Opening Scene Of The Novel Brighton Rock example essay topic

Brighton Rock. I am going to look at the opening scene of the novel Brighton Rock and compare and contrast this with the opening scene of the film. I am mostly interested in the way Ida and Pinkie are presented and the run up to the murder. I want to see how similar or contrasting events are leading up to this and how the novel and film build tension. The novel 'Brighton Rock' was written by Graham Greene between the wars. The opening lines immediately introduced a dark feeling to the novel.

When introducing the first character Hale it is already quite a sinister meeting as we realise that 'they meant to murder him' (Greene, G. Brighton Rock. Pg 5) Whilst describing Hale, the 'inky fingers and his bitten down nails' (pg 5) portrays quite a dirty nervous man. This contrasts with the picture we are painted of Brighton as the 'new silver paint sparkled on the piers' (pg 5). By mentioning the pier this early on, we conjure an image of Brighton in holiday season, 'a band playing, flower gardens in bloom ' (pg 5) and also Hales thoughts of giving 'himself up to the good day, drinking gins and tonics' (pg 5) The opening scene of the film depicts Brighton as the sunny, easygoing holiday destination, although we do not meet Hale immediately. The music over the scenes of the beach and the pier and visions of holidaymakers having fun in Brighton is very harrowing and discordant.

Straight away we conjure images of danger or an underlying sense that something is not quite right. The music becomes a bit brighter as the story so far is flashed up on the screen. This gives the background to the story of the sinister gang warfare that exists around Brighton. The film introduces us to the discussion of three characters, Cubitt, D allow and Spicer. They are all sitting around a table in what looks like the basement of a house in some sort of dull, grey kitchen area. There voices seem irate and a little exited and they are looking at the picture of Hale the Kolley Kibber in the newspaper as they divulge information about Hale getting Kite killed.

We know from reading the novel that Kite used to be the leader of this group of man and therefore revenge is in the air. They decide to take the newspaper to Pinky. The camera shows a close up shot of a pair of hands and some string arranged in the 'cat's cradle' format on what must be Pinky hands. He is lying on a grubby bed and the room is greyish and gloomy. He does not speak as he plays with the string and this gives a sense of him being in control. In the novel the first introduction to Pinkie is when he approaches Hale and tells him that he has 'got to tell your friends' (pg 7), this seems like he is pleased that Hale is in town although we know he is not.

Pinky is introduced as 'the boy' (pg 7) in the novel and does not seem in control as he accepts a drink from Hale. He is described as having a 'shabby, smart suit' (pg 7) which implies that he can't afford to update his suit but he does actually know what a smart suit is. This gives connotations of a little boy doing a man's job again, almost as though he is dressing up. He also calls Hale 'Fred'. 'He watched Hale closely with wonder' (pg 7) could bring connotations that Pinky is in fact a 'boy' and is surveying a real man. We learn early on that Pinky does not like women 'he was watching the women with a furious distaste'. (pg 8) We do not learn this in the film until a lot later on.

The novel has a lot of underlying tones to it. Pinky is said to be watching Hale like 'you might expect a hunter searching through the jungle' (pg 7) which gives off a truth as he has been searching for Hale in the crowds of Brighton and then the novel goes on to say that he a hunter looks at its 'half fabulous beast' 'before the kill'. (pg 7) This is ironic as it is actually Pinky that kills Hale. The film is different, after Pinky has been told that Hale is in town he goes to the bar with his gang. Again Pinky does not speak, this gives him an air of mystery, we are not sure how he is feeling. He also stands away from the gang slightly, perhaps this shows that he is different to them and wants different things. The others in the gang are obviously older by the way they look, Pinkie looks like he is being protected by them as they seem to speak for him; he just continues to play with the string.

There is also a man selling razor blades in the bar, which brings a whole new sinister feel to the film as that is what they use for 'Slicing'. His dress sense does follow that of the novel and although looks smart it also looks like the suit has seen better days, and he is wearing a hat. He is standing to the side of the shot not facing Hale as the others intimidate him. He eventually looses his cool and smashes a glass over the bar. This out-break makes Pinkie seem a little unstable as obviously his silence is because his anger is brewing. This also makes him seem capable of hurting someone and also makes him seem a little precarious.

The films pace picks up, and Fred goes over to the singer in the bar, Ida. There is a close up of the clock ticking, this brings connotations of the chase that follows, and the clock is ticking for his life. The first meeting with Ida in the novel is just her voice a 'rich Guinness voice' (pg 6), this makes her seem friendly and perhaps a little bit tipsy in a 'friendly accommodating way' (pg 6) Then we are drawn in to imagine her breasts as 'big blown charms' (pg 8). She is described as not being old but 'somewhere in her late thirties'. (Pg 6) The picture painted in the novel is of a motherly maternal woman with the 'thought of sucking babies'. (pg 7) The film depicts her as a large rounder women with rosy cheeks and up for a laugh, as we can hear her across the bar she has a distinct jolly laugh which does contrast with the mood left by Pinkie and therefore gives an eerie atmosphere 'she wanted to laugh too much'. The novel and the film present her as a confident woman, her lipstick and perfectly painted and maintained face shows this.

