Like most film adaptations, there is a sense of artistic license. However, with the release of Abdellatif Kechiche's adaptation of Julie Maroh's Blue is the Warmest Color, it seems like an opportune time to explore the differences between the printed word and the film version. Unlike some adaptations with high praise, these two takes on one lesbian couple actually are executed entirely different and with the endings being easily distinguishable from each other. The following is a look at the big things that the film changed from the book and whether or not that is exactly a great move.
While most of the conversation around Kechiche's movie has been around the graphic sex scenes, it should also be around the interesting accuracy that the depiction shows. The relationship of Emma (Lea Seydoux) and Adele (Adele Exarchopolous) has plenty of highs and lows that move on through the story. However, when it came time to analyze the differences, they were as clear as day and night. The following is a few of the bigger ones. [Spoilers Ahead]
1. Era
Book: 1995-1997 and 2008
Movie: Undisclosed period over several decades.
Early on in the film, Adele is seen holding a conversation with Thomas (Jeremie Laheurte) about tastes in music. Upon the genres listed, Adele claims to be able to appreciate dubstep. This genre was created in 1999 by El-B. While not entirely distant from the book's starting point, it is one of the few changes that works for the film, as it allows the characters to feel more personal by sharing tastes in culture.
2. Name and Age
Book: Clementine, ages 16-17 and 30
Movie: Adele, ages 17-18 and undisclosed older age (presuming 30's)
The changes are subtle here, though possibly done to not appear to be depicting underage sex. The name change makes no sense, save for the film's point of addressing Adele's name as meaning "justice." Her age wouldn't have been made apparent, had it not been for a birthday party towards the middle when it was revealed to be her 18th birthday. Also, the age is not present in the latter years of the story while in the book, it was referenced that 30 was the beginning of her emotional breakdown.
3. Emma's Introduction at the Gay Bar
Book: Unexpectedly walking up to Clementine at a gay bar, ordering a drink.
Movie: Claiming that Clementine was her cousin to some imposing women.
One of the strangest, most apparent changes in the story came when Emma was introduced at the bar. In the book, she almost seems to take authority of the situation and come off as a protector while not playing familiarity. In the movie, she comes across more friendly and willing to start conversation with her. The other notable change in the film is that the drink Emma buys Adele is something that Emma actually dislikes. The relationship gets more personal quicker without any build-up.
4. Sabine
Book: Emma's girlfriend, who looks down on Emma's relationship with Clementine
Movie: Emma's friend.
The most glaring difference between book and movie is Sabine. In the book, her relationship with Emma turns out to be a driving force for why she cannot get together with Clementine. It is cathartic when they break up, though Sabine is overly temperamental and plays a threatening force despite limited presence. In the movie, she seems more naive and is on screen for not even a minute. Even the introductions feel different, as Sabine despises Clementine in the book for talking to Emma. However, in the movie, Sabine seems fine when Emma claims that Adele is her cousin. This is the extent to her presence in the film, and one that reflects the gratuitous amounts of changes in the two versions.
5. The First Sex Scene
Book: Clementine visits Emma's house only to have sex.
Movie: Adele and Emma have sex before being introduced to the house.
More of a nitpick than a complaint, but the introduction of Emma's house feels like a crucial turn in their personal connection. It is the place where Clementine feels safe and seeks refuge. However, among the points in which tension rises and Adele lusts after Emma in the movie, they have sex after a few conversations and a session that involves doing sketches of Adele in the park. While the book makes the moment feel more symbolically earned, the movie just makes it feel like lust and without as much symbolism. All it seems to do is loosen up Adele's nervousness. While the house will come into play later on, it feels wrong to put that first sex scene before establishing a refuge.
6. Meeting Emma's Parents
Book: Done after Clementine's parents finds out that she was dating Emma and is suffering depression.
Movie: Done before Adele suffers any trauma.
While tonally in the film it would seem wrong to introduce Emma's parents beforehand, it doesn't fit with the parallel of Adele's parents. Even if Adele's parents appear homophobic, it seems rather tame and overlooked while Emma's parents are loving and into seafood. It is an optimistic scene and one that the film could use. However, in the book, it serves more of a purpose, as Clementine's parents disown their daughter and Emma's parents serve as an accepting force that embraces her sexuality. It isn't played for as much of an upbeat or comical approach. It is also more explained through unrelated conversations than actual action.
7. The Innocence Dies
Book: Clementine's parents find Emma naked in their kitchen, starting a downward spiral.
Movie: Emma dumps Adele.
While the scene in which Adele and Emma have sex is depicted, it ends without the conflict from the book. In the book, after sex, Emma walks down to get some food. She is naked and runs into Clementine's insomniac mother, who starts a big feud that forces their daughter to leave. While in both versions Adele moves in with Emma, one is because of disowning and the other is because of personal disconnect. One of the biggest glaring omissions is how the depiction of the parents differs. In the book, Clementine's parents are stricter and meaner when it comes to homosexuality. In the movie, they still have disagreements, but essentially come across as harmless. This is referenced in the book as "The innocence dies." Seeing the film as a tale of maturity, the ending could represent innocence dying as Emma and Adele have one last kiss before going their separate ways, leaving Adele alone as Emma dates another woman.
8. Professional Careers
Book: Emma is an artist, Clementine is undeclared.
Movie: Emma is a successful artist, Adele is a teacher.
One of the things that the film explores in greater detail is the career lives of their two characters. While Emma is very similar to the book, her career is more successful and she ends up having an exhibit by the end of the film. She struggles and eventually succeeds in ways only hinted at in the book. Clementine is too manic depressive in the book to really focus the narrative on any job that she has. Meanwhile, Adele in the movie spends a lot of time as a teacher helping students and preferring those with learning problems (not handicapped). She embraces this and it gives her a more well rounded persona, though it distracts from the intimacy presented in the book.
9. Ending
Book: Clementine dies of pill addiction.
Movie: Adele is dumped by Emma.
The book is more finite with how it chose to ends its story. With an emotionally deep and prophetic ending, Clementine's death is brought on from taking too many sleeping pills and losing the will to live without Emma. In her last action, she gives Emma her diaries that discusses her inner thoughts about Emma. In the movie, time hasn't been kind to them and through some paranoid flings with other people, they eventually decide to call it quits. Nobody dies and the impact isn't nearly as strong, even if meant to symbolize Adele's progression into maturity.
10. Narrative Structure
Book: Emma reads Clementine's diary.
Movie: Chronological narrative.
Much like the execution of Sabine's integral nature, the stories play out differently by how they chose to end the story. Since the book ends with Clementine's death, it is incorporated all the way through and creates a sense of tragic, lost love and youth. Clementine's death hits hard because internal thoughts are expressed that make her seem more vulnerable and personal. In the movie, Adele lives. She also keeps a diary, but besides occasional references, it is never discussed nor integrated much into the plot. While the book continually flashed forwards and backwards between the diary and Emma's conversations with Clementine's parents, we don't get a sense of parental representation in the movie. Much like Sabine, they are mostly there briefly before moving on. The movie manages to be straightforward and while chronologically following similar timelines of that of the book, it isn't done as nearly as interesting or in an internal exposition sort of manner.
The film itself manages to succeed as its own monster, though my overall preference will be for the simplicity and the intimacy of the book, which manages to never overshadow emotions while also expressing a lot of the film's points in more successful manners.
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