A Single Man is Christopher Isherwood’s commentary on the
life of a single man in 1960’s America. “A single man” here means two things:
just one man of millions (in this case George Falconer, a university English professor in
his mid-fifties) but also a man who is not married nor has he any children. In those
days, specifically L.A. in 1962, a man of George’s age was supposed to be
married with a handful of kids. George is not married, lives alone, and
despises children. He is the odd man out; he does not belong. It doesn't help
that he is in fact gay and still mourning (after eight months) the loss of his
lover Jim to a freak car crash. George wears a thin mask of sanity; under his
calm, cool demeanor he is thinking about death, an eternity spent alone, and his
future without Jim. He is a strong character though, dealing with the loss of
someone precious to him in a society that wouldn't give a damn because he is
not like everyone else.
The book is masterful. It’s a sheer pleasure to read Isherwood’s prose. He writes so poetically about despair and loss. George is so wonderfully characterized that he feels very real to the reader. The major draw of the novel, though, is the fact that it all takes place in one day. It opens with George waking up, going through his daily routines, all the while sad and thinking about his Jim. It ends with his going to sleep at the end of that very same day. George meets many colorful characters along the way (the drunk divorced Charlotte, George's ever-curious and good-looking student Kenny, among others) that paint the scene with interesting interactions and different views on life in 60s So. Cal. Isherwood reminds me of Cunningham; the two authors write so beautifully about life, and in most cases it’s a life somehow lacking. Their characters, especially George Falconer, are missing something special and necessary to lead a happy life. It’s depressing stuff, but written with such skill and command over the language one cannot discount it. Please, read this book!
I wish I could say avoid the movie but I simply cannot. The
film version, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, is adequate. It’s one of
those novel-to-film adaptations that has almost every plot point included,
almost a visual and audible translation of the book. Having read the book, a
fuller, more personal experience, the movie feels hollow. You don’t get that
extra information or emotion that you get from being inside someone’s head. Also,
there is a heavy emphasis on visual storytelling in the film. Directed by
fashion designer and first time filmmaker Tom Ford, A Single Man employs
fanciful cinematography, clever visual tricks, and a haunting, sweeping score to color the emotional
palette. When emotions get hot in the film, the colors are digitally brightened
right before your eyes and reds, blues, yellows and other sharp tones pop. It’s
a nifty trick and one used skillfully. It does somehow feel surface level though. As much as I enjoy a faithful adaptation, and often scoff at added bits, A Single Man is the exception. Never once in the book does George consider suicide, but the movie has him carry a loaded revolver around in case things get too heavy for him to deal. The most arresting scene in the movie, excellently acted by Firth, shows George putting the revolver in his mouth, trying different positions in which to end his life. He tries the shower, the bed, even climbs in a sleeping bag in order to leave minimal mess. It's a scene you simply can't look away from.
A Single Man is a brilliant book, one you could devour in
one sitting. The film honors the story as best as it can without digging too
deep into George’s fragile emotional state. The film feels a bit showy like,
well, like a fashion designer rather than a seasoned dramatist directed it. But
that’s okay because it’s different. I strongly recommend the book. The
movie is something to seek out if you are curious and want to experience
something out of the ordinary as far as high-brow film making goes.
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