Sahara - an important lesson for all authors of adventure

Like many people, I enjoy reading Clive Cussler's adventure novels. Dirk Pitt is a proper hero. He's just about believable and manages to get out of the most amazing scrapes using technology and his own skills. He's an all-action man with intellect and meets an rescues some very beautiful and intelligent women. He's also a car nut so I feel that I have a good deal in common with him but really that's where the similarity ends.

Back in 2006, I heard about the court case in Hollywood featuring Clive Cussler. He'd fallen out with the principal backer of the film, billionaire Philip Anschutz. Cussler claimed the script wasn't true to his original story and Anschutz reckoned Cussler had deceived him over how many books he'd sold. They ended up counter-suing each other and have probably spent more in legal fees than the 5-8 million dollars they've been awarded by various courts and judges. What could have been an exciting new film franchise was practically still-born and Cussler claimed that his professional reputation as a writer had actually been damaged by the resulting film.

This week I have had "Sahara" on loan from the library. On the DVD case there is no mention of Dirk Pitt -- just the fact that it is based on the Clive Cussler story. Cussler had disowned the project way before it reached the box office.

Having watched it, I can see why Clive Cussler had such reservations about it. As played by Matthew McConaughey, the Dirk Pitt in the film is nothing like the character that I had developed from reading Clive Cussler's novels. The literary Dirk Pitt is a is an intelligent, sophisticated, risk-taking expert, the ultimate gentleman adventurer you might say, and not the scruffy yob as "Sahara" portrays him. And his sidekick, Al Giordino, is supposed to be an Italian not some little Scandinavian bloke (Steve Zahn). There was the kernel of an interesting story but it was let down by the usual Hollywood gung ho shoot 'em up, all-Americans-are-a-cut-above-the-rest-of-the-world style. Consequently, this film had limited appeal since it was targeted at teenage American kids who aspire to be scruffy and aren't all that bright.

"Sahara" could have had all sorts of things going for it but the film industry got it horribly wrong. And not for the first time, either. The first Dirk Pitt film, "Raise the Titanic!", sank without trace. It's unlikely that there will be any other Dirk Pitt films.

It didn't have to be like this. The story needed much more subtle handling and a proper Italian person to take the part of Al Giordino. The script needed to be wound in to make it just a bit more credible. The attempts at humour needed to be successes at humour or not included at all. If it had been aimed at an adult target audience the over the top style that seems to be required to keep the attention of a bored child would not be necessary.

There are one or two great set pieces. I really like the iron clad boat and the bit where Dirk amd Al make a sand yacht out of an old biplane. Keep the environmental goody two shoes aspects by all means but don't make them so heavy-handed.

Finally, consult the author. For what I gather, directors do not like the author of the books upon which their films are based to be on set that they could have at the least use Clive Cussler as a script consultant. I'm sure he wouldn't have made some of these mistakes because he's such a good storyteller. Watching "Sahara" has made me wonder about what might happen if ever I am offered a large amount of money in return for the film rights to "The Horsepower Whisperer". On past performance, I don't think Hollywood would really understand what The Soul Trader trilogy is all about.

But -- to be perfectly honest -- I think I am worrying about this prematurely, perhaps even unnecessarily. And if the latest statistics are to be believed, gaming is now proving far more popular than either books or films.