Entertainment
How do you adapt 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' into a TV show? By taking creative risks.
When Colombian director Laura Mora was first approached about joining the team tasked with adapting Gabriel García Márquez’s novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude” into a TV series, she was more than skeptical.
“I first heard of the project back in 2018, and I remember saying, ‘What is this madness?’ ” Mora said in Spanish in a Zoom interview. “How could they possibly want to do this? I was terrified. I really thought it was an act of folly. Irresponsible, even.”
José Rivera, who would eventually pen the scripts that changed Mora’s mind, was initially just as wary.
“I’m not going to go watch that,” he recalled thinking when he heard about what Netflix was trying to do. “It’s going to suck. They’re going to blow it. It’s not going to be good.”
But as was the case with everyone who eventually signed on for what’s an ambitious and assured adaptation (Part 1, consisting of eight episodes, is now available to stream), Rivera, Mora, fellow series director Alex García López and the entire creative team realized that the best way to guarantee the series would have made García Márquez proud was to take the plunge and make it their own. To honor it but to let go of the idea of being wholly faithful to it.
Published in 1967, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” earned the Colombian novelist known affectionately as “Gabo” a Nobel prize in Literature in 1982. More than 50 years since its publication, the story of the Buendía family and the tragicomic events that ravage their small town of Macondo remains one of the most beloved novels of the 20th century.
In García Márquez’s prose, Macondo is Colombia and Colombia is Macondo. An entire sense of history was contained within its melodramatic stories. The town founded by José Arcadio Buendía (played by Marco González as a young man and Diego Vásquez as his older version in the series) with his wife, Úrsula Iguarán (played by Susana Morales and later by Marleyda Soto), slowly tracks the arrival of mysticism, then science, later still politics and the Church. Macondo soon finds itself at the heart of a political civil war wherein Buendía’s grown son, Col. Aureliano Buendía (Claudio Cataño), becomes a revolutionary leader destined for glory and infamy.
The novel covers so much ground that adapting it had long seemed impossible. Rumblings about Hollywood taking a stab at it followed the book ever since it had been published, with people as varied as Anthony Quinn and William Friedkin expressing interest at some point over the last few decades. But García Márquez, who died in 2014, always resisted such offers.
With the arrival of streaming giants like Netflix and their commitment to bolstering local talent and productions, García Márquez’s family — which includes his son, filmmaker Rodrigo García — saw a chance to give “One Hundred Years of Solitude” the adaptation it deserved, one that would be shot in Spanish and in Colombia with mostly Colombian talent in front and behind the camera. (The series uses English subtitles.)
García serves as an executive producer on the show but said he tried to not be too involved. He knew his mere presence might have distracted the creative team.
“I did say that I thought a lot of the adaptations that have been done with my dad’s work suffered from too much respect for the book,” he said over Zoom. “And too much awe for the writer. I told them they should feel free to truly adapt it.”
García Márquez’s poetic language and his iconic imagery were always going to be hard to translate into the language of episodic television, especially since the book didn’t follow a neat timeline.
Rivera, who was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay for “The Motorcycle Diaries” (2004), knew that to tell the Buendías’ story he’d have to wrangle the novel’s circular sense of time. In the drafts for the show’s 16 episodes — which then were fleshed out and co-written by a coterie of Colombian writers, including Natalia Santa, Camila Brugés, Albatrós González and María Camila Arias — Rivera tidied up the chronology of the show’s titular century, which begins roughly in 1850 and ends in the middle of the 20th century.
That alone unlocked a way to structure into 16 hours of what is otherwise a 400-page novel that features little dialogue and covers six generations of the Buendía family — not to mention civil wars, bloody massacres, illicit love affairs, family betrayals, ill-fated marriages, cold-blooded executions and everything in between.
Another signficant obstacle was how to import García Márquez’s signature sensibility onto the small screen. Mora and García López worked to ground the world of the series in a believable, tangible reality. Shot on location in Colombia with sets that allow characters to move freely in long wandering shots, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” has a handcrafted, theatrical sensibility.
