The Road: Book vs. Movie Comparison

[@krazykittymatt]

The book was seriously brutal. The scene where when they're leaving the cannibal place they see new Borns on spit roasts. Or how boys are kept as sexual objects. It was messed up and of course they kept them out of the movie

[@MasterJimenez]

Where is it mentioned in the book that boys are kept as sexual objects? I’m sure it’s in there, I just personally don’t remember it

[@krazykittymatt]

@@MasterJimenez they use a different word for it, and I only remember because I had to look up what it meant. In the novel it says they kept "catamites"

[@Mistah47]

@krazykittymatt John Hillcoat did shoot the controversial scene from the book involving a baby on a spit being roasted over a campfire, but ultimately decided to cut it, because he felt it was simply too much.

[@jessicacarver9726]

I don't think Charlize Theron's "mean line" about the bullets was mean to villainize her. It was a realistic portrayal of a woman who is completely at the end of her rope mentally who is lashing out.

[@notesbyalex]

You’re totally right! And the book demonstrates her total exhaustion in a much less aggressive way, so the film was just kind of jarring to me in comparison. It’s a very subjective nitpick of mine!

[@huatou7520]

The movie is, so to speak, judgmental towards her to the point of almost making her a flat stereotypical antagonist. To me that robs her last scene from its potential for existential pondering. Imho, a calculated move to "appease" the conscience of the book people, while feeding them whith their own old prejudices.

[@benprout8535]

I appreciate your commentary here, it's very objective. I agree with what you say about the soundtrack, I don't think I've read a book at all more "music-less" than The Road. I think even a little bit which would probably accentuate parts of other bleak films would be misplaced here. When I read the book it felt like everything was smothered under a thick, grimy blanket, the sky, the air and the sound especially. McCarthy's lack of speech marks made me immediately feel like the man and the boy whispered every word to each other, even when they explicitly weren't. I don't know, I think it's a very difficult book to put to film. Definitely subscribing to you :)

[@iikozal]

Seriously seriously thank you for this. I chose this book as the main topic in my English A Levels and this was so so helpful! Literally everything you‘ve said is what I thought too while comparing the movie and the book. Thank you for this! That was great for revising the plot a little bit! :)

[@everettst.claire870]

My main gripe with the movie is the relationship between the man and the boy. In the movie the man almost seems annoyed with the boy. Someone he saddled with. In the book it's clear how much the man loves him and would do anything to protect him. He's patient with him almost to a fault. The boy in the book acts much younger and is constantly whining about how scared he is. Being on the road for that long, I don't think that the boy would still be constantly voicing it. I agree, the sickness is downplayed.

[@chillinbored]

Something important to touch on. In the book, the woman and the man really have gone at great lengths debating their fates, life and death. In the end the woman can't do it anymore knowing that it'll only end with them murdered and r@ped. He knows he can't convince her anymore and in the end just asks that she waits a bit more and say goodbye to their son. She can't go do it and kills herself. Later, the boy asks about his mom and the man tells her she's gone.

[@shadow13x]

The waterfall scene was in the book. The music was good and Nick Cave is a well known musician/singer (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds).

[@noleenole8254]

I was gonna say this

[@walkingcorpse1224]

I'm planning on reading the book, but I heard that the book hints that in the ending the boy walks off with potential cannibals vs. the movie which basically makes it clear that the people taking the boy in are good people. Is this true?

[@notesbyalex]

It’s been a while since I read or watched, but as far as I remember it’s not super obvious in either version. It might be more optimistic in the film but I feel like I remember it being ambiguous in both.

[@wllulu]

in the film you see the kids and the dog so that helps, but in the book also the man helps the kid with his dad so I'll say the feeling is similar

[@ferghalicious1480]

I found it to be the complete opposite tbh. The movie cuts to black as soon as the boy agrees to go with them so it’s quite ambiguous what happens afterwards. In the book however, it’s stated that the women sometimes speaks about god to the boy, but the boy prefers to pray to his father instead, so it can be assumed that they travel together for a good while at least. It also implies the family are religious, which could prevent them from engaging in cannibalism (i.e. their own parallel to the boy’s ‘carrying the fire’ myth).

