Movie vs. Book

Cry, the Beloved Country the novel and it's movie form have many similarities. Overall, I would say that the book is much better than the movie. I feel that the film version strayed away from the original intentions of the book too much. I understand that literature is open to many interpretations, but one of the main themes of the novel was not touched upon at all. The land dying, just as the tribal culture is, was never talked about. I also think that the movie was made to be more politically minded than the book. They focused more on the racial discrimination and less on the new generation entering the modern world and leaving behind simpler times. I really liked Jarvis's character in the novel. However, I strongly disliked him in the movie. He was angrier, ruder, and more racist in the film. The film also missed small nuances that had bigger meanings behind them. Jarvis helps Kumalo up in the movie, something that was not done in the book. As insignificant as this sounds, it was a key part of the book. It showed the subtle tensions between races. For a movie that was made to show these political issues, it ruined an important scene. In my opinion, the books Cry, the Beloved Country was much better than it's movie version.