The Real Reason Netflix Changed All the Light We Cannot See Book Ending
'I remember reading the book, and it killed me. It really hurt me,' the director said.
Summary
- All the Light We Cannot See is an adaptation of an acclaimed novel by Anthony Doerr.
- However, the series was received coldly due to plot discrepancies.
- The creators shared their reasons.
Less than two weeks ago, on 2 November, Netflix delivered yet another book adaptation. This time, the streaming service did not have to contend with the loyal fan bases of anime and fantasy franchises, but with a much more reputable colossus. All the Light We Cannot See is based on Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name.
The main challenge was to faithfully adapt a deep and complex narrative that explores the horrors of World War II, responsibility for one's own actions, and the fate of French civilians under Nazi occupation. Unfortunately, the limited series was not well received, due to significant discrepancies with the book. The creators revealed the reason for their decision.
An Adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize Winning Book
The new Neftlix series follows two main characters. The first is a blind French girl, Marie-Laure, who has fled the Germans to the coastal town of Saint-Malo, where her great-uncle lived. The second is Werner, a young Wehrmacht soldier whose talent for repairing radios is discovered by the Nazis, who recruit him to track the radio frequencies of potential enemies.
Plot Discrepancies
Audiences and critics did not appreciate the changes. The decision to leave Werner's fate open was a major departure. In the book, after being captured by the Americans, he was severely debilitated, hospitalised and died after stepping on a landmine. The show decided that his actions were worthy of redemption, giving the audience hope for his possible reunion with Marie-Laure.
Moreover, Anthony Doerr provided readers with an epilogue in which Werner's sister learns of her brother's tragic fate and sets out to find Marie-Laure. With a model of her house in Saint-Malo, where Werner kept the key to the grotto with the hidden Sea of Flames, the finale was a reminder that eyewitnesses of the events are haunted to old age by the terrible events that took away loved ones and the hope of a happy life with them. However, the series ended on a clichéd note, with Marie-Laure throwing the gem into the sea.
The Creators Defend the Changes
Unfortunately, the adaptation fails to capture many of the nuances that Doerr put into his book. However, as the modern world is torn apart by horrific events that exhaust the last rays of hope, the filmmakers' explanation may be valid.
'We talked about a lot of things to do with the ending changing, and we decided by just not showing the very end – where it jumps forward in time and there's some sadness and tragedy – we didn't have to show that,' executive producer Dan Levine told Tudum.
Co-executive producer and director Shawn Levy expressed similar sentiments.
'Fans of the book know that the last 50 pages have a few deeply traumatic, horrific occurrences that happen to characters we love,' Levy said. 'I remember reading the book, and it killed me. It really hurt me.'
As the show's sole writer, Steven Knight, has pointed out, the open-ended nature suggests a subjective interpretation that may well follow or deviate from the final events of the book, depending on what the viewer was trying to see in the show.
'There's nothing in the TV adaptation to suggest that the things in [Doerr's] postscript don't happen,' he explained. 'They could still happen, but we're choosing not to look in that direction.'
Source: Tudum.