Best version of Huck Finn?
 

Actually is there a good version or definitive version of Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? I did see the one with Elijah Wood when I was a kid, but never cared too much for it?

Has anyone seen the 1920 silent version?

Re: Best version of Huck Finn?
 

None of them are particularly good. Have not seen the silent version, but it isn't well known so I doubt it is a big deal. The 1960 is the best of a mediocre lot. It is fairly close to the book and has the best supporting cast of all the versions.

The best Jim is the 1939 version with the great Rex Ingram, but Mickey Rooney is miscast as Huck.

Re: Best version of Huck Finn?
 

The best thing about the 1960 version is the Jerome Moross score. The 1930s version isn't as good as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer made at almost the same time. I haven't seen any silent versions. It really needs to be redone as accurately as possible, maybe with Soderbergh or Alfonso Cuaron directing.

Re: Best version of Huck Finn?
 

Those sound like good choices, but I'm not sure either is known for their Twainian "whimsy", which might be something essential to an accurate adaptation.

Not familiar with Alfonso Cuaron, but Soderbergh would be a great choice. After seeing King of the Hill, I'm certain he could bring out the dark humor in the text, which is absent from the Disney version I saw a long time ago.

Re: Best version of Huck Finn?
 

The 1969 adapatation of William Faulkner's The The Reivers is an excellent film starring Steve McQueen and has some qualities similiar to Huckleberry Finn.

Re: Best version of Huck Finn?
 

Faulkner and Twain couldn't be farther from each other literarily, but the locale is probably similar sure.

Agreed. I'm going to watch the 1960 version here soon, but my impression is that all the films of the story are family oriented, which means they leave out a lot of the cruelty of the novel.

There's many dark scenes in the book; Huck being abused by his father, Jim being dressed up as the Arab, the thieves potential drowning in the steamship, and Huck finding the dead body of a good friend.

It seems like most versions focus on the adventures and the basic anti-slavery race message and leave out the misanthropic tones of Twain when he comments on religion, how fake people can be, fighting, family honor, mob mentality and so on. One of the best scenes from the book is when Sherburn confronts the lynch mob, but is that even in any of the films?

Re: Best version of Huck Finn?
 

Ooooh, good question / thread idea.

Re: Best version of Huck Finn?
 

It's funny that I googled my question at school the other day, and this MoFo thread actually came up.

Anyway, if I was looking for a movie as close to the book as possible what would be my best bet?