Comparison of Book and Movie of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest is a book written by Ken Kesey to
accomplish a certain mood within it's chapters. The feelings and moods
given in the book differ greatly from those in the movie because of
multiple changes in character development. Each and every time a movie is
produced from a book, the producers are forced to change parts of the story
in order to suit the audiences needs for a faster paced plot. It is
impossible to capture every mood or setting which the author creates. What
is lost can sometimes be the real meaning behind the story.
The characterization of chief Bromden is a good example of the
changes made from book to movie. His past is a vital piece of information
contributing to the mood and understanding of the story. In the movie,
Bromden is nothing more than a crazy Indian who doesn't want to talk so
pretends to be deaf and dumb. Much of the understanding and respect is
lost in the transition between book and movie. In the book, Bromden has
flashbacks to his childhood, lighting on significant points in his
childhood. His background is never even brushed upon in the movie. Of
course it would have been nearly impossible to tell of Bromdens life in a
movie, much less show the world from his point of view as in the book.
Bromden is still a very interesting character but the real puzzle to his
problems is lost.
McMurphy is a very sly, cunning man. He knows how to play his game
and does it well. In the book as McMurphy progresses, he goes through many
stages where he is rebellious, then docile, then rebellious again. This is
due to the fact that he learns exactly what it means to be committed and
what it takes to be released. Then he begins to see that all his ward
mates (I don't know what you want to call them) are counting on him so he
becomes rebellious again. These reactions to his environments encourage
McMurphy to be not crazy but intelligent and quick. This is exactly the
way a character such as McMurphy should act. In the movie, McMurphy is not
only wild but rude. He tried to never be outright rude in the book (more
aggravating for the nurse) yet in the movie he was. He never stopped being
wild in the movie, leading you to believe that maybe in fact he is crazy.
Mcmurphy's true character was lost in the writing of the screen play, his
intelligence and cunning is lowered greatly by changes made by the screen
writers.
Ms. Ratched is a powerful woman in both the book and the movie.
She knows how to play with peoples minds and manipulate groups. She keeps
a tight grip on the ward using subtle methods which cannot be ignored to
get what she wants. In the book Ms. Ratched is the most powerful woman in
the hospital, what she says goes. In the movie however, she not only
doesn't have complete control but it seems as though the doctor thinks
himself as having authority over her. In the book she has the ability to
get him replaced at any time and he knows this. This is reflected in his
willingness to obey her and his lack of new ideas. The movie was probably
changed just so they wouldn't have to go into detail about why and how the
nurse was all powerful in the hospital Her lack of power was shown most
greatly during the staff meeting when she didn't lead it and even had
suggestions about her course of action made by other doctors. This gave
the nurse a less intimidating personality .
The character development in the book and movie differed greatly.
Each portrayed characters differently and therefore set a different scene
and mood to the story. While each character is basically the same, subtle
changes in their personality, place in society and background lead the
viewer/reader to see each character from a different perspective.Partner sites: Spanish school Costa Rica, Skin Cancer, and Free Essays and Term Papers