Monday 5 September 2011

Book's Being Transfered To The Big Screen

Recently, I blogged about the differences between the written form of As You Like It, and the filmed version being performed at the Globe. The differences between the two forms shocked me, and the similiarities felt obvious and understandable. However, there are many other instances of books being translated to the so-called silver screen, and changes are very obvious in these as well, although depending on the screenwriter, sometimes needed.

A recent film, and great example of this is the recent Harry Potter films. These films were based on the famous series, and were adapted from screenplay through adding characters, removing certain events in the books, and adding events that would help to add suspense to the film. These are all things that are mirrored in the play version of As You Like It. Certain scenes in the play are omitted to help improve the flow and staging of the play, and some lines are rearranged to make more sense to the viewers. Along with this, scenery is changed to allow the audience a better look into the world, and to allow more immersion.

However, there is a side effect of having plays transferred into film. Not only does it impress the accents and images of the actors onto your next reading of the material, but also it affects how you interpret the source material. Going back and reading As You Like It has rendered the actors from the Globe production into my head, along with their accents, something that is highly irritating, especially when you are trying to act it out yourself.

5 comments:

  1. James, I'd like you to discuss the director interviews you read! Ms. M

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  2. Hey James,

    Do you feel that film renditions of plays such as Shakespeare's As You LIke It can actually be better than the play itself?

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  3. I do believe that film renditions of plays can be better than the play itself. Personally, I did not like the original play of Romeo and Juliet, but love the Baz Lurhman remake of it, which is set in Miami. I feel that it makes the play more accesable to the viewer, and also makes it a little more fun. Whereas Romeo and Juliet is a very serious play, the version set in Miami is beautifully funny, and witty, but still keeps to the themes of the play, and does not change the languaging at all.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I do believe that film renditions of plays can be better than the play itself. Personally, I did not like the original play of Romeo and Juliet, but love the Baz Lurhman remake of it, which is set in Miami. I feel that it makes the play more accesable to the viewer, and also makes it a little more fun. Whereas Romeo and Juliet is a very serious play, the version set in Miami is beautifully funny, and witty, but still keeps to the themes of the play, and does not change the languaging at all.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I do believe that film renditions of plays can be better than the play itself. Personally, I did not like the original play of Romeo and Juliet, but love the Baz Lurhman remake of it, which is set in Miami. I feel that it makes the play more accesable to the viewer, and also makes it a little more fun. Whereas Romeo and Juliet is a very serious play, the version set in Miami is beautifully funny, and witty, but still keeps to the themes of the play, and does not change the languaging at all.

    ReplyDelete