Movie adaptation to Book

Description

This assignment will require you to compare a scene from a short story or novel to its cinematic counterpart— that is, how did the filmmakers translate the scene from page to screen. First, explain how the scene is presented in the book: does it include a lot of scenic description (if it has been described earlier in the book but not in this scene, make sure to mention how it is described there)? is it dialog heavy, or does it rely on a character’s internal experiences (thoughts, internal monologues, et cetera)? how many characters are involved? Then explain how you visualized the scene as you were reading it for the first time. Next, explain how the scene is presented in the film: does the mise-en-scene match the description in the book? are all of the characters present? does it use dialog as much as in the book? how does it present the characters’ internal experiences, if at all? through who’s perspective is the film presented (that is, who is the narrator)? Then, think about the terms Stam employs to discuss book-to-film transitions. Do you think the filmmakers have adapted this scene? have they translated it? or engaged in a kind of intertextual exchange? Why have you chosen this term? Explain your argument clearly; there is not any right or wrong answer, but you will need to be able to demonstrate a grasp of the concepts Stam uses and apply them to the scene you are writing about. You may write about any novel or short story except children’s books—no Dr. Suess adaptations or anything like that—and any film except those screened in class. Fidelity is an important issue here, so you can discuss whether or not the filmmakers met your previous concept of the scene, but do not review how good of a job they did—do not use words like “perfectly” or “accurately” or anything that would indicate whether or not you approve or disapprove of the quality of their work. Your goal here is to analyze how the written word was adapted visually in this particular scene. You must quote from the relevant passage(s) of the text to demonstrate how the author described the passage that you are analyzing. These quoted passages should illuminate how you interpreted the scene when you first read it and what the filmmakers had to work with. Your final submission should be four to five pages long (no fewer than four full pages, no longer than five full pages). Make sure to properly cite the passage(s) and include a bibliography including the book or short story you have examined for this assignment