An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

This film, which was shown by Rod Serling as part of the Twlight Zone series, utterly fails at living up to the spledid story as written by Ambrose Bierce. The flashback, in part two, provides a context to the hanging. In the film you have a man who you do not know and whose guilt or innocense is in question. He could be as damnable as John Wilkes Booth or he could be innocent. Part two provides an important context and the modern concept of entrapment ads a level of ambiguity to the hanging. Are those who are lead into temptation as guilty as those who engage in criminal acts of their own accord? Was this man a threat who, even if not tempted, might have acted against the Union Army given a chance and therfore justly executed. Bierce leaves you to think about these issues creating a much richer context for the subsequent section. Other discrepancies of import: in the film the Captain takes his watch. One is reminded of the looting of the bodies of the Samurai by the lowest class of Japanese. Is the film making a commentary here? If so, it is at complete odds with the original story which speaks of the dignity with which death is treated. Moreover the vivid images the condemned man sees, his sense of time slowing are in o way adequately represented. Finally in section three the film departs in so many ways from the words it becomes almost a ludicrous satire. The words do not talk about Mr Farquar running endlessly down the road. Nor does the gate magically open without his even touching it. Then the running of each to embrace the other is so drawn out that it borders on self satire. Finally the perpective of death is entirely different in the film that in the words of the story. One must remember that the last portion of the story is entirely seen form the internal perspective of the protagonist, as is his death. The film changes perspective very abruptly leaving the viewer with a story tellers version of “the bends”. No grace in the transition, whatsoever. I came to this site to read the story after being very disappointed by the film version. I could not believe the written version had its shortcomings. I am happy to learn that it does not. I am aware there have been other film versions which, I hope are more faithful to the story and its perspective.