Film vs. Williams

Tennessee Williams’ original play “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, just like every piece we have read in class so far, had noticeable changes in the movie version. I was not disappointed as I have been with previous film versions of the books we have read because for the first time I honestly liked the movie better. Paul Newman, who I had not really acknowledged as an elite actor before watching “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, was very close to perfect in playing the role of Brick. Besides being a convincing alcoholic, Newman was emotionless and stone-cold just like Brick was in the play script. I remember we discussed how Brick’s name was chosen purposely by Williams in order to convey how “impenetrable” and “unbreakable” he is. Newman always gave that impression to me. I watched the movie with a close friend who had not read the play and he described Brick as “a lost cause”, which I recalled thinking the same of him while reading the play. I never thought he could break down, and was positive there was nothing Maggie could do to get Brick’s undying love and passion towards her. The only emotions he showed towards Maggie in the play and the movie was anger and a complete lack of concern for her happiness. Skipper’s suicide is the reason for Brick’s alcoholism and behavior around his family, which brings me to one aspect of the film I was a bit unhappy with. Although I enjoyed the movie more simply because I fell in love with the acting abilities of Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor, there is no doubt in my mind that the play was a lot deeper in meaning and raised important questions. Williams asked her readers if marriage is truly what it is made out to be, an eternal union between two lovers, or if it is just a societal expectation that humans give into. Williams also makes Skipper and Brick’s relationship much more romantic than the film, which raises questions of his true desires. We have discussed many times about the concept of “desires” in most of the assigned readings, and here it is again. By the end of this course, I feel like I will be completely lost as to what my real desires are from life. I will always question whether I want something because of the environments I have been a part of in my life so far, or because of my human nature and instincts. We saw it in Maurice and now in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, when you do not follow your desires, regrets will haunt you for the rest of your life.