Reply #25: They certainly had and have more creative talent than I have-but the scale

[papau]

is determined by other creations by talented creative people.

The character should not feel false to the viewer - Defoe's creation, to me, feels unreal/false/like Defoe does not really believe in the character's responses/actions -although despite this Defoe's acting was excellent.

By the way, outside of the film, I agree with you about Paul modifying- for the worse - Jesus' teachings.

But the question was I thought: Is there any need to ignore what Paul is recorded as saying, and to create Paul in the image that affirms atheist conspiracy theories. I do not think so.

To use and emphasize what will shock so as to entertain, to me, can be represented as a "fart joke". I did not see the art or the concept of being true to the book or even the concept of being true to the characters in the screen play as needing the "shock" points.