The Power of One Essay
In this essay I will be looking at the similarities and differences of the book The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay and the movie The Power of One by John G. Avildsen. The topics I will be focusing on are music, imagery, characters and lighting.
In the beginning of the book we are introduced to Peekay, Zulu nanny and the judge. In the movie we are also introduced to two other characters, Peekay's mother and the medicine man. Throughout the book and movie we are introduced to many new characters as Peekay takes us on a journey of his life. Some of these characters are the professor who was later put in jail because he was thought to be a German spy and Marie a schoolgirl in Johannesburg who helps Peekay educate the blacks. When Peekay is telling us about the medicine man he describes him as "Man who nanny said could make sick men well and …show more content…
In The Power of One by Avildsen, black men, women and children move freely about their town under the African night sky. The Afrikaans police, in search of Peekay who is violating the laws regarding race mixing, violently disturb the village. The military uniformed Afrikaans are surrounded by raging flames as they slaughter the innocent Zulus. I feel the flames show the fear of the Zulus. The flames highlight the faces of the people creating a more dramatic effect as they run from the Afrikaans. After the massacre begins the tragic arches trap music is accompanied by the vocals of African tribal music. The African voices in the foreground emphasise the Zulus innocence and helplessness as the Afrikaans shoot and bash innocent people. The music also changes throughout the movie to indicate different emotions. Sounds like screamed, laughing, yelling, booed and bellowed are used constantly and effectively throughout the book and the movie to show happiness, sadness, pain or
In this essay I will be looking at the similarities and differences of the book The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay and the movie The Power of One by John G. Avildsen. The topics I will be focusing on are music, imagery, characters and lighting.
In the beginning of the book we are introduced to Peekay, Zulu nanny and the judge. In the movie we are also introduced to two other characters, Peekay's mother and the medicine man. Throughout the book and movie we are introduced to many new characters as Peekay takes us on a journey of his life. Some of these characters are the professor who was later put in jail because he was thought to be a German spy and Marie a schoolgirl in Johannesburg who helps Peekay educate the blacks. When Peekay is telling us about the medicine man he describes him as "Man who nanny said could make sick men well and …show more content…
In The Power of One by Avildsen, black men, women and children move freely about their town under the African night sky. The Afrikaans police, in search of Peekay who is violating the laws regarding race mixing, violently disturb the village. The military uniformed Afrikaans are surrounded by raging flames as they slaughter the innocent Zulus. I feel the flames show the fear of the Zulus. The flames highlight the faces of the people creating a more dramatic effect as they run from the Afrikaans. After the massacre begins the tragic arches trap music is accompanied by the vocals of African tribal music. The African voices in the foreground emphasise the Zulus innocence and helplessness as the Afrikaans shoot and bash innocent people. The music also changes throughout the movie to indicate different emotions. Sounds like screamed, laughing, yelling, booed and bellowed are used constantly and effectively throughout the book and the movie to show happiness, sadness, pain or