“One of the great gambles of the language of the series was precisely the chance to distance ourselves from that magical realism that has often been interpreted as a fantastic place, and embrace it instead as a poetic place,” Mora said. “A place where our reality, sometimes because of its beauty and harshness, surpasses any fiction. To do so not in an artificial way but in a very artisanal way, instead.”
“The book is well known to be a book with magical flourishes,” García adds. “But it is also a very grounded, realistic, psychological story of relationships. Of desires and frustrations. I think that’s what keeps the book alive. It’s about life.”
The currency of “One Hundred Years of Solitude” hasn’t diminished precisely because Gabo’s stories have long served as both a chronicle and a warning. As history and template.
“One of the things that marks a great work is precisely that it doesn’t lose its relevance,” Mora said. “That it always gives us insight into the world we live in. It doesn’t matter when it was written. The author becomes a prophet of his times.”
For its cast, the series’ themes — on political violence and a divided people, on the cost of peace and the price of corruption, on families torn apart and traumas passed from generation to generation — remain as topical as ever. And not nearly as local as they may at first appear.
Even as the show is clearly rooted in Colombia, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” is a text that transcends borders.
“The contradictions at the heart of the human experience will forever resonate across time,” said Cataño, who plays the famed Aureliano Buendía. “It is a theme with which all races on Earth can identify. All of humankind’s dualities and ambiguities are the dualities and ambiguities that exist in these characters. It is impossible not to identify with them.”
“I think its significance and relevance comes from the fact that we have gradually lost our memory,” Vásquez adds. “The cycle just keeps repeating itself.”
It’s a bleak message. But one that by its very nature, and as the Buendías themselves learn, will never get old. And it will continue to resonate not just in Colombia but elsewhere. Particularly in countries that face challenges with the very issues of power-hungry figures Gabo sketched out close to half a century ago.
“The book touches on many universals, one of which is the ever-present problem of tyranny,” Rivera says. “The idea of revolution and revolutionary fervor is universal. And it’s apropos to today, if you understand that Trump is a tyrant, or a would-be tyrant. Then we’ll have to ask ourselves, Where is our revolutionary spirit? Who is our Aureliano?”
This is why Mora is most excited, if apprehensive, about exporting this most Colombian of stories to a global audience once more.
“I do wonder how this may resonate in a place like the United States, in a country that is so divided at the moment,” Mora says. “But then I think that the whole world is very polarized. And ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ gives us insight into how difficult and dangerous such a divided world can be, and about how poetry and beauty are also what can save us.”
Movie Reviews
Bandar Movie Review: Bobby Deol roars in Anurag Kashyap’s unsettling legal thriller that refuses to spoon-feed
Name: Bandar
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Bobby Deol, Sanya Malhotra, Sapna Pabbi, Saba Azad, Jitendra Joshi, Raj B Shetty
Writer: Sudip Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5/5
Plot:
Bandar follows Sameer Mehra’s character, essayed by Bobby Deol, a fading star who is desperately clinging to his past glory. Just as he attempts to rebuild his life and finds solace in a new relationship, his world comes crashing down. A former girlfriend files a heinous allegation against him, dragging him into a vicious, high-profile legal battle. Written by Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee, the film moves away from standard Bollywood courtroom setups. Instead, it dives straight into the murky waters of social media trials, public perception, and a sluggish judicial system where the truth gets buried under layers of gray.
What works:
Known for his chaotic energy, Anurag Kashyap takes a remarkably mature and controlled approach here. He avoids sensationalizing a highly sensitive topic, choosing instead to focus on the psychological claustrophobia of the protagonist. The prison sequences are exceptionally well-shot. They create a suffocating, raw atmosphere that makes you feel the weight of the character’s confinement. The script successfully avoids preachy, black-and-white monologues. It bravely forces the audience to confront their own biases regarding modern-day public trials and the digital judge-and-jury culture.
What doesn’t:
Clocking in at nearly two hours and twenty minutes, Bandar feels heavily weighed down in the second half. The narrative stretches thin, and a few subplots demand too much patience, making you wish for a tighter edit. The film stubbornly refuses to take a definitive moral stance or offer a neat resolution. While film enthusiasts might appreciate the complexity, mainstream viewers looking for a clear-cut ending or emotional payoff might walk away feeling detached and frustrated.
