Compare and Contrast: The Show vs The Book vs Movie Adaptations vs History

[ybrik]

The show is supposed to take place 20 years before the book 'Treasure Island'. The show also takes place in the real world of 1710's in the Caribbean with real life historical figures.

 

So this topic is to discuss the show version of these people from the book and real world. Marked as spoiler since some people may not have read the book and/or not know the history of the real life people.

[WatchrTina]

Well, as long as we have this forum, I've got a question.  Last night I was reading a historical novel (Quicksilver, Book 1 of The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson) and the pirate Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard, shows up for a few chapters.  The book is set in precisely the same time frame as Season 1 of Black Sails.  Unless I'm mis-remembering, isn't Blackbeard mentioned in the first episode of Season 1?  Isn't that who John Silver was told he was going to meet when his new shipmates dragged him to the whorehouse for his welcome-to-the-crew orgy?

 

At the end of season 1 we meet Charles Vane's childhood nemesis -- a gigantic former pirate with a huge black beard.  He is never named in the show and while the actor is given a name in the credits ("Albinus" if I've read IMDb correctly) I think that might be a red herring.

 

The historical Blackbeard was not murdered by Captain Charles Vane (also a historical figure) and I doubt if the actual Charles Vane was a member of Blackbeard's crew when he was a child (as was hinted at by the show) so I guess the big guy is not Blackbeard -- at least not the historical Blackbeard.  But I wonder if the show -- having made the decision not to include the historical Blackbeard in the story -- decided to hint at his existence (and fictional death) by letting viewers who are not doing their homework think that Vane killed the famous pirate Blackbeard.

Edited January 26, 2015 by WatchrTina

[WatchrTina]

In tonight's episode John Silver, (not yet "Long John") shared that he didn't much want to be a pirate, didn't like ships, and didn't really like the sea.  That made me feel quite sad for him since we know he's still going to be a pirate many years on, when Treasure Island is set.  It also suggests that he's not going to get his big score from the Urca de Lima.  Otherwise, why would he still be pirating many year's on?

[Ashura77]

Yup, that's the guy John thinks he will have to face, poor guy was already fearing for his life, loved that little twist, because I really thought it would be the infamous Edward Teach/Thatch/Tatch/whatever waiting on the other side, but no, only a little hairy welcome present for the new guy :)

The guy on the island, Albinus, was not Blackbeard, not sure where I read it, but I think it was on the Black Sails facebook page where they clarified that question, though the rumours that it was him persist, don't ask me why. The real Blackbeard died on his ship, supposedly shot and stabbed a dozen times and more before actually giving up and dying, at least that is what I remember, or think I remember lol, but it was something along those lines. In my opinion, the guy on the island was just a huge douche, probably boy-molesting to top all his vices and serving to give Charles Vane an interesting back-story. Real-life Charles Vane didn't sail under Blackbeard but a Captain called Henry Jennings, before he became his own Captain.

But a question, do we know they won't include Blackbeard? Did they say anything like that? Because after Lowe's too short appearance I hoped that maybe a certain Uber-Captain may sail by to spank Hornigold, Vane, Flint and Rackham lol, it would only be fitting to have him present.

[ToastnBacon]

We are getting Blackbeard in season three, and I have high hopes for what it will add to the plot.

The historical Blackbeard was known to have a fleet of as many as four ships and he would cooperate with other pirate crews to take down large prizes.

I think it will will mesh nicely with Vane and Flint teaming up because Blackbeard was all about using fear as his primary weapon, as that seems to be Flint and Vane's current mantra.

Edited March 29, 2015 by ToastnBacon

[BusyOctober]

Question for all of you TI aficionados...is there one version of the movie that is better than another ?  I'd really like to revisit this story and the characters, but not the Muppet version please!  I read a very abbreviated, kid friendly version of Treasure Island when I was 9, but that was a verrrrry long time ago.

Thanks for your recommendations!

Edited April 3, 2017 by BusyOctober

[ulkis]

On 4/3/2017 at 2:57 PM, BusyOctober said:

Question for all of you TI aficionados...is there one version of the movie that is better than another ?  I'd really like to revisit this story and the characters, but not the Muppet version please!  I read a very abbreviated, kid friendly version of Treasure Island when I was 9, but that was a verrrrry long time ago.

Thanks for your recommendations!

I started watching the one with Eddie Izzard and it seems okay so far.

Edited April 6, 2017 by ulkis

[Scaeva]

On 4/3/2017 at 1:57 PM, BusyOctober said:

Question for all of you TI aficionados...is there one version of the movie that is better than another ?  I'd really like to revisit this story and the characters, but not the Muppet version please!  I read a very abbreviated, kid friendly version of Treasure Island when I was 9, but that was a verrrrry long time ago.

Thanks for your recommendations!

The one with Charlton Heston as Long John Silver, Oliver Reed as Billy Bones, and a young Christian Bale as Jim Hawkins. (the book's protagonist)

It was a TV movie from 1990 but very well made considering when it was made, and was the closest to the book of all the film adaptions. 

The most recent one with Eddie Izzard is the absolute worst. It bares only passing resemblance to the book it was adapted from, one of the heroes from the book has been transformed into a cartoonish villain,  and it has a terrible ending:

Jim throws the treasure overboard in the end, because the filmmakers wanted to make a hamfisted statement about greed and materialism or something, rather than just retelling a fun pirate yarn. Fuck that.

Edited April 6, 2017 by kariyaki
Post moved to spoiler-approved thread, removed tags

[ulkis]

@BusyOctober  I finished the Eddie Izzard movie and I actually really liked it. I went to check the reviews on imdb and I saw it has mixed reviews. I guess it has a lot of additions that people aren't fans of, but since I didn't read the book, I was okay with them. 

14 hours ago, Scaeva said:

The most recent one with Eddie Izzard is the absolute worst. It bares only passing resemblance to the book it was adapted from, one of the heroes from the book has been transformed into a cartoonish villain,  and it has a terrible ending:

Heh, I was just replying in this thread to say I really liked it, but I've only skimmed through the book. That's the nice thing about a lot of adaptations. 

It may have also helped that I watched the 1934 version before that, which was so-so. The kid who played Jim Hawkins stuck out his lower lip in a pout most of the movie that was extremely aggravating.

Edited April 6, 2017 by ulkis

[Scaeva]

42 minutes ago, ulkis said:

@BusyOctober  I finished the Eddie Izzard movie and I actually really liked it. I went to check the reviews on imdb and I saw it has mixed reviews. I guess it has a lot of additions that people aren't fans of, but since I didn't read the book, I was okay with them. I feel like if one hasn't read the book and liked Black Sails, they'll probably like the movie.

Heh, I was just replying in this thread to say I really liked it, but I've only skimmed through the book. That's the nice thing about a lot of adaptations. 

It may have also helped that I watched the 1934 version before that, which was so-so. The kid who played Jim Hawkins stuck out his lower lip in a pout most of the movie that was extremely aggravating.

I used to love the 1934 version as a kid. I think I watched it so often the VHS tape finally broke. I haven't seen it since then however, so I was reluctant to recommend it. I wonder if I could even make it through that movie now.

[ulkis]

3 hours ago, Scaeva said:

I used to love the 1934 version as a kid. I think I watched it so often the VHS tape finally broke. I haven't seen it since then however, so I was reluctant to recommend it. I wonder if I could even make it through that movie now.

I think if it's the only adaptation you've watched, like it was for me, it's fine, but otherwise it didn't have much to recommend it.

Edited April 6, 2017 by ulkis