Comparison-Contrast Essay. Domashchenko Mariia

Watching and Reading Fahrenheit 451

Every time a book is filmed, a discussion begins between book-readers and film-viewers: “What is better?” It is true that some screen versions of books are not worse or even better than their originals. However, in any case, a film is radically different from a book. Ray Bradbury’s book ‘Fahrenheit 451’ has been screened a lot of times, and a 1966 science fiction drama film of the same name is a good example of how film directors and scenario writers can change the film so much that it is cardinally different from the book.

First of all, the main idea is not shown in the film as fully as it is in the book. After watching the film, someone would make a conclusion that the moral of this story is reading and preserving books, whereas in the original work of Ray Bradbury the idea is far deeper. In the film viewers can find different signs of the totalitarian regime, but it is only one aspect of the story. Throughout the book, Ray Bradbury shows a society which does not want to see sufferings of others. Moreover, in this society all the extraordinary free-thinkers are oppressed. People are given a large portion of fun and entertainment, and only a little bit of knowledge. That is the real reason why books are destroyed, and why they have to be saved.

Another difference is in the plot itself. In the film a lot of events are changed, and even more are omitted at all. For instance, in the film Montag and 20-years-old teacher Clarisse stay together till the end, while in the book the Montag’s acquaintance with the 17-year-old girl Clarisse ends with her death. Only after this episode the main hero starts to mediate on the constitution of things in the world he lives in. In addition, unlike in the book, in the film there is nothing about another important character – a man, whom Montag met in the park, and who taught him to understand what is written in books. As well as in the book there is nothing about letterboxes for informers, cleaning groups for those who do not visit hairdresser. At last, film-director decided to overlook the mechanic dog, which caused plenty of problems to Montag in the book. It is written that this machine is a perfect killing instrument, because it can find anyone anywhere just with the help of their smell.

Finally, it is the ending that distinguishes the film from the book. In the former book-keepers are shown learning their books by heart, so that viewers can make a conclusion that books will be protected and maintained for the next generations. Nothing is told about the fate of the society they live in. On the contrary, the book ends with the short nuclear war, which destroys all the big cities, including the capital. As a result, the basis of the totalitarian society, its government, armed forces, police, infrastructure, - everything is destroyed.

In spite of all the differences mentioned above, there is a huge similarity between the film and the book. Both make people think about the society they live in critically, from a new angle.

To sum up, there is a lot of evidence that the 1966 film ‘Fahrenheit 451’ is absolutely different from the antiutopia by Ray Bradbury: partial presentation of the main idea, changes and omissions in the plot, and the ending of the story. Nevertheless, both these pieces of art are stimuli for reflections upon the vices of the world one happens to live in.