Contrasting themes? When has anyone ever seen a film that can compare to the words written in the book? The films are almost always different, almost always never compare, and almost always have a different premise than that expressed by a novel. The reason, one wonders, is because you have to keep the audience interested. Ambrose Bierce's short story and Robert Enrico's film adaptation titled "An Occurrence on Owl Creek Bridge" are a great example of different themes in one work. In the entry, obvious themes include: reality versus imagination and deception, war, death and dying, and time. Some are expressed clearly in the film, while others are hidden from the untrained eye. Bierce laid concrete foundations for the topic of reality versus imagination. The protagonist, Peyton Fahrquhar, “a wealthy farmer from a respected Alabama family,” is sentenced to hang but, to him, it doesn't seem like it (Bierce). Somehow, this character frees himself from the rope and manages to escape. In reality, all this happens within the seconds of his last breath. Take, for example, when Bierce allows readers to be in Fahrquhar's mind: I could free myself from the noose and leap into the stream. By driving I could escape the bullets and, by swimming vigorously, reach the shore, enter the woods and escape from home. My Home, thank God, is still outside their lines…. While the thoughts, which must here be transcribed into words, flashed in the condemned man's brain instead of growing out of it, the captain beckoned to the sergeant…. When Peyton Fahrquhar fell straight across the bridge, he lost consciousness and was as if he were already dead. From this state he was awakened. (Bierce)However, both the story and the film show that...... middle of paper......fer to keep the audience entertained and the plot tends to leave out key points that one might consider vital l 'anecdote. The themes contrasted enormously between the story, provided by my Bierce, and the film, directed by Enrico. Imagination versus reality and death is clearly seen through both, although portrayed differently, while war and time are almost impossible to see in the film. The book presented readers with more themes than the movie. Works Cited Bierce, Ambrose. "An Event at Owl Creek Bridge." 1890, January 19, 2009. An event at Owl Creek Bridge. Director Roberto Enrico. Perf. Roger Jacquet AnneCornaly and Anker Larsen. 1962. Videotape. http://tesla.liketelevision.com/liketelevision/tuner.php?channel=139&format=movie&theme=guide.