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Analysis Of The Movie ' The Bedroom With Fill The Gaps Dubus '

Decent Essays

In 1979, Dubus creates an alternate world, where he propels readers through the emotional whirlpool spinning in the mind of Matt Fowler, a man who is trying to cope with the tragic murder of his son; as the tide, acting through his wife, becomes increasingly overwhelming, Matt is driven to seek revenge through the killing of Richard Fowler (Dubus 1123-1136). Years later, in 2001, director Todd Field produces the film adaptation In the Bedroom to fill the gaps Dubus’s short story cannot; while the story focuses more on the killings themselves, Field allows views to understand the emotional turmoil that pushes characters to the edge, ultimately explaining the journey of how the killings come to be (In the Bedroom). Although Dubus wrote …show more content…

Within the argument, the cinematographer films the scene as a shot reverse shot, further implying that Matt and Ruth are in conflict. One can see the veil depression places Ruth after Frank’s death, enabling her to ask Matt for the literal unspeakable task of murder; in a short story, one cannot read silence, but the silence permeating the film speaks louder than the Dubus’s words.
While in neither the film nor short story does Ruth outwardly express her desire for the death of Richard, within the film, one is able to glimpse into the inner workings of Matt’s mind, understanding the emotional manipulation, brought on by his wife, he endures. Matt describes how Ruth has “concrete objections which he trie[s] to overcome” and “in his intent to do this[,] he neglect[s] his own objects” (1127); here, Dubus is indirectly telling readers this is the foundation Ruth has previously built in her marriage, allowing her to manipulate Matt into carrying out tasks, or specifically “it” (1136). Furthermore, several times in the short story, Matt convinces himself that “he [is] certain that [Ruth knows and] she [is] waiting for him” for “she knows” (Dubus 1125, 1134). In Field’s adaptation, one can see the change in behavior and demeanor both Matt and Ruth undergo, driving Matt to commit a seemingly inevitable killing. Several times in the film, the camera focuses on Matt and then quickly switches to a smash cut, implying disruption and cacophony follow Matt; however,

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