Comparison between the Book and the Film Revolutionary Road - Essay Example

Comparison between the Book and the Film ‘Revolutionary Road’ Introduction Since the inception of cinema as a medium of entertainment and visual art, lots of good movies have been inspired and influenced by good literature. The director, Sam Mendes also could not escape the charisma of good literature and adopted the film, ‘Revolutionary Road’ from the novel bearing the same title published in the year 1961, written by Richard Yates. The film, ‘Revolutionary Road’ was released in the year 2008 starring the famous on-screen couple Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

The film off course has lots of deviations from the novel but bears many similarities also. When a celebrated literary piece influences or is incorporated in a film, it ought to bear some similarities and dissimilarities that compels the film to launch into a platform where the comparison and the criticism with respect to the literary piece is performed from which it has been influenced , interpreted or incorporated. Thesis Statement The novel ‘Revolutionary Road’ and the film incorporated from it together stand as a complementary and compact phenomena elevating the mind of the readers and audience.

Reading the novel and watching the film complete the experience which makes the soul uplifted. Yet, there are differences between the novel and the film incorporated from it. This essay intends to explore and discuss the comparison on the ground of the difference in perception operating in the novel and the film. The Comparison The film lacked the superfluity of emotions which the language in the novel created. However in representation of the characters also, there is a vast difference. In the novel, the character of April Wheeler seems to be gaining more sympathy of the readers for the decision and dilemma she undergoes regarding her decision with her unborn child.

In the film, this same character is presented as a self-centred and passive woman without proper emotions. This is even portrayed in April while she tries to do good for her family and her own self resulting into the development of an inclination for Frank in the film than April. As regards to the plot, the film deviates in the respect of incorporation of two other stories which run as sub-plot in the original novel and is completely missing in the film. The character of Shep Campbell which is played by David Harbour on screen does not at all is projected with proper realistic appeal as this character plays an important role in the plot development.

Campbell is the neighbour of the Wheeler’s and is engrossingly in love with April. But in the film, the presence of this character does not at all catches the eye and neither does he is able to make an elaborate presence in the plot of the film. The similar deviation also takes place in the character representation and the representation of the plot associated with the characters like Helen Givings and her mentally retarded son, John. The role of the Helen Givings played by Kathy Bates and John played by Michael Shannon gets effaced somewhere amid the rhombus presentation of the protagonists and their turmoil in life.

Unfortunately a person who has never been acquainted with the book will not know the importance and brilliance of these secondary characters that are outshined in the film under the glamour of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. But these characters which make the sub-plot in the novel are subverted in the film and loose its importance completely. Conclusion The film ‘Revolutionary Road’ directed by Sam Mendes and the novel bearing the same title by Richard Yates are actually complementary and supplementary to each other which work in conjunction and the film as the counterpart to the novel makes it complete and coherent in the real sense.

Evidently, there are many deviations in the film but it brings out a different flavour with its unique presentation. Together, both the film and the novel are great pieces of art with tremendous aesthetic aspects. Bibliography Guardian.Co.Uk, “Revolutionary Road”. May 25, 2011. Film. No Date. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/jan/30/revolutionary-road-mendes-winslet-dicaprio IMDb, “Revolutionary Road”. May 25, 2011. Storyline. No Date. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0959337/