In the book of The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton uses a three-page long
flashback to explain how traumatized Johnny is by having been beaten up and
scarred four months earlier, but in the movie the same idea is conveyed with a
few quick camera shots. At
the beginning of the movie, there is a clear close-up of the large scar on
Johnny’s cheek. Later, when the boys are walking with Cherry and Marcia and the
Socs pull up in that blue car,
Johnny stiffens and moves
slightly away from the group. Next,
close-ups show his face, his glance at Bob’s rings, and then move back to his
terrified expression. As Cherry
prevents a fight by agreeing to go with Bob then talks privately with
Ponyboy, Johnny is shown hunched
over with his back to the Socs, standing still as if trying to avoid being
noticed. Finally, as the Socs drive away, Johnny walks
toward Two-Bit and Pony, stiffly and slowly, as if he is hurting. The scene ends with another close-up of
his face, his eyes wide in fear. In short, the movie-makers chose to
quickly and visually show us Johnny’s terror instead of taking the time for the
additional scene the author included in the book to show him being jumped.
