Movie Mutilation for Mice and Men

Brennon.S
Movie Mutilation for Mice and Men

If your friend had an accidental Midas touch of death, killing mice, puppies, and women what would you do? Would you kill them, or let them get away with it? What if they were also kind of mentally challenged?

In the film production Of Mice and Men directed by Gary Sinise, starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise, two travelling partners come upon a ranch in the Salinas Valley during the depression. Both George Milton and Lennie small have a dream to own their own stake and "live off of the fat of the land." After meeting more ranchers, the pair start to share their dream with them, refining it ever more, until they could almost taste "the cream on the milk." The only problems that stand in the way of their dream is two people. Curley, the bosses’ son and his wife. With Curley's wife flirting with Lennie, and the overly-aggressive Curley lashing out at him, the two soon find themselves on the run, while back at the barn Curley's wife is dead. In the end, with the advice of Candy, George shoots Lennie in the back of the head, saving his friend from pain and suffering while carrying it himself for killing his friend.

This movie was not as good as the book written by John Steinback. It seemed to leave out a lot of the more interesting details that help to develop the book. For example, in the movie, during the last scene when George shoots Lennie, there is no emphasis on the wavering wrist of George. This didn't let the idea that George was facing a moral dilemma surface. Similarly in the book, when Lennie was in the barn talking to Crooks, the black stage hand, Curley's wife comes in and after an exchange of words, she threatens to have Crooks hanged. In the movie this is left out and it most definitely underplays the racist emotions that most people shared at that time.

Many characters go under developed too. George for example, should probably have been smaller, strong featured, and bad tempered. I believe Lennie should have been played as more stupid, and not as mentally retarded. He also should have been more large, to emphasize the juxtaposition between them.

Although this movie wasn't as good as the book, there was stuff that was reputable. The theme was able to carry itself through out the story, and that is that no matter where you are or who you're with, you'll never be alone or unable as long as you have someone there with you. To share in both the excitements, and depressions of life.