Monday, March 21, 2011

When Silence Screams


When I saw this 1994 film of Heart of Darkness, I was surprised by the scene of Mr Kurtz's death. I pictured it swifter and louder. Also, I was somewhat disappointed by Mr Kurtz's renowned voice. Maybe I imagined an impossible scene of a dying mortal.

I believe modern references to the scene transfigured my perception. Conrad does describe Mr Kurtz's final statement as "a cry that was no more than a breath" (130), which is exactly what we see in the film. I imagined a scene with a volume closer to that used in this video. Maybe this is the type of influences I should flee. This made me question myself: What other faulty influences have I allowed to corrupt my perception of literature's scenes?

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