Kaylée Ishimwe Mme McSweeney EAE 3U-05 17 April 2024. Title: __________________________________________________________________________________ Several masterpieces written by writers are adapted by directors into cinematic form. This then brings differences, including the way in which the two stories are presented. Viewers would have a different perspective on the story, having less detail, and abstraction from anything that can be found in the book. This is the case with Larsen Nella’s novel, Passing, published in 1929, and Rebecca Hall’s film adaptation, published in 2021. Passing, is about Irene Redfield, a Black woman living in Harlem, who reconnects with her childhood friend, Clare, who pretends to be white. As their friendship gets …show more content…
Moreover, contrary to the film adaptation, Larsen presents us with a different perception of the relationship that Irene has with Clare. In the novel, Larsen portrays Irene's fascination with Clare Bellew's allure as verging on obsession. This is the way that Irene describes Clare: ‘’Just as she had that pale gold hair, which, unsheared still, was drawn loosely back from a broad brow, partly hidden by the small close hat. Her lips, painted a brilliant geranium-red, were sweet and sensitive and a little obstinate. A tempting mouth. The face across the forehead and cheeks was a trifle too wide, but the ivory skin had a peculiar soft lustre. And the eyes are magnificent! dark, sometimes absolutely black, always luminous, and set in long, black lashes. Arresting eyes, slow and mesmeric, and with, for all their warmth, something withdrawn and secret about them’’ (Larsen 45). Irene describes Clare's beauty with a language that contains sexual connotations, such as Clare's mouth as tempting, her lips sweet and a little obstinate, and her dark eyes magnificent, as if she admires her beauty and desires to kiss her. Plus, later in …show more content…
Despite the resemblances, the film adaptation emphasizes a deeper understanding of the uncertain elements present in the novel, such as Irene's racial identity, the different perspective of Irene’s relationship with Clare and Clare’s death. The differences between the novel and its film adaptation provide depth to the story, giving audiences different perspectives and insights. Whether you read or watch it, "Passing" makes you think about the complexity of identity and its societal