-The film is far different from the short story. Although the basic idea is the same - A disease is killing off a Prince's population, while he enjoys a life of luxury secluded in his castle - Prince Prospero is a different character. In the short story, Prospero is described as mad but he and his guests are indifferent to the outside world. However, the Prospero in the movie takes pleasure in making the lives of those in and outside the castle miserable.
-In the film, Prospero worships Satan and brings in a village girl to try to corrupt her belief in God and convert her. This is not in the short story at all. The movie Prospero believes that Satan will protect him against the Red Death. His mistress, Juliana, also believed that Satan had spared her during her own sacrifice to become his wife. She was pecked to death by a crow.
-I prefer the Prospero in the short story even though he doesn't have as much detail, back story, or motive. Poe's Prospero is a coward with a false sense of arrogance. He fears the Red Death figure as soon as he sees him then becomes angry because he truly believed he had cheated death. The movie Prospero follows the figure, angry at first because someone defied his orders to not wear red, and then honors him because he thinks he is a messenger of Satan, his master. Then there is the relationship with Francesca, which also isn't in the short story. He wants to corrupt her but then asks for her to be spared. This is out of character to all of his actions in the film thus far and just adds another unnecessary variable to the story.
-One thing that remains true is that the Red Death is not portrayed as the main villain of the story. He is simply a part of the universe that cannot be stopped or controlled. The meeting with "Yellow Death," "Black Death," and "White Death" at the end seemed a little over the top and also unnecessary.
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