Let's try something out of the ordinary here. Instead of writing and handing in a traditional essay, let's post our responses and get a conversation going. For 5 points credit, write a 100 word response to the topic, or to someone else's response. Write another 100 words in the form of a response to another comment to receive the other 5 points. If you've done all your film responses, you can do this for extra credit, too. Okay, so here we go...
There are some parts to Juan Rulfo's novel that is definitely cinematic, other parts not so much. Was this adaptation satisfying to you, or did it not do the novel justice? What did you or did you not like about the film?
Just like in most films created by a novel, a novel sometimes has the tendency to capture the essence of the story more than a film does. In the situation regarding Pedro Paramo, I feel this is the case as well. Despite, the fact that the film was intriguing it did not have the capability to capture most of the books details. However, I do commend the film because it helped bring forth clarification. While reading the book, there were some parts that were hard to comprehend. After watching the film it helped clarify these misunderstandings. For example, during the celebration of Susana’s death, I thought the people who were celebrating were new visitors that the revolutionaries brought in with them, because the book states, “people began arriving from other places, drawn by endless pealing.” However, I discovered I was completely wrong after observing the film. Thus, my favorite part of the film was the way the director portrayed Dorotea, I thought she was extremely hysterical. Overall, I thought the film was done well by the director, but the book held more character and essence.
ReplyDelete-Marcella Rojas
The film of “Pedro Paramo” is easier to understand. In this film we can see the mixture of Mexican real and unreal life. The real life is represented by revolutionaries who are part of the Mexican history, and also by the people and their traditional ways of living The unreal life is represented characters who told Preciado the story who are just ghosts. There was a scary part from the film that caught my attention; When Juan Preciado is leaving Eduviges' house and all of the sudden she screams and her death body appears hanging on the wall. The film was more helpful in order to understand the story, specially because there were so many characters and it was hard to distinguish them.
ReplyDeleteSergio Carreon
Juan Rulfo wrote the novel "without using adjectives," meaning that he avoided using character descriptions. This is an interesting concept because do we really need a character's description? Not really. I don't think that one reason the novel is hard to follow along is because of the lack of character descriptions. Avoid heavy use of descriptions is probably another reason why the novel is so slim.
ReplyDeleteThe filmmakers have a hard decision to make. They have to decide how the people of Comala, and Comala itself has to look like. Just like you--the reader--they have to make their own interepretations--and changes to make their film work.
Marcella, I think you're on to something about the part where Rulfo writes, "people began arriving from other places, drawn by endless pealing." To me this is a part of the "marvelous real" of the novel; this surrealistic and hypnotic sense of sound that lures people from faraway to Comala and end up celebrating in a large fiesta for which they do not know the occassion. The irony of course being that it is the last straw Pedro Paramo has with Comala before he "crosses his arms" lets Comala starve.
And Andres, I agree with you in what is the scariest moment in the film. This tells us that Eduviges hangs herself, which doesn't happen in the novel. Apparently, she hangs herself because Fulgor hangs/murders her father. Or is it just me?
The film Pedro Paramo is a good adaptation from the novel. Even though the film presented many scenarios that were described in the book, the novel was really more descriptive than the film. While reading the book I had difficulties identifying the character and also I had some trouble reading the story and the film really clarify the scenarios and the story more. Even though that the book was easy to read and they used simple words it was kind of difficult for me to follow some of the scenes in the book, the film really made them clearer. Overall, I think that the film is a really good adaptation and it is easier to understand.
ReplyDeleteClaudia Rico
Great observation Andres! I did not even notice the part in the film where Dona Eduviges dies. Where was I? I was unaware she hung herself to death. Thank you for the insight. Thus, despite the fact that the Juan Rulfo did not use adjectives to describe any character specifically, he did a great job at allowing the reader to understand the characteristics of each of his characters. He did this by applying descriptive adjectives about the characters characteristics instead of directly providing the reader with adjectives. For example, he used many adjectives to describe Susana and her death. On Pg 113 Rulfo describes Susana to swallow her foamy saliva, chew clumps of dirt crawling with worms that knot in her throat. The author is describing all of the activities Susana engages in due to her sickness.
ReplyDeleteClaudia, the novel is very deceptive in that way. The story starts off typical enough but by the first few pages we're disoriented. This disorientation mimics Juan Preciado's experience trying to put together this puzzle that is his father's life. Rulfo puts us in Juan's shoes.
