, who directed the TV drama, is also directing the film. But the thought of the seriously under-talented and objectionable Gibson playing the lead role is not a pleasant one. And before anyone says anything, yes, I know you can admire people's professional achievements and overlook their private life. As my leftie friend Ken says lugubriously: "Wagner wrote a damn good tune!"
I can reel off any number of remakes that should have been left at the 'good idea after you've had a pint or three' stage. Which idiot thought it was a sensible idea to do a new version of the cult classic The Wicker Man? And why move it to America? Oh, and who the hell cast Sylvester Stallone in Get Carter? At least that one bombed without trace.
With the honorable exception of The Office (from the handful of episodes I've seen) and perhaps Queer as Folk (although that turned into a totally different show), American film and TV have a lousy history of re-making UK dramas. Their version of Cracker was utterly pointless, as it took away everything that was individual about the series (overweight, obnoxious shrink who smoked and drank too much). And what's going on with Life on Mars? It seems to have more stops and starts than a learner driver. And Harvey Keitel might be a damn fine actor, but he is not DCI Gene Hunt in any way, shape or form.
I'm not sure why I feel so protective of Edge of Darkness, except that it's my favourite drama of all time. If the new film crashes and burns, so what? It won't take anything away from the original. Except that original is 20 years old, and I bet very few Americans have seen it. It's BBC programme-making at its absolute finest where everything gelled – writing, acting, plot, camerawork and the unforgettable soundtrack (I can't find an online clip with the music and the show, but here's a taste of Clapton playing it live.
So, I refer you back to my first par. If you haven't seen the proper Edge of Darkness, order it now before you need the brain bleach to erase whatever damage Mel Gibson does to it.
