The Three-Body Problem

[Drunk Monk]

Has anyone read The Three-Body Problem trilogy? It's coming to Netflix next year as a series.

--tg

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This is a trailer for the Chinese version:




--tg

The Chinese series just came up on Amazon prime. It’s 30 45 min eps. Not sure I’m going to make it through all that but I watched ep1.

Several noted researchers commit suicide leaving a note saying physics doesn’t exist. It’s tied to a science group and the government reaches out to a reluctant researcher who was approached by the group and knew the most recent suicide, a gal he was crushing on. There’s a portion connected to the cultural revolution which is fascinating because that period is seldom depicted in PRC cinema. I was intrigued but not fully engaged. I’ll like watch more…

[cranefly]

I'm aboard.  I read the novel long agp, no longer remember what the author said about difficulties covering the re-education movement.  Wish the physics were a little better deoicted.  To run an experiment and look at the results, you'd never say the data is wrong.  Rather, you'd say the theory you're using is wrong.

But it has a nice dreamy spooky atmosphere to it so far.

[cranefly]

I've watched 4 ep and have decided to bail.  Production values seem high, but it's not moving fast enough.  30 eps!

And my Mandarin is a bit rusty, so I have to depend on subtitles.  One of my pet peeves is in full force.  The subtitles seem well-done, but they're not kept on screen near long enough to read.  And the shots are plenty long to let them linger.  As it is, I see a countdown clock in my vision that tells me how long I'll get to see the next subtitle, and it always reads: 0.0001 second.  That's not long enough for persistence of vision to give an assist!

How could they do that?  A 30-ep series on one of the biggest Sf novels to come out of China.  A major investment of time and effort.  And they sink good money into solid subtitles.  Yet somewhere along the way the subtitles are given to someone who hasn't a clue about how long to show them?

I could always freeze-frame every scene to read the subtitles, but not gonna do that.

[Drunk Monk]

Well heck. If you're out on this, so am I. I'll wait for the Netflix version which I am sure will be more compact.

[Greg]

Netflix '3 Body Problem' January 2024

[Greg]

Since it's January, time for an update. March 24.

I'm cross posting this to Netflix.

[Drunk Monk]

SAN TI (aka Three Body)

I started the original Chinese version which is episodes on Amazon Prime with commercials but bailed as you can read above. Now I’m back into it after completing the Netflix adaptation.


I watched the first ep some time ago and gave up, deciding to wait for this new adaptation. Just watched e2 and it was alright.

Among the major changes in the Netflix adaptation is that the original is set in PRC and the cast isn’t multiracial. The PRC version is darker with a foreboding soundtrack and post-Wong Kar Wai neon lighting. It’s also more cerebral, explaining theoretically with cgi adaptations. It’s got a frilly edge too, not as cgi slick as Netflix, but coming from a more existential hallucinatory perspective which fits into the PRC agenda better. Also the characters are recognizable but interpreted very differently. 

I’ll watch some more. It’s like the Netflix show is the gateway to the PRC version. It’s making San Ti easier to follow.

[Drunk Monk]

Now 3 eps deep. This version follows Wang Miao, a film photographer and practical physicist developing nanofibers (reimagined as the female Auggie in the Netflix adaptation). He starts seeing the countdown in his photos. Then he starts seeing them all the time like in Netflix. Unlike Auggie, he has a wife and family. 

There’s a special agent, Shi Qiang (Benedict’s Da Shi) who is much more of an asshole than Benedict. His superior is General Chang, who seems fairly noble, unlike Thomas Wade who exemplifies pricks. Dr Ye has been introduced in contemporary times and back during the cultural revolution workin on giant dish to the constant din of pro-chicom anthems. 

This version is starting to grow on me.

[Drunk Monk]

E4 and I get why cf bailed here. It’s becoming tiresome. It doesn’t have as many characters as the Netflix version, and despite some decent hallucinatory moments, its pace is slow and repetitive. 

The nano physicist just shut down the project and made the countdown stop. There was an unexplained hallucination where he was watching a giant hand reaching for him outside his window and his wife was nagging him about what was wrong (in all fairness, he’s not forthcoming with her at all and she’s a doctor). 

I’ll likely press on eventually.

[Drunk Monk]

Skipped up to e10. The universe winking happened but they are still pondering the first suicide. He gets gifted the English book. On the whole, this feels more scientificy. There’s lots of talk. Talk talk talk. Physics. Not as fun. 
I’ll skip ahead a few more next time.