She is well dressed, quite sexy but with out revealing too much and showing off her womanly figure 'she was well covered but she wasn't careless' (pg 7). Ida is seen as very open and social in both film and novel, obviously to contrast with Pinkie as slightly reserved and a recluse. The novel talks of sickness as Hale decides to leave the pub Ida asks him 'are you sick or something?' There is reference to provide evidence that Hale forms a relationship with Ida as a mother / son relationship, despite the fact that she has no children. As he leaves her he thinks of going 'back to the womb' (pg 10) as he looks back at her.

Although in the novel there are so many references to the fact that Hale feels like he is going to die, and the longing to stay with a mother like figure, with the desire to feel protected, Hale still tells himself, 'I'm not going to die'. (pg 12) He then goes on to relate to the newspaper 'I'm not front page stuff', which is ironic as he is already splashed all over the newspaper, as he is Kolley Kibber. In the film Ida rejects Hale and the music starts, with lots of bass and almost like jaws to indicate that something is about to happen. The chase is on. The novel however drags out the meeting with Pinkie and gives out a lot more information, we know there is something not quite right with Hale and Pinkie's relationship as Pinkie says 'you " ve no cause to talk about souls', (pg 8) this implies that Hale must have done something very bad as loosing your soul or selling your soul is in conjunction with hell. We associate souls with the living and the good, and the bad loose their souls and go to hell. Pinky is described as having eyes with an 'effect of heartlessness like an old mans (Pg 8) ' which is ironic as it gives us a picture of Pinky trying to be older than he actually is, and doing a man's job when he is only just a boy.

The others from the mob are not present at this first bar meeting in the novel which makes Pinkie seem like he is the leader, and confronts problems and issues head on and solo rather than it seeming he was being protected by the adults. We see Pinkie get agitated, in both novel and film. The novel is not sure whether it is because of Hales persistence in trying to give him his messenger card to win the money, insinuating that he is just a child and children could be bribed quite easily or whether it is the presence and singing of Ida in the bar. He throws his glass down and smashes it before leaving, this outbreak is quite sudden and over very quickly with the words 'the gentleman will pay' (pg 8), which has connotations as to what he will actually pay for, his glass or the death of Kite? Hale is said to 'realise that they meant to murder him'.

The novel now reveals how Hale is actually feeling at this point, we know that something bad is going to happen but Greene allows us to see how the character is feeling. He felt 'safe with fifty thousand visitors' (pg 9) and talked himself into not letting 'that mob frighten him'. This again gives us a lovely friendly vision of Brighton as a seaside town, only the reader is now aware of the undertones that surround Brighton. We next see a conversation with Ida, there are lots of references to Hale being lonely 'he only felt his loneliness' and so when he heard Ida say 'come over here, lonely heart' (pg 9) this displays an image of him to us. He is obviously looking very vulnerable and lonely and perhaps a little scared. The story escalates faster in the film and now Hale is being physically chased by 'the mob', which are all dressed in dark colours with hats and large overcoats, this is stereotypical of a gangster in the 30's standing under lampposts and hiding behind newspapers, they are easily visible.

The minute Hale steps outside in the film, the chase is on whereas the novel suggests suspense, we know it is going to happen but the action is suspended and therefore extra tension is built. Hale is aware of the mob and sees Cubitt and therefore turns and goes another way. The novel seems to be much more discreet but the film seems to be very blatant as they run through the crowded streets of Brighton. There are typical sounds of the street for example the sound of a bus and traffic. Hale heads for the pier where he engages in some chatter between women, sure that the mob will not barge in and try and kill him. The film is fast, there are images of Hale jumping on a bus, and then off it and the camera shots move quickly and follow the different gangsters taking up the chase.

The pace is fast and the story moves quickly. The novel presents the gangsters as more discreet as Hale is panicking and 'twenty yards behind him' he knows that 'without turning his head' 'that is where Cubit strolled' (pg 13). This conjures an image of anticipation, as we know that danger is behind him and following him. The word 'strolled' gives out the image of who is in control and this seems like it is the mob and not Hale. It also slows down the chase as more creeping rather than panicky rushing, we never know when it is all going to strike. 'He couldn't help showing his desperation' (pg 13) in the novel and in the film he is very arms and legs as he runs along quite panicky.

It gets even more disturbing in the novel, drags Ida into a taxi and rambles on about his sickness. Perhaps this is because he knows he is going to die. He comes across as very erratic. The taxi scene shows Hale as desperate but quite aware that the others are following. This scene is a very good one because it really does illustrate how scared Hale is. He fumbles and desperately kisses Ida, although the kiss is very awkward and does make the impression that he does this out of desperation rather than real desire.

The novel still makes it feel very maternal even though it is not a maternal type of kiss and makes Ida into a prop 'because when he kissed her he could watch in the mirror'. (Pg 19) Ida takes on the maternal role and asks the taxi to 'go on back and round again'. (pg (pg 18) Hale is mumbling about feeling sick and almost takes on an end of his tether type stance and makes the reader feel like he is already dead in spirit, he has lost the fight. He says 'I am going to die, I'm scared' (pg 18) and this runs a chill in the atmosphere as we the audience are aware of what is brewing but Ida is not.