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Friedrich Durrenmatt's The PledgeA Comparison of the Sean Penn Film and the Book
The film version of 'The Pledge' delves much deeper into the fascinating characters of the novel.
A beautifully crafted film directed by Sean Penn, The Pledge is adapted from the sparse details included in the short novel by Friedrich Durrenmatt. While the novel can be absorbed after one careful reading, the film may be watched repeatedly, with new subtleties emerging each time. Penn and his production team did a tremendous job bringing the book to the screen by adding a richness and depth not evident in the book. A Multi-layered StoryTo adapt the story (originally set in a small town in Switzerland) for North American audiences, Penn made the film feel much more personal by allowing audiences to share the feelings of the main character, Jerry Black, a veteran police detective (played by Jack Nicholson) who promises the mother of a murdered girl that he will never stop looking for the killer until he’s found. The promise turns into an obsession that pushes the detective over the edge because of circumstances not entirely under his control. Although the book presents the basic premise with only a few descriptive details, the film provides a multi-layered story with memorable characters, symbolic settings, interesting props, and resonant music. After determining that the wrong man was arrested for the crime, the detective sets a trap for the real killer using his skills as a fisherman. The fishing motif in the book and film becomes a visual metaphor for Jerry’s unexpected reliance on chance. He plans ahead by doing research on similar crimes in the area. He sets the bait by finding another young girl and plants her near the highway where she can be seen easily. He ignores his own moral values by deciding that this time his needs are more important than the life of the bait (the little girl) or the fish (the mysterious killer). He passively waits for the fish to take the bait. A Contrast of CharactersThe film paints a more sympathetic picture of Jerry and a less sympathetic picture of the killer than does the book. In the book, Jerry is forced to visit the psychiatrist, yet in the film he does it on his own. In the book, he is not a fisherman, but adopts these practices in order to catch his fish; the film version has him already an avid fisherman. The book also makes Jerry a more aggressive hunter who purposely selects a red dress for dressing his “bait,” while the film version shows Jerry merely saying that the little girl’s selection of the red dress is a great choice. The unseen killer murders his victim in the book. In the film, he rapes and murders her. The book’s final deathbed confession by his much-older wife serves as an explanation for the killings, and provides some insight into the murderer. The film, however, leaves this a complete mystery. We have no sympathy for the killer, nor any understanding of his actions. The changes made in the movie version generate far more emotions in the audience as we muster understanding and sympathy for Jerry and his fateful pledge. The Book
The Film
For more information about books adapted into movies, read Aimee & Jaguar: A Comparison of the Film and Book.
The copyright of the article Friedrich Durrenmatt's The Pledge in Film Dramas Based on Books is owned by Leslie Halpern. Permission to republish Friedrich Durrenmatt's The Pledge in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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