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Story by: Jack Foley
SIR Ridley Scott is never one to do things by half measures.
Having just completed his Crusades epic, Kingdom of Heaven, he
now seems to be planning another politically-sensitive historical
epic, in the form of Cormac McCarthy's acclaimed novel, Blood
Meridian.
The talented director has long been a fan of the book and has
hinted (in an interview with Empire
Online) that it may become his next project - ahead of the
likes of Tripoli and Gladiator 2.
Blood Meridian is described as an uncompromising look at the
Old West which follows the story of a young cowboy as he enlists
with a rogue band of American soldiers to commit genocide among
the Indians south of the border, in Mexico.
Under the guidance of the soldiers' blood-thirsty leader, Judge,
the young man's soul is gradually corrupted as he takes part in
some unspeakable acts of bloodshed in order to gain the respect
of his fellow riders.
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Sir Ridley believes the material
would give him the perfect opportunity to pick off another of
the icons he has long been interested in portraying - namely,
the cowboy.
"It's an amazing book," he told Empire. "But one
of the difficulties is what do you say about it, because as an
author he [McCarthy] doesn't have to give an answer to anything.
"He writes the book and says if you get it, you get it and
if you don't, you don't. And therefore there are no answers at
the end of the book."
Another problem is the high level of violence, as readers of
the book have been quick to point out (on Amazon.co.uk) that 'the
extreme (and random) violence of the novel's many gore-infested
passages is too much for many stomachs'.
Scott has already said that he is not interested in an incredibly
violent movie and is now busying himself with how best to 'give
a voice to the two central characters'
But fans of McCarthy's novel are sure to agree that Sir Ridley
would be a perfect choice for bringing such a startling vision
of the West to big screen life.
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