After reading this confusing, dark humoured and witty novel I'd say that there are several scenes that lend themselves best to film. The two (because I can't choose between them) that stand out in my mind are of Billy being mauled by Weary and of Billy's final moments before death.
The scene where Billy is being beaten up by Weary would be an excellent vision for film because it gives the audience a chance to feel emotion towards the characters. While I was reading the novel I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters. It would seem that way in a movie as well, just the storytelling of Billy's life and not much excitement. Suddenly you see Weary beating the crap out of Billy because he had to separate from the other two Musketeers (who later get shot) and make sure that he doesn't desert his so called friend Billy. "Crazy, Sexy and Murderous" is how Weary's relationships with people were described as in the book and this would definitely be said by the narrator in the movie. Just picture a loud but clam voice saying those three simple words as you see Billy being yelled at, shoved, punched. When the last word, murderous, is said the background music stops and it zooms out to show the audience a crystal clear view of German soldiers staring down at Weary getting ready to kick Billy's sickly spine. A dramatic pause ensues.
Later in the movie....there is a final scene of Billy travelling through time, a sort of warp with moments blurring past him and voices all around. Soon his own voice becomes prominent over the other voices and Billy is warped into the moment of himself giving a speech before his death. There is a full shot panning the auditorium, then zooming in to a mid shot of Billy giving his speech. As he begins to tell the audience of his nearing death the camera goes from face to face in the room. Some are shocked and frantic, while others stare with disbelief. The motion quickens as Billy's speech is winding down and a symphony of instruments gets louder as the moment tenses. Billy is awaiting his death, everyone in the room knows its soon, the music is getting louder and louder BAM! Billy's voice can't be heard anymore, the people are frantically running out of the auditorium but their noise can't be heard either, the whole scene is silence with lots of movement. Finally there is a full body shot of the killer walking away with a gun in hand and the audience is left thinking of the persons identity.
Those are the two scenes from the novel that I think would lend themselves great to film and that is how I would film them to emphasize the reaction I had while reading. I think that Vonnegut wrote those scenes very well, the description wasn't too boring that I'd want to skip to the next page (like scenes from Mayor of Casterbridge) and I felt that Billy as a character was shown in a different light other than being pathetic and boring. Yes, it was pathetic that he was being beaten by Weary in the first scene I chose, but I think that taking a beating like that without making lots of noise or fighting back also showed that Billy knew his place (the bottom, the victim) he didn't try to fight it. It is also arguable that he didn't try to avoid being shot and that's pathetic. I think that he believes in fate and that no matter what someone would have shot him. There's no point in prolonging his death because he would live in fear of it, its better to just get it over with and be like the Tralfamadorians (to die is just one moment, there are plenty of other moments when the person is still alive). That is why I wouldn't necessarily consider Billy to be pathetic in those two scenes and I felt they would lend themselves well to film.
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