ReplyDeleteI would love to take the credit, but it was not me who responded regarding Doña Eduviges. That was Sergio. Big ups Sergio! So please credit him with the great insight.
ReplyDeleteI had a different perspective than most of us had on this film and book. My BIG report is on a book about the Mexican revolution called The Underdogs. In this book it goes into great detail describing what the revolution was like from the soldiers point of view, along with the experience of participating in a civil war. What I loved about Pedro Paramo is that it gave you the reason as to why a civil war was needed. As a reader we feel this book might be about family and finding one's past once reading the first few pages, but we encounter an astonishing insight into the wealthy landowners and the pueblos that they "self governed." It was because of these rich hacendados holding such a tight grip on the people of these pueblos that caused the poor peasants to revolt. The character of Pedro Paramo, which by the way in my opinion was perfectly cast, is vital to understanding what the revolution was about. I'd like to elaborate some more on the actor playing Pedro Paramo. He is an actor named John Gavin from the USA, and you must check out his WIKI entry as I believe you'll agree that he was great for this role. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gavin Gavin has all the makings of what a wealthy landowner is all about. He comes from a wealthy family with European blood mixed with a powerful family of mestizo blood from Mexico. The first scene that I recall of him is when he comes out in a suit. This visual was crucial in introducing us the difference between the hacendado, and everyone else. He has this tailored suit on, while everyone else is dressed in what we view as more traditional Mexican regional attire. The size of Gavin is also significant, as he usually towers over all of the other characters. Many of todays politicians in power in Mexico fit this same big physical description.
On another note, I would like to reiterate what was stated earlier regarding the transitions from the past to the present. I did feel that it was a bit easier to understand these transitions by watching the movie. Having the visual fades helped tremendously to understand that we were now switching from time periods and scenes. I had difficulty with that while reading the book, and often found myself going back and forth to read again what I had just misunderstood.
Having Pedro Paramo and The Underdogs to read together was great! I feel that these 2 books go hand and hand, and the visual from the movie really helped out. I am extremely pleased to have had the experience to have all of these together in one class.
Andres Fierro
The film of Pedro Paramo was indeed a clarification of the novel itself. I have seen several novels converted to film but this example was indeed a fix to the novel. But unfortunate like many films since most of them last about 2 or so hours long it does neglect several aspects of the novel and in most cases it can be some of the breakthrough events from the story line. Films do help clarify the transitions between Juan Preciado finding of his father and the people he went through to get to him to find out that he was dead.
ReplyDeleteThe movie, "Pedro Paramo," based on Juan Rulfo's novel was a great movie. As we all know, the book is better than the movie in most cases. I think the book was well explained, but the one thing that confused me was the jumping of time frames. When we had the chance to see the movie, the book made a lot more sense. The adaptation of this movie from the book made sense to me because the way that the story moves freely from time and space was remarkable. I think it was very creative showing the people as ghosts in the present time while they are speaking of past time.
ReplyDelete-Raul Martinez-
To answer professor Espinoza idea of not needing the description of a character I believe that it is necessary in most cases. The reason I believe that people do need a description of a character is because people tend to relate to characters in order to understand the story. One of the most helpful methods in order to read story correctly is to create a visualization of a character and how to relate to them. That is why the novel kinda threw me off in most cases when I tried to create a description of the person.
ReplyDeleteThe film adaptation of Juan Rulfo's Pedro Paramo is good and it goes in accordance with the novel. The novel is more descriptive of course, but the film is not bad either. I was impress by the change of different scenes in the film and how it went from one scene in the book to the new one that the novel was describing. The thing that I found very cinematic was the lightnig in most of the film but its probably to make it seem more credible and realistic, because the novel makes the town of Comala seem like a place where not many people will like to live and I think that by having just some light for the people to see what's happening they really get that effect. I don't think I read about Eduviges hanging and I agree that it was one of the scariest things.
ReplyDeleteCesar T.
I agree with most of you because, Rulfo really puts us in Juan's shoes and its done very well by going from one scene to the other one and having him talk with all the ghosts and tell him what happened with each one of the characters. Sergio has a good point because the history and the real life take place in the novel, like Pedro and Miguel Paramo's life. Bobby, Andres, and I were talking about the novel in class and everything happens in real life, even incest and the girl that seat next to Bobby and Andres said that's gross/bad and Bobby mention even pre-marrital sex and we all agree because it happens. I don't know where you were Marcella, when Eduvigues hang her self, most people notice, unless they were scared or falling asleep.
