Friday, September 7, 2007

The Hours: book vs. movie

One scene in the book that I was disappointed to see left out of the movie was the one in which Clarissa meets Julia’s friend Mary Krull. This scene may have seemed arbitrary to the directors of the film, but to me it offered much insight into Clarissa’s introspective nature. The scene helped tie Clarissa to the other two main characters, enlightening the readers that she too is plagued with self doubt. Much of Clarissa’s ideology of being a lesbian is questioned by Mary’s thoughts as perceived by Clarissa. Seeing polar opposites so near, each offering their idea of what being a lesbian should be like, draws attention to Clarissa’s struggle to fit into the norm, just like Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Woolf.

Another thing left out of the movie that I found detracted from the plot was part of the scene with Mrs. Brown checking into the hotel. The novel emphasizes Laura’s attempts to seem normal to the clerk, again relating the trials of the three women to fit into a strictly defined social structure. The scene would add more depth to the struggle that Mrs. Brown, and the other women, faces on an everyday basis. Remembering that this scene is mere moments out of a day, but means so much to Mrs. Brown would convey the burden that each woman deals with constantly.

Overall, I was surprised that a movie could do such a good job in portraying the innermost feelings described in the book. The makers of this movie did an excellent job in selecting the most important scenes from the novel, and I understand why the above scenes were left out. This goes to show just how much more a book can relay in such small, seemingly unimportant scenes.

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