Mildred Pierce Movie And Book Comparison

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The Effect of Translation from Novel to Film

James M. Cain’s 1941 novel Mildred Pierce is widely recognized as a literary classic. Its 1945 film adaptation starring Joan Crawford has also achieved classic status in the film noir genre. However, there are key differences between the two despite their apparent similarities. Due to various reasons and creative choices, the film can be regarded to as a loose adaptation as the main theme of book is how Mildred is affected by the draw backs of her time such as the Great Depression and her relationships while the film is a glamorized version of the story that translates the text more into an onscreen mystery. This dynamic completely changes the narrative configuration of the film as it changes many of the key plot points in which the book was written. …show more content…

In the novel, Mildred and Burt are forced to marry because Mildred becomes pregnant and it would have been unacceptable for her to have a child out of wedlock. In the film, however, their marriage appears to have happened under normal circumstances. In both versions, Mildred has the drive and determination to succeed with her business. In the novel, Mildred appears to to be more concerned about her social status and always seeks to educated herself in politics and worldly matters as it made her feel more educated. There is no mention of this in the film as Mildred is portrayed as much more confident and didn't concern herself with such issues. In the film Mildred more sure of every decision she makes while in the novel she seems to be moving to to motions of

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