|
The
Book and the Film: When a novel is adapted into a film it is not often a seamless transition. Changes rarely favor the original material. Beloved is no exception to this. The following are some of the distinct differences between the novel and the film: (Note: if you have not read the book or seen the film yet, the following contains SPOILERS) Due to the inevitable storyline compression that must occur when converting a three hundred page novel into a two hour long film, many aspects of Beloved's plot were modified. Notable among these are the following:
Unlike the disturbing set up that is used to describe how Beloved’s spirit has put a demonic-type hex on the house, the film conveys these images with rather watered-down phantasmagoric effects that only succeed in giving the film a B-movie atmosphere. When Paul D enters 124 for the first time, he is assaulted by somewhat cheesy red lighting effects that seem out of place given the serious tone of the film and its content. The complexity of Beloved herself is largely lost in the conversion to film. In the novel, her main purpose is as a healing force, bringing the past to light and forcing other characters to deal with it and move on. Toward the end of the novel, her presence is killing Sethe, but she also reunites her with the estranged townspeople, her family and her past. She opens up old wounds, but causes them to heal rather than fester. In the film, much of this complexity is lost and Beloved appears more as a demonic force. She is a demon who must be exorcised and her removal from 124 in the end is a great triumph rather than an ambiguity. To the filmmaker's credit, for an adaptation, it stays remarkably true to the novel. There is no need to cite the many aspects of the film that are true to the novel, for such a list would contain almost all aspects and plot points of the film. Visually it stays true to the book's Ohio setting--the landscape, costumes and accents are all believeable. Notably, the gory and horrifying scene in which Sethe kills one of her children and attempts to kill the other three is accurately and tastefully portrayed--the filmmakers do not shy away from the truth of the story in order to create a less offensive film and also refrain from exploiting and sensationalizing the gory aspects of the novel. |