Performances:
- Bobby Deol is the beating heart of this film. Stripping away the massive macho swagger and menacing villainy of his recent hits, he delivers a deeply vulnerable, understated performance. He plays Samar with a mix of arrogance, confusion, and raw helplessness, proving his immense range.
- Sanya Malhotra anchors her screen time with her trademark reliability, turning in a grounded and impactful performance.
- Saba Azad and Sapna Pabbi excel in their respective roles, bringing genuine nuance to characters that could have easily been sidelined.
- Jitendra Joshi is an absolute scene-stealer, commanding your attention every single time he steps into the frame.
- Indrajith Sukumaran and Raj B Shetty are absolute show stealers with their raw acting.
Final Verdict:
Bandar is an unsettling, morally complex thriller that refuses to spoon-feed its audience. It isn’t a comfortable watch, nor does it try to be. While the sluggish pacing in the second half prevents it from being an absolute masterpiece, it is worth a watch for Bobby Deol’s spectacular acting reinvention and Anurag Kashyap’s gritty, thought-provoking storytelling.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of Pinkvilla. No statement in this article is intended to defame, harm, or malign any individual or entity.
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Kathy Hilton will no longer be the grand marshal of West Hollywood’s pride parade.
The city and WeHo Pride on Wednesday released a joint statement, announcing that “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star would no longer serve as the Grand Marshal Icon for the 2026 WeHo Pride Parade. The event is scheduled for Sunday.
“After thoughtful discussions, the City of West Hollywood, the WeHo Pride production team, and Kathy Hilton have determined that the 2026 WeHo Pride Parade will not designate a Grand Marshal Icon honoree,” read the statement.
The decision comes less than a week after Hilton was announced. That May 28 announcement was met with swift backlash from the LGBTQ+ community and allies, who called out Hilton’s ties to President Trump and alleged MAGA-leaning politics. Critics also cited accusations that the socialite had used a homophobic slur while on a trip with other cast members of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” an action she has previously denied.
In their joint statement, West Hollywood and the WeHo Pride team expressed their appreciation for “the respectful and sincere dialogue” around both the event and the “role and significance” of Pride honorees.
“The City of West Hollywood has always believed that Pride belongs to the community,” the joint statement said. “Since its earliest days, Pride has served as both a celebration and a platform for activism, visibility, resilience, and the ongoing pursuit of equality, dignity, and justice for LGBTQ+ people. … These conversations reflect the passion people have for WeHo Pride and underscore the importance of ensuring that WeHo Pride continues to honor the history, values, and diverse voices of the LGBTQ+ community.”
In a statement, Hilton expressed gratitude for being considered for grand marshal and reaffirmed her commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and causes.
“My reason for wanting to be involved in this year’s WeHo Pride weekend was simple: to celebrate, support, and share in the joy of a community that means a great deal to so many people,” Hilton said. “Pride is, and always will be, about celebrating and uplifting LGBTQ+ voices, experiences, and achievements. … My support for the community and WeHo Pride is unwavering.”
She also mentioned several queer advocacy organizations and events she has supported over the years, including GLAAD, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, Dr. Mathilde Krim, God’s Love We Deliver and Project Angel Food.
The latest Pride-related dust-up follows the abrupt cancellation of the Long Beach Pride Festival in May. The city’s Pride Parade took place as planned.
Both snafus have occurred as conservative politicians and advocates continue to attack LGBTQ+ rights and visibility nationwide. Some Republican governors have even pushed for conservative alternatives to Pride month festivities. A recent Gallup poll has found that after years of steady gains, support for marriage equality and same-sex relationships has slipped, particularly among Republicans.
Movie Reviews
Movie Review: Travolta’s “Propeller: One-Way Night Coach” is One for the Ages — All Ages
Back in the good ol’days — the ’90s — John Travolta would love to get off the topic of “Michael,” “Pulp Fiction” or “Get Shorty” in interviews with film journalists like me and regale us with how utterly besotted he had been with his first flying experience, how that drove his passion for piloting and buying planes and airfield-adjacent luxury houses.
