Adaptation Clips: Jekyll and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde

The fascinating story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been presented in various time periods with an array of differing interpretations. Yet I believe that two common themes have emerged within the book, the series Jekyll, and the movie Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde. While containing contrasting story lines, they all display the idea that the quest for knowledge can be a dangerous one since where there is mystery, it is impossible to predict the future. We see this in the book with both the downfall of Dr. Jekyll's life after trying to complete his research. In addition, this troubling feeling associated with mystery is witnessed with the way in which people respond to Hyde's lack of purpose for what he does in the book. In the series, it wasn't necessarily Dr. Jekyll's curiosity that got the best of him, but instead the people attempting to study him who quickly descended to a dark place. The drive to have Jekyll and Hyde caused the agency to behave strongly immorally. And perhaps in the most clearly displayed scenario is the movie with Dr. Jekyll desiring nothing more than to provide people with medicines and antibiotics to make life better. After realizing he could not live long enough to do such a thing, he goes mad with trying to find a way to elongate his life and "cheat death". This is the start of the slippery slope, which in turn creates "sister Hyde" and sparks the evil that consumes his life. 

The second theme, coinciding and sometimes overlapping is that the association of good with evil leads to downward spiral that even the kindest hearts cannot escape. The alter ego of each Dr. Jekyll starts as simply a darker reflection of themselves, an eerie reminder that the same mind may contain two very different sides. Yet as the plot thickens, Hyde performs actions so unforgivable that each Jekyll can no longer handle it. But at this point when they try to fight back it reaches a point where the evil inside has become too strong and in each interpretation of the story there is a point where Hyde reins control. And while in the end, each Jekyll has seen the error of his ways but it is too late for them.