Welcome to Silent Hill

     Nowadays, rarely does a film come from original ideas. They are either based on an existing story, a book, short story, actual event, comic story, Broadway musical, remake of past films, remake of Asian films into Hollywood style, or even computer games.

     Popular computer games that have made it into the silver screen are, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Super Mario Bros., Resident Evil, Alone in the Dark, Bloodrayne, and recently, Silent Hill.

     Most of the films based on computer games are either work of craps or major box office flops, with the exemption of Resident Evil being the highest grossing game-based film, which fans of the game particularly enjoyed. The most anticipated game-based film from Capcom has been finally released and moviebuffs and fans of the game lingered in the same questions, “Will it be a faithful adaptation?”, “Will it be a good film?” or “Will it suffer from the same fate that the other game-based films we endured?”

The Game

     It’s been years ago when the first Silent Hill game was released. At first, many thought it was another scary-in-packaging but really not-so-scary-when-you-play-it-game. However, the makers proved that 20 minutes of playing is all it takes to scare the hell out of them. While there are those similar horror titles like the infamous Resident Evil that scare you, Silent Hill establishes a disturbing atmosphere that immediately puts you off and freaks you out.

     Silent Hill achieves this through a set of astonishing little touches: a radio that emits static whenever monsters are near; a lead character that must catch his breath after running; the placement of corpses and broken wheelchairs in abandoned stairways; and so on. One of the most effectively frightening elements is the game’s lighting, which is sometimes cast from a flashlight, whether you are in a dark alley, a fog-shrouded street, or a moist basement. Fog is the main culprit why the game is so freakin’ scary. You won’t know when a monster is attacking unless it surprises you in front.

     The effect of this atmosphere is much more than any terrifying creature, which will make players open all the lights in their room and leave it on even after they have played the game. That’s not to say that the monster design is not scary. There is one type in particular-a grotesque man-thing that barks and sets after you on all fours-that will sent a chill up the back of your neck every time you see one.

     The sound effects are likewise extremely powerful, with scary monster growls, breathing of the characters, and ambient noise that surely makes the hair at the back of your head stand.

     As of this year, four sequels of the game have been made and the fifth one is due to be released next year.

The Story

     The story of Silent Hill begins with a car accident that separates the main character, Harry Mason, from his daughter. He wanders around looking for her in the off-season resort town that they have chanced upon, encountering things and events that seem so surreal and inspired by the films like The Fog and The Others. Through that, a series of unfortunate events starts popping in to the lives of the characters. The game offers a lot of twist and turns, mystifying subplot, and never-ending scarefest.

The Movie

     Director Christophe Gans has done a wonderful job in recreating the nightmarish atmosphere of the game into the film, but several flaws also arise. For one, the acting is not always the best in this business. The child for instance, doesn’t meet expectations of a scary Alessa. There are long silences that are quite boring which are primarily effective in the game, but not in the film.

     People who have played the games and know all about the story of Silent Hill, who know what the movie is trying to present, will absolutely like it. Many will be mesmerized by the way the place is presented in the film. The monsters, locations, look wonderfully scary and filthy.

     You will surely be tripping up and down on your seat like a 12-year-old nerd, when the familiar monsters from the game appear. The transition from “regular” Silent Hill and its “hellish” version will give you goosebumps. As soon as that air raid horn starts to go off, you’ll get cold chills down your spine. Fan or not, many will be awestruck by the fact that that the characters are now vivid and clear.

     Here are the basic differences between the movie and the game:
     -“Rose” in the movie is “Harry” in the game. They have feminized the           protagonist, and gave her a useless husband to care for.
     - Dahlia, the “hag” mother of Allesa, is good in the movie; in the game,           she is evil.
     - The witch-burning cult in the movie does not exist in the game; the               game does have a cult, but it is a devil worshipping cult and Dahlia is its        high priestess.
     -In the movie, the huge fire takes place 20 years ago; in the game, has           happened seven years ago.

     Gans has stated that the film is an adaptation of the first game, with the emotional sadness of the second, mixed with the dialogue delivery of the third, and some camera movement inspired by the fourth. Also, incredible as it may seem, the director doesn’t use too much computer graphics in this film instead he uses live people and even models to dress up as monsters.

     Playing Silent Hill will definitely help you understand the movie better just like reading a book before or after you have watched its film version. This is not because they contain some information that were omitted in the film, rather, they will help you adopt the attitude that is necessary to understand the movie better. However, in Silent Hill, you will understand that nothing’s understandable.

Don’t judge a book by its movie

     Faith has always been a component of any culture or race in the world. It forms a part of a person or a group of people. It is an element of the outlived tradition that cannot be questioned. It is more than a routine, it is a social obligation. The faith of a person defines who he or she is and at some point, who or what he or she will be in the future. Having a strong faith means believing without proof.

     Although it is dismaying, one cannot but admit that religion has been and remains famously involved in major social conflicts worldwide. Most, if not all instances, these conflicts have hindered the development of the societies embroiled in them and have kept people from enjoying the peace that God wishes for humanity.

     Dan Brown’s book, The Da Vinci Code, challenges Christians to stick to their core beliefs despite the presentation of data and careful analysis of Jesus’ personality which made it look like pieces of factual information rather than fiction. The Da Vinci Code casts doubts on what Christianity is and what Christianity should be, thus, causing heightened anxiety, panic and confusion to both Christian and non-Christian communities.

     The author’s style captivates the readers and somehow influences their religion, faith, belief and disbelief while keeping the details intact.

     Interesting personalities of the characters rolled into one great plot have helped the book make it to the top of the New York Times best seller collection in a span of less than a year after its release in 2003. Its film adaptation became a hit in spite of the discouragement of the Church.

Book vs. Movie
     It’s fantastic how Dan Brown gracefully weaves his ideas in The Da Vinci Code, making it powerfully enchanting and hauntingly beautiful. Packed with 105 chapters of thrill and excitement, symbologist Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu unravel the perplexity behind the Da Vinci Code.
Skillfully designed with a touch of adventure and a transparent manifestation of superficial theories, Brown makes his readers unfasten themselves from reality while leaving them in defiance through the succession of breath-taking panoramas in the story.

     The book highlights every detail with the author’s excellent choice of words and brilliant series of events. Not only do the characters engage in the quest but also take the readers with them as they flip through the pages of the novel.

     The characters act as a metaphorical device for the reader to fully understand the message of the author that is being transcended in every phase of the story. Also, the characters symbolize different situations or issues that are evident in society or sometimes they speak of the author’s point of view on certain topics or values discussed in the book.

     The movie, on the other hand, lacks the basic element of sensation and intensity, which the book had perfectly portrayed. The details are not as rich as the book’s elaboration and distinct description causing the plot to become slightly inadequate.

     However, the cinematography is commendable. The sound effects match the mood of the scenes and the dialogues.

     Unlike J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series that is better understood with the aid of the film, The Da Vinci Code is preferably read than viewed. Those who have read the book first before watching the film, might have become a little unhappy with what is shown in the movie.

     Having read the book will give a person certain standards, thus, failed expectations. The film is concerned on exhibiting effects rather than prioritizing the story line. This was the main reason why most viewers did not understand the film.

     The Da Vinci Code is one of Dan Brown’s finest masterpieces centering not only on pure adventure but also on human values.