The Scarlet Letter Freely Adapted as a Movie :: Movie Film comparison compare contrast

The Scarlet Letter Freely Adapted as a flick The gods and goddesses of Greek mythology had temples erected in their names. They were worshipped and most times adored. The peck brought offerings to these gods in the form of food, drink, and gold. Todays gods and goddesses dont sit high on Mount Olympus. They sit high on or behind the movie screen. We visit their temples in record numbers and bring food, drink, and the mighty dollar. But what do they offer us in return? Voyeurism, titillation, narcissismall in a rebirth of classical American literature, which through their filters becomes sappy love stories with politically correct happy endings. In this way, their gifts are made more palatable for an audience they feel is not quite ready for films dealing with bitter kind controversy, such as sin, hypocrisy, spiritual crisis, and guilt. Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter is one of the classics that is experiencing this renaissance. Director Roland Joffe has enlisted the aid of writers Michael Mann and Christopher Crowe to produce a body of work also authorise The Scarlet Letter. The effort to introduce the American audience to this classical piece of literature was undertaken, as the films star Demi Moore asserts, because not many people have read the book (qtd. in Mr. Showbiz, par. 4). However, in doing so, Joffe has taken away the essence of Hawthorne. It is sorrowful to think how many days and weeks and months and years of toil have been work-shy on these musty papers of Hawthornes never more to be glanced at by human eyes. But, then, what reams of other manuscripts - filled with the thought of inventive brains and the rich outburst of deep hearts - have gone equally to oblivion (Hawthorne 46 The Custom House). In film, the viewer sees a story from the directors perspective. When experiencing a novel, the subscriber is drawn into the authors story and relates to the characters and events created by the author. He is allowed to bring forth his own imagination to recreate the characters and events by visualizing what the writer describes. He chooses the persona of each character, pictures how the character looks, and brings his own personal experiences forth to enhance the written word. He has an opportunity to be one-on-one with the author, hear his words, and experience for myself the characters emotions.