Netflix's 'East of Eden' Adaptation Criticized for Wooden Acting

Netflix's new adaptation of John Steinbeck's "East of Eden" has been met with criticism for its performances, which reviewer Christopher Stevens described as "wooden." In his review for the Daily Mail, Stevens likened the production to "Great American Literature again, and that means everything is highly flammable – timber houses, log barns and truckloads of wooden acting."

The series, a remake helmed by Zoe Kazan, granddaughter of the original Hollywood adaptation's director Elia Kazan, attempts to capture the sprawling saga of the Trask family.

Stevens noted that British actors often adopt a particular declamatory style when performing Shakespeare, and a similar tendency seems to affect American actors tackling canonical literature. He observed that the actors in "East of Eden" "swell up, like pine planks in wet weather, and seize rigid." According to Stevens, "Every line is recited in a monotone, with equal weight given to each syllable, robbing the language of rhythm and melody."

He suggested that while American audiences may perceive this style as conveying "soul and depth," it frequently sounds as if the cast "are reading from barely legible prompt cards."

The novel, which spans from the aftermath of the US Civil War to the eve of World War I, is not as widely read by students as Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." The classic James Dean film adaptation notably focused on the latter part of the story. Stevens implied that the slow pace of the initial episodes of the new series might explain why earlier sections of the narrative are often skipped.

The review highlighted the opening scene, where the character Cathy, played by Florence Pugh, arrives in a dramatic and visually symbolic manner. Stevens described Pugh's performance as the "malevolent Cathy" as one where her "eyelids are flickering like a lizard's," even when she appears minimally conscious. However, Cathy soon departs from the central narrative, and a considerable time passes before she re-emerges.

"The rest is sententious and self-consciously literary," Stevens wrote, adding that the series employs a "symphonic soundtrack because Great Art requires an orchestra... just as Great Acting requires a carpenter."

The series is rated two out of five stars by Stevens.