opic:

Harold and Maude and HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH Type of paper:

Book/movie review Discipline:

Theatre and Film Format or citation style:

MLA Paper instructions: Prompt for six page Class Paper:
Compare two films titles we covered in class and distinguish three or four points which illustrate why in your imagination the story, or visual ideas, or the character life might work better on stage for one of your films, and your other title selection might work better for film over theatre..  Please make your points by citing specific moments or scenes in the film and avoid spending too much time summarizing plot.  Use Writing Center at Geisel Library for support with essay draft.

Please apply details in your paper.  State your point immediately and render your argument using clear terms.  Give evidence to your ideas rather than generalize your thoughts.  Proof read your paper for consistent logic, spelling and grammar.  Avoid summarizing film plots.  Do not plagiarize or you risk serious academic misconduct sanctions.

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Harold and Maude and Hedwig and the Angry Inch

The comedy-drama Harold and Maude might work better on film over theater. First, the story is about a young man known as Harold Chasen. The young man is fascinated by death. In the first scene, Harold is seen hanging himself which is one of his tricks concerning death. He is walking slowly in the study while making a nametag. He pretends to be suicide victim, and his mother does not seem startled by it. However, from Harold facial expression it seems he finds his actions funny. Although it is a comedy, the scene shows one of the many dark sides of the movie. The story line of the movie and the effects used could work well on film over theatre.  Another scene that would work better on film over theatre is where Harold pretends to cut his hand off so that he could scare a potential suitor. The scene shows his fascination with death. Another scene that shows Harold’s fascination with death is where he fools a date that he has burned himself alive (Ashby N.p). All these scenes might work better on film over theatre.

However, Hedwig and the Angry Inch might work well on stage. When Hedwig starts singing in the first scene, a transparent screen can be seen in front of her (Mitchell N.p). The stage is dark which shows the emotions in the movie. It reveals the sad emotions in the film and any viewer can relate to it. The emotions relate well with the scene. The audience can relate with what is happening in the film.  

Hedwig and the Angry Inch has a different setting. It is a musical comedy-drama, and it focuses on the life of Hedwig (Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Film) 2). The story might work better stage. “The Origin of Love” is one of the songs that highlights the actor’s life. It describes an imaginary time when people were happy and contented (Mitchell N.p). It’s a rather happy song, and it can work better in stage storyline. When she starts singing, a white screen appears in front of her where images depicting her thoughts can be seen. The song should be about the search of their loved ones or rather missing halves.  The use of images in the film and lack of special effects shows that it can work better on stage.

Although the part represents a sad part of Hedwig’s life, at the same time, it is romantic and there is live performance which would work better on stage. It highlights the Origin of love based on Hedwig (Mitchell N.p). Apart “The Origin of Love”, there are other love songs in the movie which might work well on stage. Most parts of the movie focus on an interesting story about love. Hedwig is focused on looking for his other half, however, he seems confused (Mitchell N.p). He has an interesting love story which would work great on stage setting. The movie has three-point lighting as well as natural light (Ashby N.p). The lighting in the movie enables a great control of shadows. It also allows the cinematographers to control the lighting to achieve the required effect. Most parts of the film are shot using natural light. The lighting helps in giving the movie a romantic feel which might work well with Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The lighting used in the film is representative of a romantic comedy genre.

Also, the love story in Harold and Maude might work better in film over theatre . First, Harold is a young man who falls in love with a seventy-nine years old-woman known as Maude (Harold and Maude 2). The woman teaches Harold about life and enjoying everything that is thrown his way. She teaches him life is a special gift. The lighting of the movie would work better in a film over theatre. Unnatural blue lighting evokes a sad mood. Although the film is a comedy, a rather sad mood is evident.

For instance, when Herold opens up to Maude about what influenced his fake suicides. He states that it started in boarding school after he started a fire accidentally in the Chemistry lab (Harold and Maude 2). After the accident, the police thought he was dead. When he returned home, he witnessed his mother react to the news about his death. According to him, his mother reacted with an absurdly dramatized faint. It’s a rather sad scene as Harold is seen crying as he tells Maude that after the incident he realized he enjoyed being dead. The film also ends on a sad note Harold takes Maude to the hospital (Ashby N.p). Her treatment is unsuccessful and she dies during treatment. Also, in the final scene, Harold’s car gets into an accident. It goes off a seaside cliff, however, Harold survives the horrific accident. He is seen standing on the cliff while holding his banjo. The scenes have lighting that reveals the mood of the movie.

