The two film adaptation of Nikolay Gogol’s The Overcoat, the 1959 Russian film by Aleksey Batalov and the 2011 Canadian film, The Girl in the White Coat by Darrell Wasyk, end in different ways. One film depicts a scene of supernatural revenge while the other ends with a quiet death. As films set in realistic environments, the supernatural element found in Gogol’s work presents a challenge for the directors. However, when compared to the original work, both films have a similar meaning even when their plots differ.
When comparing the plots of the adaptations, they appear to take different approaches to the supernatural ending and belong to opposite genres. Batalov’s film is relatively realistic for most of its duration but he introduces a ghostlike …show more content…
The final shot, advertising Akaky’s old rooms for rent, imply that Akaky’s situation will be repeated in the future with another nameless clerk. Though the film has followed Akaky up until this point, Batalov ignores his individualism in the final scenes. The bare coffin seen passing is never confirmed as Akaky’s and he will soon be replaced his landlady with another clerk. Despite the coat’s great importance to Akaky, his new overcoat also conveys this loss of individualism. When he arrives at his office on the first day with his new coat and is surrounded by admirers, Batalov’s shot begins with Akaky entering the door and moving forward until only his knees are visible. His co-workers then surround him so the viewer cannot distinguish Akaky amid the mass of knees. When the viewer finally sees Akaky in this context, there is nothing that distinguishes his overcoat from the other men’s coats. His clothes are only recognizable in the beginning of the film when his overcoat is distinctive because of its shabbiness. He is only recognized and celebrated when he finally adapts the style of the other workers in his office. With this theme, Batalov’s ending can be read as a critique of this societal process, where Akaky is reduced to a nameless corpse who is not addressed by his superior even as a
When comparing the plots of the adaptations, they appear to take different approaches to the supernatural ending and belong to opposite genres. Batalov’s film is relatively realistic for most of its duration but he introduces a ghostlike …show more content…
The final shot, advertising Akaky’s old rooms for rent, imply that Akaky’s situation will be repeated in the future with another nameless clerk. Though the film has followed Akaky up until this point, Batalov ignores his individualism in the final scenes. The bare coffin seen passing is never confirmed as Akaky’s and he will soon be replaced his landlady with another clerk. Despite the coat’s great importance to Akaky, his new overcoat also conveys this loss of individualism. When he arrives at his office on the first day with his new coat and is surrounded by admirers, Batalov’s shot begins with Akaky entering the door and moving forward until only his knees are visible. His co-workers then surround him so the viewer cannot distinguish Akaky amid the mass of knees. When the viewer finally sees Akaky in this context, there is nothing that distinguishes his overcoat from the other men’s coats. His clothes are only recognizable in the beginning of the film when his overcoat is distinctive because of its shabbiness. He is only recognized and celebrated when he finally adapts the style of the other workers in his office. With this theme, Batalov’s ending can be read as a critique of this societal process, where Akaky is reduced to a nameless corpse who is not addressed by his superior even as a