Book and Movie

) I decided to rent crime and punishment to supplement my reading in the book. The movie was well done; it was a decent adaptation of the book. The set was filmed on location in St. Petersburg to give an authentic feeling to the movie. Most of the actors in the movie play their roles well. In the movie Marmeladov is very much like I imagined him- he is a true alcoholic. The bar was complete with wooden tables and cups just like I imagined. The people around his table were slightly more sober, but not by very much. Marmeladov stuttered when he spoke and there were some people playing musical instruments. He had dirty clothes, messed up hair and look sleep deprived. The crime was also well done in the movie. The pawn broker’s apartment was furnished with antique furniture. After he stuck the pawn broker with the axe, Raskolnikov fumbled for the keys and stole some items out of the locked box. The whole time he was sweating bullets and looked hesitant to commit the crime. There was an expression of uncertainty before the first murder occurred. By no means should this movie be used as a replacement for the book. Many parts are cut out and original dialogue is somewhat altered. There is no way you can get a feel for Dostoevsky’s writing style by watching the movie. For example, the part about the train station is cut out from the ending of the movie. Although John Hurt is too old to pass for Raskolnikov, he gives a good performance.
Jack N.