In class, we had the opportunity to watch “Anne Frank” the movie, and a while back we heard the play. The “Anne Frank” play was very similar to the “Anne Frank” movie, but they also had some differences which made them different from each other. For example, by watching the movie, we hear that the characters’ lines are practically the same as to the characters’ lines in the play, this in fact is a very big similarity. In my opinion, the movie was better because you could actually see whats going on, and not like the play were I have to use my imagination to picture what is going on.
The movie was also better because its differences to the play made it a little bit more enjoyable. Some of the differences that took place were that in the movie, Anne’s best friend was Sanne. In the play, her best friend was Jopie de Waal. In the play, Anne call her father ‘pim’, were in the movie she does not. In the movie, Mrs. Van Daan argues with Mr. Van Daan about the fact that he isn’t a great husband, she says Mr Frank would be a better husband to her, then, in a flash, kisses Mr. Frank. In the play Mrs. Van Daan argues with her husband, but does not kiss Mr. Frank.
Also a very big difference occurred in the movie which was that when a thieve comes to rob in the office, he steals a typewriter, he leaves, but another night he returns with special tools to open the safe, he is working, but soon hears a noise upstairs because Peter had chased his cat and tripped on some pots. In the story the thieve comes, but steals a radio and he only comes once; the noise he hears is from Peter’s fall for trying to turn off the light. Besides differences, there was also similarities between both the play and the movie. The similarities that occurred include that the play and the movie both started out the same way, Mr. Frank comes back from the concentration camp arriving in the office that includes the Secret Annex were Miep and Mr. Kraler accompanied him and show him Anne’s diary, and then begins to tell the story of their life in hiding, which is actually what Anne tells in her diary.
The movie and the play also end the same, Mr. Frank is reading the last page of Anne’s diary, they are all in silence and the play/movie ends. There are many things that are the same, but one main similarity that occurred was that Anne and Peter both fell in love with each other towards the end. The thing that did not happened in the play though, as that Peter and Anne both kissed. If they were to make a live performance of “The Diary of Anne Frank”, it would be much harder than making the movie. I say this because for a live performance, you would have to go through the hard work of making a set and for every scene, a curtain would have to come down. Then all the work of moving the set behind the curtains would also have to take place. Also, in some scenes, like when they want to show the things that happen at the same time, would be hard because some of the things that happen at the same time, occur in different rooms.
Making the movie would be much easier because a camera can show pretty much everything that they need to show. In conclusion, the play and the movie were practically the same, not too many differences occurred, but there were some. In my opinion, these differences between the play and the movie were good to have or else it would be just like seeing the movie twice. The comparison between the similarities and differences were a few, but the movie still turned out good. The ‘Anne Frank’ play and the ‘Anne Frank’ movie both had differences that made them both different, but yet they were similar in many, many ways.
