By JOEL HARLEY
Since its inception two years ago, this column has explored several varieties of movie tie-ins. We’ve done the straight adaptation (The Descent); we’ve done the “expanded edition” approach (Silent Night, Deadly Night); we’ve done books set in the same universe as popular franchises (Black Flame’s Freddy and Jason stories). What we haven’t covered are books based on utterly terrible movies. Can a novelization make dreck like RETURN TO SILENT HILL seem worthwhile? i
It’s already in an unusual situation – a book based on a film that’s in turn based on a video game. But that never stopped the Resident Evil franchise, and why should it stand in Author John Passarella‘s way?
Maybe we’re being unfair to RETURN TO SILENT HILL, which does have some legitimately unsettling ideas hidden beneath the gross CGI sheen. The story isn’t inherently worthless. (It is based on a video game classic, after all.) Theoretically, the search for James Sunderland’s missing love should be a solid enough mystery to sustain both newcomers and fans of the lore. Where it goes wrong is in the execution. And, yes, that includes the glued-on beard.
We’re not going to single out filmmaker Christophe Gans’ well-meaning direction, nor any of the performances, but what we will say is this: Separate from the film, Passarella’s RETURN TO SILENT HILL adaptation is a perfectly adequate story to set in that universe. Returning to that Velcro beard, if one’s mind’s eye is perfectly capable of imagining real face fuzz, then it’s just as capable of summoning the imagery and atmosphere the film lacked. Even the dialogue hits better, thanks to the author’s management of the tone applied consistently through both the flashback sequences and James’ exploration of Silent Hill.
What Passarella’s novelization makes clear is that any underlying issues aren’t with the story. James’ return to Silent Hill benefits from the written medium’s extra breathing room, fleshing out his character so that he’s no longer a one-dimensional dullard. Beginning, as the film does, with his meet-cute with Mary, their relationship is explored more; the book’s narrative structure lets us get to know them on a slightly deeper level. The author also gets to delve into the dynamics of Mary’s creepy friend group, making the book’s flashbacks feel like less of a chore, while bringing a hint of Rosemary’s Baby and Twin Peaks to the narrative.
That said… What’s the point? Ultimately, Passarella’s RETURN TO SILENT HILL is a superior version of an inferior product. You can’t unscrew the pooch, and the film’s failure makes another trip a difficult sell to all but the most devout readers. And anyway, Silent Hill 2 is already out there, as is the 2006 novel by Sadamu Yamashita (later translated into English by fans, if you can track down an electronic copy).
It’s a shame, as Passarella’s version does more justice to the games’ tone and atmosphere than any film so far – and I say that as someone who largely enjoyed Gans’ 2006 effort. While this much-improved novelisation is unlikely to win over the film’s loudest detractors, it’s an interesting glimpse of what could have been.
