The ending of the novel was not what I expected. I felt that
both Walter and Phyllis would have gotten caught, or at least one of them would
have gotten killed if not both. I do have to say that Cain’s ending was definitely
different. Not satisfying to the reader but satisfying to the story. How Walter
finds Phyllis on the boat and the way Phyllis dressed up “crazy” before jumping
of the boat and how both of them knew that they will not get away with murder,
a touch of irony. I was anticipating seeing
how Phyllis would look and how the film would play it out on the screen. I would
have like to have seen how that scene would look on the screen. I’m not sure if
I was satisfied with how Cain ended his novel. I did expect something typical but was hoping
for something different with a little more meaning. I guess I wanted the ending
a little less implausible, I’m not sure how I would have liked it to end but not exactly
how Cain ended his novel and definitely not like the way
Chandler‘s and Wilder’s adaptation’s ended either. I cannot pin point what I would
change but a mesh of both the screenwriters and Cain’s endings might have
suited me.
The Film’s ending
version was more of a crowd pleaser. Comparing both Chandler’s and Wilder’s ending
and Cain’s ending I would say Cain’s was more fitting. The ending in the film might
have been changed do to censorship; killers getting away with no justice might
have been to taboo for the 1940s, among other various probable reasons. I think
it might have been because Wilder and Chandler would have liked a more of a
dramatic ending, to attract or satisfy an audience to the film during that
time. The audience at that time would have rather wanted somewhat of a “moral”
ending having the most “evil” person getting what was coming to her by getting
killed, as well, as the trigger man not getting away with his part by getting
caught. I believe that adaptation’s ending was geared to please to the audience
at the time and if I had not read the novel I would have been pleased with the
film’s ending.
Both the novel
and adaptation where suspenseful and I would reread, re-watch and recommend both
the book and movie. I know that the question was not asked but my feeling
towards the film’s ending would be like most that have read a book and watched
the adaptation and were not completely satisfied with the adaptation, this was
the case for me. I would have been more satisfied with Chandler and Wilder adaptation
if they would have stuck to Cain’s version of the ending. After all the novel
was a success why change it.