ReplyDeleteCesar
There I go again, calling Sergio "Andres." And Marcella followed my lead, too! My apologies Sergio!
ReplyDeleteMr. Fierro, your comments bring good insight to an alternative way to read Pedro Paramo. In fact, I'm going to consider bringing in Underdogs as a companion piece to Pedro Paramo next time I teach this class.
That's the one change in the movie that I was not fond of...that one can hear the ghostly voice of Pedro Paramo, leading Juan Preciado to think that his father was alive. I think it would have been eerie if we never encountered the present day Pedro.
ReplyDeleteBut then in the scene following we see Abundio stab Pedro, making the audience come to realize that the voice we hear is the ghost of Pedro Paramo. Perhaps that's scarier.
I apologize for not being able to post my response into the blog, but I didn’t have access to the internet. I support and agree the comments that my classmates have made in this page. The film Pedro Paramo is a good adaptation to the book, it follows the same trajectory that the book uses, and the scenario is very alike to how they describe it in the book. The film starts the same way the book does, and ends the same way the book ends. Even though we have read and seen the film it is still unclear to me who’s the main character in the story and who’s story we are talking about, it can be Juan Preciado’s journey, or Pedro Paramo’s life, but it can also be a third person telling the story. It is just unknown in my eyes; I need to re-read the story in order to pick up more things.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s great the way the book pushes you to use your critical thinking skills to kind off form an order of how the story line goes sense it is a little bit disorientated. Overall I thought that this film and the book was great sense it cover themes that usually few books do which are ghost and people being dead, and how the pillars of society collapsed referring to real life events in history.
I hope the professor gets confused the day he grades everyone and I can get the same grade as Andres. When I read Pedro Paramo I had the same confusion Andres Puentes had. I didn't know if the main character was Pedro Paramo or Juan Preciado. The reason I thought Juan Preciado was the main character was because at the beginning of the story Juan is sent by his mother to Comala so he can meet his father and it seems that the story is going to be based on the story of Juan looking for his father, but as the story continues, Pedro Paramo becomes the main character. He was a powerful person who had many children, and this makes Juan less valuable in the film. There was a time in the story when I even forgot that Juan existed. But in my personal opinion Pedro is the main character of the story
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Marcella the film did bring out good point with clarity. But the book still has more detail and story form then the film. When I saw the film I noticed that things could have been a little more detailed. So far it was entertaining I like it very much and still it help create life and the visual of how certain thing would occur. Also I questioned the roles the characters had just as “Sergio” did but the main character to me was Juan Preciado because without the journey there would have been no story. Maybe if they make a remake they will do a better job the only problem is who is going to play the parts.
ReplyDeleteRobert, thanks to our Hollywood reporter Melissa, she informs be that Mexican actors Gabriel Gael Bernal (Motorcycle Diaries) and Diego Luna (Milk) will be producing a remake/adaptation of Pedro Paramo. Bernal will play the title role. It will also be written and produced by the team that brought you Obre lo ojos, which starred Penelope Cruz, and The Others, which starred Nicole Kidman. I'm looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the name is Gael Garcia Bernal. Sorry to detail that one Professor, but this is Ana's favorite actor, and she wouldn't have anyone getting it wrong.
ReplyDeleteDiego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal have been a part of a new, young core of Mexican actors/filmmakers that has seen their most recent work in many prestigious film festivals. Together they were producers for the film Cochochi, which was featured in the 12th International Latino Film Festival that came through the bay area in November of 2008. The film did very well and apparently it has earned many awards in various film festivals. They seem to have a knack for good roles and movies, so I'm very excited to hear that they will be a big part of this movie. Excellent news, as these guys are the "it" guys in Mexico right now.
Good looking out Melissa!
Andres Fierro
Some roles for new Pedro Paramo (my opinion only)
ReplyDeleteJuan Preciado: Gael Garcia Bernal
Susana San Juan: Ana Claudia Tlalcon (El Crimen de Padre Amaro)
Dolores Preciado: Ana de la Reguera (Nacho Libre)
Pedro Paramo ???? It's going to be tough to top John Gavin I believe. Anybody have any ideas??? Maybe Fernando Colunga???
I know there's more characters but that's all I've got for now.
Andres Fierro