“The Most Dangerous Game” is a short story about a hunter named “Sanger Rainsford” who is marooned on an island after accidentally falling off a yacht and is a highly anthologized story. As the film industry has done many times before and will continue to do so, very popular short stories, such as this one, and books get remade as movies. Traditionally when Hollywood does this, a few liberties are taken and some elements of the original work are changed or eliminated. “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell is no exception.
In the result of the transition of “The Most Dangerous Game” from literature to film, many aspects were altered. Though some are superficial, such as the appearance of “General Zaroff” and the movie’s Count Zaroff, or the physical conditions of Ivan, others are quite noticeable. For example, concerning the introduction, the exchange between the short story’s “Sanger Rainsford” and the film’s Robert Rainsford and Whitney was altered to the extent that new characters were involved in it. The following scene, regarding the advent of Rainsford to Ship Trap Island, was modified heavily. It was adjusted to the degree that instead of having Rainsford falloff the ship and swimming to Ship Trap Island, his yacht was lured by Zaroff’s lights, which were built specifically to lead to dangerous rocks. The ship sank and sharks, with the sole exception of Rainsford, ate everyone aboard. A final decision undertaken was concerned with the scene where Zaroff hunts Rainsford; it was remodeled to the inclusion of an extra character and a shorter time span to survive. Clearly, they’re many differences between these two versions.
The Essay on Short Stories : Cultural Encounters
Through a close critical reading of Mavis Gallant’s ‘The End of the World’ (in the Anthology, A World of Difference, pp. 125–32), consider how the story’s narrative techniques, language and structure help to illustrate the theme of ‘cultural encounters’. The short story is like an anecdote. It contains a complete story that usually spans over a short period of time, with a minimal cast. Mavis ...
Yet, in spite of the glaring differences between the two mediums concerning the same subject, there were many elements kept intact. For example, the introduction scene with the exchange between Whitney and Rainsford was severely altered though it still delivers the same message. Its purpose was to institute Rainsford’s view on animals as prey and as foreshadowing by establishing the idea of hunting in the partaker’s mind. Another integral part of the plot, the hunt with Rainsford as prey, was also reconstructed but it also conveys the same message it was meant to. Through the hunt, Rainsford is forced to experience life as the prey and his view on hunted animals is changed. Besides sharing many similarities, both versions also share identical literary elements.
The short story and the movie share in common the same elements. The element of conflict is used extensively in both, specifically the conflicts of man vs. man, man vs. nature, and man vs. self. During Zaroff’s hunting of Rainsford, Rainsford is obligated to survive in his environmental surroundings and to avoid death at the hands of Zaroff. Not only this, but as the aftermath of having to forcibly comply as Zaroff’s prey, Rainsford is coerced to confront his own views of hunting. Another element used extensively was foreshadowing. The notion of hunting was instilled into the minds of the readers and viewers early on and, in the short story, subtle hints such as Rainsford’s ability to swim well, his smoking, and the fact that he had not been tired were also forms of foreshadowing. The use of these same elements helped to transmit the same ideas.
There are many variations between the short story and the movie. Despite this, the same meaning is expressed by still having basic similarities and literary elements. Both are also highly enjoyable.
