Student Essay on Review of "their Eyes Were Watching God"

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Review of "their Eyes Were Watching God"

Summary:   Reviews the Zora Neale Hurston novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God." Compares the novel to the film version starring Halle Berry.

I've read the book and seen the movie; the book was of a higher level. The movie lacked depth into the meaning of the pear tree and Janie's Relationships. I knew I'd have problems with the movie when, on her show, Oprah introduced the movie by talking about Janie kissing Teacake.

I understand that no movie could include everything in the book, but by leaving out Janie's family history; I didn't get a clear idea on why Nanny forces Janie to marry Logan Killicks. Also the pear tree was a symbol greatly emphasized in the novel; nut is only in one shot of the movie. There were scenes from the novel I was looking forward to see how the producers portrayed. The mule scene is one of them. It adds to the meaning of Joe's funeral, and that scene was also not complete

In the novel, the people in Eatonville are complex and interesting people. In the movie, they are reduced to faces. The trial was an important part of the novel; the movie completely bypassed the significance of Janie's acquittal. Halle Berry does have the acting skills to play Janie, but she didn't use them to the best of her ability for this film. She looked the same from beginning to end, even though she's supposed to age. In the novel, Janie is a timeless beauty, but that doesn't mean aging completely evades her. The scenes in the Glades were the best of the movie. They illustrated the true contrasts between the wealth and unhappiness of Janie's marriage to Joe, and her happiness and poverty in her relationship with Teacake.

I did enjoy the movie, and wouldn't have known its faults without reading the novel. I was surprised in the presentation, because Oprah and Halle Berry together seemed like the perfect recipe for success. It's disappointing for me, because Oprah is an amazing woman, and I've never seen a worse production from her.