The First Chapter of Of Mice and Men in his Film Version of the Book Essay Example for Free

The First Chapter of Of Mice and Men in his Film Version of the Book Essay Gary Sinese presents the first chapter of Of Mice and Men quite differently in his film version, compared to the book because of several major changes he has made. The book was written in the 1930s and is about the events that happen involving two men, George and Lennie, going to work on a ranch. The film, however is a modern adaptation, made in the 1990s. Probably one of the most important changes made is that of the mood of the opening. In the book the opening is very descriptive with a very calm and tranquil feeling. This is shown by the following extract: The water is warm too, for it has slipped, twinkling over the yellow sands and on the sandy bank under the trees the leaves lie deep. There is also quite a slow pace in the book because there is over a page and a half of text describing the area and atmosphere before the characters are even introduced. In the film version the opening is quite different to the book. The mood is darker as the opening scene consists of George sitting in a dimly lit train with a beam of light focusing on his eyes. There is then a flashback, to a woman, crying, running through a field. The camera tracks her movement, focusing on her eyes, until she runs past it. This tells the audience that she is fleeing from something terrible because of the terror in her eyes. The scene then switches to George and Lennie being chased by a mob. This shows there is a faster pace to the film, as there is no descriptive setting of the same location. Also Sinese added the detail of George and Lennie being chased, because this is only briefly mentioned in the book, and not in great detail. He added this scene to create an opening with tension, which chases often create in film. The fast paced music included in the scene also creates tension, and the silence as George and Lennie hide with the mob a few feet away creates a feeling of suspense. This then makes the audience want to keep watching to discover why George and Lennie were being chased. Sinese also added scenes where George and Lennie collect their work passes and ride the bus so these events would not have to be explained using dialogue like in the book, as this might bore audiences. For example, in the book George says to Lennie: You remember about us goin into Murray and Readys, an they give us work cards and bus passes? If it were done this way in the film, George would also have to explain what happened on the bus ride and why they are now on the road, which would have been harder for the audience to understand. The costumes of George and Lennie stay loyal to the book. In the book their outfits are described as: Denim trousers and denim coats with brass buttons. Both wore black, shapeless hats and both carried tight blanket rolls. The costumes in the film stay true to this, especially with Lennie, who wears exactly the same outfit. George, however, has a slightly different jacket and hat. In the book George is described as: small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Sinese decided to play George himself, but he does not have the sharp, strong, defined features that are described in the book. Lennie is described as: a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders. He is also compared to a bear on several separate occasions, one of these being: he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. John Malcovich, who plays lennie, does not have many of these features. Although he slouches and drags his feet, he does not have the large pale eyes or the build. Also he makes Lennie sound too simple. First impressions of the characters are shown quite similarly using the characters dialogue. It is more apparent that Lennie is more forgetful in the book but George seems more controlling in the film. This is shown when George discovers that Lennie has a dead mouse. In the film George forcefully takes it away from Lennie, while in the book George tries to reason with Lennie by calmly saying: come on, give it here, and Lennie obeys. After George takes the mouse away in the film, Lennie begins to cry. This show how strict George can be and how much like a child Lennie, which is not shown much in the book. The location in which the characters are first introduced is described as: a narrow pool with a path through the willows and sycamores The location they use in the film is true to the setting in the book, although the pool seems to be shown inn a different area to the road. Overall, the film is an average adaptation of the book with authentic locations and costumes and a dramatic, tension-filled opening, that grips the audience. But more time could have been spent on casting the main characters of George and Lennie and developing their dialogue and body language.