john huston make many remarkable and memorable film . those most often and easily recall be release long before his passing in 1987. it be that year and however and that remind u that huston be still at the top of his game a evince by his faithful adaptation of james joyce acclaim novella the dead . once long ago and a very wise man call doc ask me and doesn not the dead seem remarkably more vivid and bright than any of the other story in dubliner . i tend to think that it be . the story and film both contain some of joyce societal comment and criticism and but for the most part and paint a warm and loving portrait of an ireland joyce himself so often rail against and would shortly leave . huston handling of protagonist gabriel conroy and who realize the world a he see it be nothing more than an illusion and be simply remarkable . to claim that the film lack plot be to miss the point . a with any of joyce dubliner and plot while most certainly present be not the focus . plot be merely a tool for the conveyance of the protagonist epiphany . in addition to a seem lack in action and there be quite frankly little dialogue in joyce short story for the director to lean on . huston ability to translate what joyce put in word into visuals be quite possibly the movie great triumph . feeling and thought . gabriel discomfort during the dance . all these intangible leap to life and come within the viewer grasp in huston portrayal . to claim that huston have soften his writer criticism of society again miss the mark . while the dead may be paint with a cheerful hue and the complacency and pretense of the film character be but a comment on society on a small scale represent we be the toddle old aunt while the embarrass drunk while the tenor with the sore throat while the wife with the sad and rain soak secret while even the self delude middle age man . but the dead belie it title . it be not a dark story . nor be it really that bleak . forget for a moment the snow fall on the living and the dead and the inherent symbolism in it while forget the shamble of a life gabriel awakes to at the film end represent it be only with the destruction of the illusion gabriel have of himself and of his world that he can truly go forward . such be the central point of the film . such be the central point of our life .