He didn’t even seem to mind having to move house when this or that development balked at him flying his Boeing 707 out of there on the way to locations.
Travolta would tell any journalist who asked that he was writing a kid-friendly book, “Propeller: One Way Night Coach,” based on his first flights as a child in old propeller driven airliners — cheap red-eye overnight treks with too many connections for your average jet age traveller to tolerate.
I remember picking up the book when it came out later in the ’90s — at an airport gift shop — and thinking “Well, that’s as cute as I figured.”
And now, decades later and trapped in the B-movie hell of his post “Gotti” career, Travolta’s turned that cute book into the most delightful, fanciful and colorful bon bon of a movie.
“One Way Night Coach” is a child’s fantasy of flight and flying the way it used to be — with pristine, uncrowded, futuristic airports, an early ’60s era of jets and prop planes with over-uniformed stewardesses in white gloves, the days “Back before every Joe Sweatsock could wedge himself behind a lunch tray and jet off to Raleigh-Durham,” as Sideshow Bob memorably sneered on “The Simpsons’.”
It’s a fictionalized account of Travolta’s childhood about an only child (at least two Travolta siblings have bit parts in this movie) of a never-made-it/never-will actress/single-mom (Kelly Eviston-Quinnett) who indulges her aviation-obsessed eight-year-old with a cheap cross-country overnight flight.
Little Jeff (Clark Shotwell) will revel in almost every Idlewild to Pittsburgh to Dayton to Chicago to Kansas City to Denver and Los Angeles minute. He strolls into the cockpit to meet pilots, charms the stewardesses and checks out the sleeping bunks on the TWA Lockheed Super Constellation, loving even the delays if not the Chicken Cordon Bleu he’s offered on legs of the journey that offer a meal.
And as he’s an observant child, he comments (Travolta narrates) on his 50ish mother’s vamping and posing, her choice of cigarettes (Newports) and drinks, the solo traveling men whose attention she pursues and earns.
“I was her best audience,” adult Jeff remembers of the mother who’d read him plays as bedtime stories and delusionally hopes that this trip to Los Angeles might be her “big break” even though she’s pushing 50.
“Hollywood called,” she’d explain about their overnight cheap flight arrangements to ticket agents and crew. “They told me to take the next flight!”
At every turn, Jeff meets or sees kindness — stewardesses who indulge his many questions and bump them up to first class on the mostly-empty planes, a captain who fixes his toy model of a Constellation, a mentally ill flyer who flips out but is calmed by a flight attendant who isn’t overworked and frazzled in jet-powered tin-can jammed with Joe and Jane Sweatsocks who think nothing of traveling in their pajamas.
Normally, I cringe at pictures this reliant on voice-over narration. I recoil from stars who populate their picture with Sandler etc. offspring. But “Propeller” is unfailingly sweet and never cloying.
Sure, it’s fictionalized. But if you’ve followed Travolta’s life and career, a lot of him is in this — his raptoruous engagement with flying, an indulged child who developed a taste for fine food and creature comforts, a mother who was his guiding star as an actor.
I get why there are less adoring reviews than mine floating around “Propeller.” It’s unfailingly sweet. Mom’s man-hunting is seriously dated. This TWA tale is decorated with Gershwin’s majestic “Rhapsody in Blue” — United Airlines’ signature tune. And Travolta’s been around long enough for recent generations to come up and not feel a connection to the “Saturday Night Fever/Get Shorty” star whose career has fallen off and life has been visited by too much tragedy.
But I’d hate to be seated next to anybody who doesn’t appreciate this adorable, pristine and nearly perfect aviation fantasy on any flight, much less an overnight one.
Rating: TV-PG
Cast: Clark Shotwell, Kelly Eviston-Quinnett, Ellen Travolta, Ella Beau Travolta, Olga Hoffmann and John Travolta.
Credits: Scripted and directed by John Travolta, based on his book. An Apple TV+ release.
Running time: 1:01
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