Beloved: creepy book vs. confusing creepy movie

Dhruval Darji

03/12/12

Mr.Beddingfield

AP Literature & Composition

Beloved: Book vs. Movie

            The book Beloved, by Toni Morrison, and the movie adaptation of it have their own way of expressing the thoughts and ideas that Toni Morrison wished to convey to her readers. The book is written with constant transitions from past and the present. Also it transitions from the point of views of varying characters. The movie also attempts to do this.  However, the movie does this through flashbacks. There are some things that cannot be included in flashbacks or in the order they are intended, because of the way the book is written.

            One thing that I have noticed that is different about the book and the movie adaptation is how the book puts emphasis on the archetype of water. The movie cannot emphasize water as well as Toni Morrison did in her book. The hardest thing for a movie is to represent the thoughts of a character. It is almost impossible to do so, unless the director makes the actor say the character’s thoughts. Like how Sethe thinks of memories or remembering as the word “rememory.” Just like that there are things that the movie can do that can’t be emphasized as well by the book. Like facial expression, emotions, imagery, etc. An example of this is the scene when Sethe saw Beloved’s scar.

            Sometimes movie adaptations sometimes have to cut parts out so that the movie may fit in a time frame. One thing that I noticed was the great big feast that occurred right before the four men came to 124 to retrieve Sethe and her children. In fact, entire portions of Stamp Paid’s and Baby Sugg’s stories aren’t even included in the movie. The movie is centered on Sethe, Beloved, and occasionally Paul D and Denver. Another thing that is ignored in the movie is the stories of the Sweet Home men. The movie also chooses to ignore all the imagery and specific details that Toni Morrison chose to include. Like all that the back ground story and imagery that Bodwin’s added to the story. Like their little “piggy bank” statue.

            The movie did however enable me to understand several things about the story. Watching the movie, I understand Paul D’s role in the story. Also more importantly I understand Denver’s and Baby Sugg’s roles in the story. This is mainly because I get the questions that I got wrong on all of my quizzes. The movie allows me to see the development of Denver’s character and how she goes from being a wuss to taking initiative and growing up. It is kind of like a bildungs roman.

            At the end of the movie Mr. Bodwin’s excerpt is also ignored. However the movie does go and show how Sethe went on to attack Mr. Bodwin, though she did not get close to doing so, without the crazy confusing flash forwards and flash backs. During this scene, we, the audience and readers, can see how the director chose to play Beloved as a ghost, by having her literally disappear.

            If someone saw this movie without reading the book, then they would hate it, because they would not understand the depth of the movie. They wouldn’t understand the themes or the purpose of the story and all that Toni Morrison put into it. I just barely understood it, and I did read the book. I still think that the book creeps me out. However, the movie creeps me out even more, with its stance on the main points of horror and the love a mother has for her children. It is my belief that if the movie had provided more focus in the areas of how things came to be, slavery, and the past of the characters, further than their pain, then people would be able to understand the movie much, much, better. This is what I think of Beloved, the book and its movie adaptation.