Review of Marnie (1964) by Edith N — 03 Oct 2006

Sean Connery had already been James Bond twice when this movie came out. He'd also been Macbeth, Pvt. Flanagan in [i]The Longest Day[/i], and Michael McBride in [i]Darby O'Gill and the Little People[/i]. (Oh, Disney. Who [i]couldn't[/i] you get to sing in the old days?).

Somewhere, I should have a copy of the book. I haven't read it in some time, but there are some striking differences.

For one, we get to see another caper in the book, one at a movie theatre. I'm fairly sure we know about the Strutt job before Mark finds out, but we actually watch the entirety of the setup for the theatre job, from getting the job to taking off with the money.

Our sympathies are supposed to be different, too. Marnie is our narrator in the book. In the movie, we focus on Mark. (It's easier for me to think of these people in character at least in part because I've read the book.).

I don't recall Lil existing in the book, but her appearance in the movie is part of Mark taking over our sympathy. You see, in the book, Mark has a cousin. The cousin is [i]very[/i] upset when Marnie and Mark get married, because he'd been pursuing her from the moment she started working at Rutland's. Among other things, this means that we know before the wedding how Marnie feels about being touched. (I'd seen this movie many, many times before I realized that's a rape in the middle.).

Marnie has psychiatric help in the book, too. In the movie, Mark spends his spare time psychoanalyzing his wife, which is a definite conflict of interest. In the book, Mark insists, and rightfully so. He doesn't just allow her to be sick. He tries to get her help. (Of course, the old joke about how many psychiatrists it takes to change a lightbulb--one, but it has to really [i]want[/i] to change--is true, and analysis doesn't help Marnie. Still, at least he tries.).

There's only one more difference that I remember--except, I believe, the ending, which we shan't get into--and that is location. I think in the book, Marnie's from Birmingham. England. True to Hollywood prejudices, the story's been reset in the US again.