Bartlebyby Anonymous

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July 17, 2003: I saw this film many years ago in high school, in the school theatre, where all the classes were obliged to go, in order to get maximum value out of a film rental (pre-video days, pretty much). The whole school naturally began saying ''I would prefer not to'' by the end of the week. It's a very dark film, and disturbed me then, for I was unable to grasp the meaning of the story; and I was not entirely sure whether I was disposed to feel fond of the principal character or not. However, having just seen the remake, I recall the stately mood of the earlier piece, and the feeling that it was supposed to be darkly humorous, but at 16 I was not sure. I still am not. It's worth seeing, especially if you are reading the story in class, as it is a very faithful adaptation; and visually the film pays great attention to detail, and its use of color is rich but sombre.