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In Secret is a film adaption of Émile Zola's naturalist novel Thérèse Raquin. The naturalist literary period is known for being an extreme take on realism. It portrays the idea of hereditary influence on a persons actions. Naturalism was strongly influenced by Charles Darwin. Zola's novel surrounds itself around the idea that Thérèse, being of mixed race, cannot escape her genes and is influenced by her impulses. Laurent, a family friend, and Thérèse begin a love affair and murder Camille, Thérèse's husband/cousin. Though they are rid of the husband they are unable to cope with the guilt of his death and decided to commit suicide.
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The film, mostly shot in darkness, portrays the genre of the novel. The first scene depicting Thérèse's supposed savageness is when she is seen hiding between the grass while she stares at a shirtless working man. This is also seen towards the end of the film when she walks into a butchery, the camera pans to the various butchers and the blood dripping from the animals they have killed. Laurent is portrayed as the character in the book. He is a painter and paints mostly in dark, greenish tones. This grittiness and use of colors help carry the genre of the novel onto the film. The adaptation of the novel to film seems to be exact. François, the Raquin cat, even appears in various scenes. This adaptation, according to Dudley Andrews article, would be a good comparison for the chandelier and flashlight example. The chandelier being the original work and the flashlight being the film, which only reflects what the literary work shows.
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The film uses various techniques that hint at the importance of water to the development of the plot. In the novel, Camille is drowned by Laurent. The opening scene is underwater and later horses are headed galloping which suggest travel and change. There is also the sound of thunder and the dramatic/suspenseful music which suggests a dark, somber tone. There are several scenes in which Laurent's drawings and paintings of Camille are shown. One in which Camille is flattered by the portrait of himself. The portrait is greenish and resembles a drowned man. The adaption of the novel does a good job at including every detail of the novel into the film. It changes the title of the novel but gives credit to the Zola in the opening credits. It is a representation of intersecting, this is according to Andrew's three forms of adaptation. This form of adaption leaves the original text unassimilated and what the public most frequently expects when novels are adapted into films.