The Time Machine versus its film adaptations
2002 Movie
The 2002 version also has its own differences. The film opens with the story of the time traveler and his fiancé. In the novel, there is no such fiancé. The film added this event in order to provide an explanation as to why the time traveler became interested in the idea of time travel. This scenario adds a detail that helps the audience to understand more about the time traveler and his motives. In the film, the woman's name is changed to Mara to add an exotic feel that blends well with the actress, Samantha Mumba. In the movie, there is a strong sense of family relations between Mara and her brother Kalen, whereas in the novel, Wells specifically mentions that family is not important. The film added this aspect of family to help the audience relate better to the Eloi people. The idea of family makes the Eloi people not so different from our society today, which makes the act of their torture even more devastating. Most importantly, the time traveler is never able to return home and tell his story because his time machine is destroyed. This act shows the graciousness and goodness in the time traveler's character by the fact that he would sacrifice everything for a people he barely knows.
There are many differences between the novel and the films. Some of these differences occur in both films. For instance, in both films, the time traveler destroys the Morlocks. In the novel, the time traveler never accomplishes this feat. Why then would the films change such a large detail? I believe that the films wanted to establish a strong sense of good and evil. In both films, the Morlocks are a clear representation of evil, while the Eloi and the time traveler are representations of good. It is in defeating the Morlocks that a triumph of good over evil occurs. Such a triumph is normally emphasized in films and helps grab the audience, keeps them entertained, and allows them to leave happy. It is for this reason that the films include the defeat of the Morlocks.
Also in both films, the time traveler decides to remain in 802701. In the 1960 version, the time traveler returns home and then goes back to 802701. In the 2002 version, the time traveler destroys his machine and is never able to return home. In the novel, the time traveler returns home and then leaves in his time machine. We are never told exactly where he is going. It is my conclusion that the film adaptations decided to have the time traveler remain in 802701 because they wanted to have a concrete ending. The novel leaves the reader hanging without a firm conclusion. The films wanted to provide a solution to the story to please the audience. The audience needs to feel that the time traveler and his woman of the future have made a connection and will continue their relationship.
Also, in both films, the time traveler is told about the division between the Eloi and the Morlocks. In the 1960 film, he is told by a set of talking rings. In the 2002 film, he is told by a hologram. In the novel, there is no explanation as to how the time traveler discovers the origins of the Morlocks and Eloi people. The addition of an external source of knowledge was essential in the films. These external sources helped the audience to understand how the Morlock and Eloi people split and what their separate lives are like. Without this explanation, the audience would be incredibly lost and miss the important fact that at one point in time, the Eloi and the Morlocks were the same people. It was because of their adaptation to their environment that the races became significantly different.
A significant difference between the films and the novel is that in the novel, Weena dies and in the films Weena/Mara survives. It is pretty clear why the films would choose to change this aspect. Neither film would want to kill off the character that the protagonist loves the most. In the 1960 version, the survival of Weena is important because she is the reason that the time traveler returns. In the 2002 movie, Mara is the epitome of a strong and independent woman. For the writers to kill her would be in a sense, killing the idea of a strong and capable woman.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, in the films, the time traveler stops on to his way to 802701. This is not done in novel; the time traveler journeys into the far future without making any stops. These stops in the film are very important. They help to guide the reader into the idea of time travel without throwing them into an unrecognizable time. Also the stops in the immediate future help to provide commentary on the world itself. Both films contain a scene in which the world ends. In the 1960 version the world ends by atomic war and in the 2002 version, the world is ended by the deterioration of the moon. Both of these scenarios represent the concerns of the time that the films were made in.
The films differ from the novels in similar ways, but they also contain differences from the novel that are unique to themselves.
1960 Movie
Specifically to the 1960 version is the idea that the time traveler does not want to bring Weena back to his time. In the novel, the time traveler says that he wants to bring Weena back with him. It is my opinion that the film chose this interpretation because there needed to be a reason for the time traveler to come back. If he could take Weena back with him, then there would be no motivation for the time traveler to go back. Also, in the 1960 film, instead of going further into the future (past 802701), the time traveler returns home to tell his tale. In the novel, before he returns to his old time, the time traveler advances even further into the future and sees that eventually there will be no life on Earth. It would make sense that the film does not show this event because it is quite shocking. The idea of no life on Earth would stun audiences and somewhat send them into a frenzy. No person wants to think of the idea that eventually there will be nothing left. The film needed to have a happy ending.
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Both movies reflect the time period in which they were made
Morlocks
The Morlocks of the 2002 movie are by far the scariest of both movies and the novel. This seems to be that the 2002 movie was made during a time in which people have become immune to the idea of being scared. Due to the development of better technology and thus, the creation of scarier monsters, it takes a lot more to scare audiences. Therefore it would only make sense that the Morlocks in this movie are even scarier than those of the past.
The Portrayal of Women
In the 1960 movie Weena is portrayed as a self serving woman. She is not a strong character or an independent woman. She is the typical woman of the 1950's. This could be explained by the fact that the feminist movement had not yet exploded. By the time the 2002 movie was made, strong, independent women were everywhere, so it would only make sense for Mara to be that type of woman. By 2002, there was no longer the traditional portrayal of a 1950's woman. A woman of the millennium had emerged and taken control.
The End of the World
In the 1960 movie, the end of the world was said to have been caused by atomic warfare. This prediction would make sense for the time. During the 1960's, the atomic bomb had emerged greater than ever and it posed a tremendous threat to mankind and the environment. The economic concerns of the time emerged in the movie. The same is true for the 2002 movie. In this movie, the end of the world is portrayed as the crumbling of the moon. The movie explains that man's tinkering in space altered the moon's orbit and thus caused the moon to crumble on the Earth below. This depiction also emphasizes the concerns of the environment during the time. In the new millennium, concern for the environment quickly took the stage and more and more people became concerned with the environment of the future. It is clear that both of the films' depictions of the end of the world are focused on the concerns of the day.
All the information on this page is what I have concluded from reading the novel and watching both movies. I have only mentioned a few of the many differences.