Ragtime Movie/Book Comparison
In 1981 when director Milos Forman took up the challenge of making the 1975 novel Ragtime written by E.L. Doctorow a movie, he had to make many changes. Some of these included rewriting whole characters so they were able to fit into the genre of a movie. Some of these include how Tateh in the movie is never a socialist, or how Harry Houdini is only shown once in brief. These absences and changes affect the over all feel and direction of the story told in both the movie and the novel. One instance that has minuit differences but changes the over all feel and direction of the novel compared to the movie is the way in which Coalhouse Walker dies. In the movie after negotiating with Whitman the District Attorney, he gets his car back and his gang escapes back to their hide out. Coalhouse comes out of the Morgan library with his arms raised. As he comes to the foot of the steps Whitman orders one of his men that is with him on the second story of the house across the street to fire upon Coalhouse. The man carries out the order
In both versions however Coalhouse still dies a martyr. The large squad of police officers armed with carbines to apprehend only one man. He was shot in a barrage of fire from the squad to fathers horror who was watching from inside. These alterations in the movie give it a sense of direction, something audiences with short attention spans seem to need. Even though movies usually change the story line most of the time the general feeling, moral, or story is still portrayed through them. and fires apron Coalhouse as he approaches the gate in front of the library. In the novel Coalhouse after negotiating with police watched his model T being rebuilt by the Fire Chief and a team of mechanics then let his gang escape with Brother as a make believe hostage in place of father. These all point to the shooting being ordered, but it is left to the imagination. One the telegraph he received from J. The shot misses and lands at his feet, Coalhouse continues onward toward the other side of the street the man is ordered to shoot again and does so killing Coalhouse. Two hours later Coalhouse emerged from the Morgan Library. In the novel much the same events took place with different details that gave his death more a mystery. Also it gives a finality to the movie and lets you know for sure that Whitman is a sell out and even though he knows the right thing to do was to give Coalhouse due process he wants to be reelected so must have him shot.
Common topics in this essay:
Morgan Library,
District Attorney,
Harry Houdini,
EL Doctorow,
Fire Chief,
Whitman Coalhouse,
Milos Forman,
JP Morgan,
Coalhouse Walker,
,
district attorney,
change story,
morgan library,
mounted police,
street mounted police,
feel direction,
street mounted,
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Acceptance Essays
