CONTINUED
Adapting the Gap for Film
by Kris Hambrick
Certain elements of the story are very appealing: it’s got a picturesque setting, opportunities for atmospheric cinematography, and a cool monster. It has a hero exploring the unknown, the veracity of his claims under suspicion. However, it also, as written, is primarily in diary form, requiring “translation” to a more straightforward script format. And most of the action takes place with one single character, requiring either the action to be conducted without dialogue, an awkward voiceover, or the creation of additional characters and significant changes to the story. Furthermore, while possibly a fun challenge, the text offers little in the way of guidance in terms of how to depict the creature, requiring any visual medium to commit to a design rather than relying on the imagination of the reader.
None of these challenges are insurmountable, and the one attempt is charming though heavily reliant on the nostalgic premise that it’s a silent, black and white movie and not subject to the requirements of a modern audience. However, I think the main reason Blue John Gap has not been tackled is that it’s just similar enough to other stories that do not have the above challenges: namely, Doyle’s The Lost World and the works of authors like H. P. Lovecraft.
Like Blue John Gap, The Lost World concerns an expedition to a mysterious place, where creatures from the deep past may or may not lurk. Unlike the former, however, The Lost World also has a team of characters to create drama and interaction, a longer, more complex plot arc, and creatures of an already-defined nature making them simpler to design and create. Meanwhile, the world of H.P. Lovecraft has a similar appeal to the themes of Blue John Gap, including madness and primordial mysteries. But here again, Lovecraft offers a more complete world in which to create and adapt, furthermore bringing with his name a certain reputation.
Essentially, while “The Terror of Blue John Gap” offers some interesting opportunities and challenges for a filmmaker, by and large filmmakers interested in Arthur Conan Doyle will opt for the surer thing in Sherlock Holmes or Professor Challenger, and filmmakers interested in cosmic horror will have a tendency to dip into the Cthulhu mythos. Blue John Gap is just enough like one of these “easier,” and frankly better known, properties to fly under the radar except to the most devoted of Conan Doyle’s readers.
WHO IS KRIS?
Kris “Pepper” Hambrick is a lifelong Sherlockian, actor, and writer. In these varied capacities, she’s been fortunate enough to portray Sherlock Holmes on stage twice and has lectured on Holmes on film for organizations including the Seattle International Film Festival and the Left Coast Sherlock Symposium. She is currently the host of Re:Adapted, a podcast about film history, and lives in Seattle, where she is a member of the Sound of the Baskervilles.