In Strangers on a Train, there are many very obvious changes. One of the main changes is the relationship between Guy and Bruno. In the novel, Patricia Highsmith has the two characters develop a friendship through the story line. Guy has concern for Bruno as a person and a friend and ends up being the one who tries to save him in the end. Hitchcock took an opposite approach, creating a drastically different relationship between the two men. Instead of being friends, Bruno ended up being some kind of stalker to Guy, following him from place to place and showing up unexpectedly, getting in to Guy’s personal life in various ways. Also, another huge difference was the fact that the novel had Guy actually going through with murdering Bruno’s dad, while Hitchcock kept Guy innocent. By doing this, I felt like Hitchcock changed the feel of the story line, keeping Guy’s character innocent and creating more negative feelings towards Bruno. Although, I have to say I enjoyed the way Hitchcock ended the film because he created a humorous ending with the crashing of the merry-go-round as opposed to the actual novel ending of Bruno drowning. It made Bruno’s demise comical, once again changing the ultimate feel of the ending.
When it comes to The Thirty Nine Steps, there are more differences between the novel and the film then there are similarities. Overall, Hitchcock was able to make a great deal of significant changes, yet when looked at as a whole, he remained on task with the storyline. I personally felt his version was much more rushed than the novel. It seemed Hannay went from hideout to hideout with much more haste than in the novel, making it a little more suspenseful for the viewer who was constantly keeping up with what was about the happen next. However, I really enjoyed his addition of the Memory Man as the keeper of the secret information about the thirty nine steps. It was almost a little more tangible for me as a viewer because I had an actual object (or person, in this case) to relate to the thirty nine steps. It was a very cool addition to the story. But one of the biggest things for me was the way Hitchcock incorporated female characters in to the story line. Even in the very beginning, the whole plot starts off with a female as the one being trailed by the secret information, while it all ends with a female being Hannay’s partner. It added a bit of romance, which enhanced the story that much more.
Even with all the adaptations made between both films and their partnered novel, Hitchcock remains loyal to the original story line. Although he adds some events and characters, he stays respectful of the author’s ideas. Instead of looking at his adaptations as changes, I actually see them as enhancements, making the novel’s transition to film even more successful.
I feel the exact same way. I had mentioned Hitchcock changing the ending to make Guy more of a reluctant hero, like he made Scotty in Vertigo. "Instead of looking at his adaptations as changes, I actually see them as enhancements". I completely agree with this. I especially agree in terms of The 39 Steps. To me, putting in the McGuffin that Hitchcock did made the story line more interesting and truer to Hitchcock's personal style. Finding out that the 39 steps was nothing big in the book was a big let down, in my opinion. Hitchcock adding in a real plot twist made the movie a lot more fulfilling as a mystery thriller.
ReplyDeleteAlso in the film version of "Strangers on a Train," the idea that Bruno is an ever-looming threat is never far from the viewer's mind, as he is literally everywhere Guy is until our protagonist gets wise to Bruno's schemes. I was a little upset to see that Bruno's letters were omitted from the film, as I feel they added a particularly creepy element to their relationship, and it could have been played up for the psychological elements that Hitchcock throughly enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Hilary's reading of the film as I felt the 39 steps of the novel were really plain and uninteresting, but when it is discovered that this plot involves a silent airplane being built, it makes the tense wartime elements of the book shine through strongly. The hapless nature of Hannay was enjoyable nonetheless as Hitchcock managed to play some of the more absurd elements of the novel for all their comedic worth.