The character life of Maude in Harold and Maude might have worked best in film over theatre. She has preserved her character throughout the years. She is honest and has a different character from other characters. For instance, Harold attempts to kill himself various times (Kerr N.p). He is a nineteen-year-old redhead, and he appears troubled. Although Miss Gaynor appears innocent, she has a rather wildlife. She is a survivor and a bold old lady. Also, she has an adventurous spirit, and she understands Harold. Although he has a rather complicated life, Maude welcomes him to her house. They participate in adventurous activities together.

For instance, they participate in tree planting, as well as tree climbing. They plant a sickly plant in a graveyard. Furthermore, they participate in car theft together. For instance, she has a cluttered house which is filled with various things (Kerr N.p). She had a stolen traffic light in her house. Maude wants Harold to have a better viewpoint on life and the surrounding environment. Harold falls in love with her, and he buys her an engagement ring. Maude is a wise and innocent old lady, however, she participates in various criminal activities. For example, a baby seal in her backyard was reported to be missing from the local zoo. The character might work best on film over theatre.

Maude teaches Harold about life and enjoying everything that is thrown his way. She teaches him life is a special gift (Kerr N.p). The lighting of the movie would work well on Harold and Maude stage. Hedwig, on the other hand, is focused on looking for his other half, nevertheless, he seems confused. He has an interesting love story which would work great in Harold and Maude’s setting. The movie has three-point lighting as well as natural light. The lighting in the movie enables a great control of shadows. It also allows the cinematographers to control the lighting to achieve the required effect. Most parts of the film are shot using natural light. The lighting helps in giving the movie a romantic feel which might work well with Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Hedwig has diverse character, despite her struggles she manages to help other people. For instance, Luther leaves her for a man, despite the fact that she had sacrificed a lot for the relationship. She recovers from the separation by taking up odd jobs (Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Film) 2). Hedwig also goes back to music. She babysits Tommy Speck who is a shy and misjudged teenager. She teaches him rock history as well as lyrics. Her actions show she is a great woman despite her complicated life. “The Origin of Love” is one of the songs that highlights the actor’s life (Mitchell N.p). It describes an imaginary time when people were happy and contented. It’s a rather happy song, and it can work better in Harold and Maude’s storyline. When she starts singing, a white screen appears in front of her where images depicting her thoughts can be seen. The song should be about the search of their loved ones or rather missing halves. Although the part represents a sad part of Hedwig’s life, at the same time, it is romantic. It highlights the Origin of love based on Hedwig. She is focused on looking for his other half. However, he seems confused, and she has an interesting love story.

Harold and Maude end on a sad note, for instance, Maude dies during treatment. Also, Harold is involved in an accident, however, he survives (Kerr N.p). Hedwig separates with her band as well as her manager. She works as a streetwalker, however, the story has a happy ending. She reunites with her band, and she finally discovers herself (Mitchell N.p). The band members wear white which symbolizes happiness. It is evident that the characters in Hedwig and the Angry Inch might have worked best on stage. The story ends with a happy ending while Harold and Maude end on a sad note.

Conclusion

After comparing the two films it is evident that they have various differences. For instance, their settings are different, also, their characters are different. The lighting of the movies is also varied. However, the comedy-drama Harold and Maude might work better film over theatre. Although it is a comedy, the scene shows one of the many dark sides of the movie. Hedwig and the Angry Inch has a different setting. It is a musical comedy-drama, and it focuses on the life of Hedwig. The story might work better on stage. The character life of Maude in Harold and Maude might have worked best in film over theatre. She has preserved her character throughout the years. She is honest and has a different character from other characters.

Works Cited

Ashby, Hal . Harold and Maude. Imdb, 20 Dec. 1971.

Harold and Maude. 4 Feb. 2018.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Film). 4 Feb. 2018.

Kerr, Walter. Stage: Janet Gaynor in ‘Harold and Maude’. 8 Feb. 1980.

Mitchell, John Cameron. Hedwig and the angry inch. Imdb, 2001.