[@Starman256]

good video, my man

[@notesbyalex]

Ahh thanks!

[@leofiguero786]

Aloe Vera needs lots of sunlight, cheers from Arizona

[@EatSomeAcorns]

I think the movie did the job of telling the story well, while I would have preferred more length I think we are lucky. It could have been a lot worse,

[@kat4005]

I can’t help but see the book as “the original” so I love it when a film artfully captures that. I understand that all content can’t be represented for a multitude of reasons and condensation must occur. No County for Old Men is a good example of film honoring the book very well. It’s what I love to see. I will say that I have enjoyed many films made from books and put aside the creative differences. Most often I will read a book before watching the film as the “original” is always my standard.

[@SpiderStratagemVI]

I have not read the book or have seen the movie, however, this sounds like i need to. Ive watched a couple clips, Viggo is always great, the landscape looks incredibly well. I guess one could say when civilization is lost, man's need to be civil is lost as well. To be living in a bleak existence and constantly in a state of survival mode would be incredibly difficult to maintain any hope.

[@julianneedsblood7091]

The ending was open ended though right?

[@guttertoad383]

Here I am commenting 3 years after upload, but I gotta say I disagree with with your thoughts about the score. I thought it was some of the most moving music possible for the story. I couldn't imagine a better set of tracks for the movie. Especially "The Mother." It is heart wrenching and brutal.

[@jamesbrown-ln2vq]

You should read With the old breed by eugene sledge. it's a real good memoir.

[@notesbyalex]

I’ll look into it!!

[@KidFresh71]

Good notes, although I think the movie is incredible. Incredibly bleak, but incredible.

[@antoniamcgregor3285]

I've started watching this on prime today I'm enjoying it so far I can't imagine walking around starving and there's no food I'd honestly choose cannibalism if it became impossible even though I'd be throwing up whilst doing it haha 😅😂 but I will definitely read the book I've heard a lot about it I love the handmaid's tale so this will be another favourite of mine 😄😁

[@ryanfreeborn4252]

The kid saying "Papa!!" repetitively at nauseum.....ugg.

[@ferghalicious1480]

You talking about the movie? Because the book actually has an amazing pay-off to the whole ‘papa’ thing near the end that the movie just omits entirely.

[@ericison8241]

I thought the Dad died due to infection from being shot in the leg with an arrow

[@floatedpanda8022]

it increased his time of death but he was already dying

[@kat4005]

I recall a waterfall in the book.

[@unscriptedwithantonio]

The rainbow wasn't in the book.

[@slayskool1964]

The bomb shelter scene bothered me too.

[@capturious]

Got an exam about this tomorrow, thank you Alex!

[@notesbyalex]

Yooooo good luck!!!

[@capturious]

@@notesbyalex thank youuu!!

[@sangkang6294]

Just remember, human meat taste like pork and the best is babies(Snowpiercer).

[@jirshb3302]

Loved your review but the soundtrack statement threw me off. It was one of my favorite parts of the movie. Nick Cave is amazing. Just my opinion....

[@noleenole8254]

Waterfall is in the book bro.

[@MasterJimenez]

Been years since I read them, But “The Maze Runner” and “The Scorch Trials” were the first books I ever read where I read the books first and then watched the movies I remember noticing all the little differences and thinking, “wow, that didn’t happen like that” But in terms of everything, I think books and movies can coexist too. In fact, I feel as though they are almost never comparable. They’re two complete different experiences The only thing I can think of is that I don’t think I’d enjoy a catcher in the rye movie, even though I loved the book

[@lazkraft7917]

Honestly good movie, but disagree with you heavily about Nick Cave and Warren Ellis soundtrack, in fact I played it while re-reading the book, I felt like it added to it

[@magpipe146]

The kid got to me when his dad got shot in the leg then he goes all “paapaa!”Mode like cmon kid there killing your dad! 😂

[@jayquoproductions]

I always thought that Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter were excellent movie adaptations.

[@kamiliajohnson7430]

100% agree, eragon was THE WORST adaptation. Also this is the 2nd review of the road book vs movie and still no mention of the thumbless men.

[@liquidarloceluloide]

Have you never heard of Nick Cave? Do you live under a rock?