Ethan Frome - Coasting Scene Novel Vs Film Adaptation

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The dramatic music used in Madden’s adaptation builds additional suspense as it is slow yet dramatic, and the tone it carries is left to the viewer to determine whether it is animated or melancholy. The film adaptation captures the frail figure of Mattie Silver, acted by Patricia Arquette, as this becomes especially evident with her minute figure compared to that of Liam Neeson, who plays Ethan. Both Wharton and Madden effectively captured the vibrant nature of Mattie Silver, against the snowy white background of the Massachusetts setting, further symbolizing Mattie’s attractiveness and vitality.

The relationships illustrated in the final coasting scene are represented considerably differently in the film as opposed to the novel. In this scene, Wharton utilizes the characters contrasting opinions to build suspense, as they are living on borrowed time, where as there are no petty arguments in the film. An example of where this footage was cut was where jubilant Mattie, the ...

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