Novella vs Movie
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Breakfast at Tiffany's
MrJackHoliday — 9 years ago(July 04, 2016 06:26 AM)
I recently read the novella and decided to rewatch the movie. I was actually hesitant as I remembered the way Mr. Yunioshi was portrayed but decided to check it out anyway. A few notes on some changes (spoilers, but is it really necessary? The movie is fifty years old):
-In the novella, someone mentions that Mr Y is from Japan and the narrator (Paul in the movie) corrects him, "from California." On top of being offensive, the portrayal didn't even align with the original story.
-The narrator is not a gigolo in the original, nor is there a decorator.
-Holly originally continues to Brazil and the narrator never sees her again. In the movie, "I love you, you belong to me [because I am a white male in the 60's]."
All in all not substantially different, but still some questionable choices there. -
joekiddlouischama — 9 years ago(December 11, 2016 02:29 AM)
Thanks.
So I guess that in the novel, the neighbor is Japanese-American? Hollywood probably preferred to dispense with that "complexity" and just turn him into an easy ethnic stereotype for comedic purposes.
Regarding the ending, the primary imperative of classical Hollywood cinema is to restore the heterosexual couple, so
of course the film would end in a happily romantic manner
. I guess that the question is whether, in the context of the film's tone and mood, a romantically
tragic or ambiguous ending would have worked aesthetically.
That sort of denouement perhaps could have worked, as the film offers a streak of
sentimental sadness
, but the movie is a sweet romantic comedy from the start. Thus the
cathartically blissful
conclusion was probably for the best. -
rekcilorf — 9 years ago(January 11, 2017 07:24 AM)
I seem to recall, in the novel, the narrator saying he saw a wooden bust carving at an art gallery that reminded him of Holly. I think it was described as being in the style of some form of African sculpture. Who knows where she went if South America did not work out for her. One can only wonder if she ever did find what she was looking for?
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burgershmurger — 9 years ago(January 19, 2017 04:14 PM)
Course Capote hated the movie, because they dared change a few things. He may have divorced himself the diva that he was, but without the movie nobody would be talking about his novella. The ending of the novella was too much of a downer. Thank goodness the producers gave us a proper happy ending instead. On the whole, the movie is very close to the book and many lines are taken verbatim from it.
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solesister — 9 years ago(January 20, 2017 03:05 PM)
I really like them both. Yeah, the tacked-on Hollywood ending is a little overly sentimental, but Audrey's delightful, and who wouldn't want her & the cat to find their way home? But for Mickey Rooney, the film is a perfect little Valentine to the Manhattan of the 1960s
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cpmorr — 9 years ago(January 24, 2017 09:47 PM)
The movie, while now iconic, completely desecrated the original story. In the novella:
- Holly was, in fact, living off of her body, all the while maintaining an air of blitheness and the fantastic in order to cope with situation.
- The narrator is sexually neutral (I inferred it to be Capote, and the whole story anecdotal). Even the degree of intimacy that the two shared was not clearly established. The narrator's role was primarily that of Holly's observer.
- Holly was not nearly as driven by a desire for the conventional and material security as she was in the movie.
Hepburn, while always delightful, was totally miscast in the role. She totally lacked the feral quality that Holly clearly possessed and was repeatedly referred to in the film (Don't love a wild thing).
Can't say that I blame Capote for divorcing himself from it.
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meowqueenx — 9 years ago(January 29, 2017 09:23 AM)
If all this I'm reading here about the book is true (I haven't read the book but will get around to it eventually), I can see why Truman Capote supposedly wanted Marilyn rather than Audrey. That being said, as the film is, I could never picture Holly being anyone other than Audrey.