The book, “Venus in fur,” tells a story about love, dominance and slavery in a person’s feelings. It is based upon the imaginations of Server in, who is weirdly in love with a statue of Venus, the goddess of love. The fur in this case symbolizes power and dominance, where the narrator identified with the cruelty and power in a woman. The character meets Wanda, with whom he falls in love. The character is in love to the point of delivering himself to become a slave. At first, he does not look at Wanda in a sexually taken way because he still has the idea of the goddess of love, Venus. However, the domineering nature of Wanda surprises him because he likes that about women. To this extent, the book shares sentiments with the movie. When Vanda meets the film director, he is not convinced that she can play the role of a strong dominating woman that he wants for his lead role. However, when she starts to recite the words, he is taken by her power and becomes infatuated with her. He submits himself to her power throughout the movie as they narrate through the script. Both works of art depict a sense of power that women have. Fur is used to showcase such power and exemplify the modern woman. They do so through the two characters who are brought out as having an independent nature to love in any way they please, and have men fall victim to their charm.
However, the two have a couple of differences. First, aside from the power they showcase, the representations of both women are different. Wanda, from the book, is a sophisticated and rich character who carries herself gracefully. The narrator was fearful of her the first time he glimpsed through the curtains and saw her. She appeared majestic because of the way she carried herself with grace and straightforwardness. She is articulate and has a commendable view on relationships, where she knows what she wants and expects from a man. Vanda, on the other hand, gives the first impression of a non-sophisticated, ordinary person with a dream of having an acting career. She is the usual woman who does not have the same ego that Wanda does. At first, the audience is coaxed into believing that Vanda is clueless of the happenings around her. However, as the movie progresses, her ideas about the script showcase her intelligence.
Additionally, the book is centered on love as a theme and how it can subject a person into slavery. The narrator loves Wanda deeply and prefers a life of slavery where he would be completely imprinted to her as his mistress. The film by Podolski, on the other hand, is centered upon sexual attraction. The film director is infatuated by Vanda and is attracted to her domineering nature as she takes on the role of Vanda from the script. The theme of love is only showcased in the script. In reality, the two characters have a sexual tension which forms the basis for most of the parts in the movie. Thomas, the film director, becomes submissive to the sexual innuendo that Vanda exhibits when she acts the part of Vanda from the script.
The film adopts the style of a play within a play that highlights aspects of the characters’ lives as the play’s script reading continues. Sometimes during the play, the two characters switch roles on who is in control amidst flirting and chuckling. Vanda is filled with mystery, which makes the film mysterious too. Thomas is in doubt about why she came to the theatre and how she knows a lot about him. Such things give the film a storyline that is different from the script. However, in the book, Wanda dominates Serverin in nearly all of it. The book is highly centered on his dreams about love and Wanda, and does not steer away from that course.
