At the beginning of the period, i distribute the film comparison. The quality of film adaptations varies as much as the quality of original films, so comparing the film to the novel to determine which is better does not give the student a valid topic for writing a good essay. This column is meant largely for people whove already been through one version, and want to know how the other compares. How do you write a paper on comparing a movie with the book. Comparing film adaptations by chris merchant on prezi. Roald dahl actually wrote the screenplay for the 1971 david wolper film. Comparing the novel and film adaptation of mary shelleys frankenstein horror and science fiction tend to present radically opposite interpretations of what may look like comparable situations. This is such a slap in the face to cinema and you should be teaching your students how to appreciate film, adaptation and forward thinking rather than tearing apart. By all accounts, the little prince is a tough book to adapt into a film. For one thing, story structure has long been championed much more stridently by screenwriters than novelists. Comparing film adaptations with their literary sources can enhance students ability to analyze, think, and critique the writing, imagery, and tone of a literary work. Tess of the durbervilles comparing the three adaptations the classic 19thcentury novel by thomas hardy has been adapted for the screen a few times but the early versions before 1979 are considered lost, and twice for television, and the surviving three are the subject of this post. The biggest difference i noticed in reading the book after watching the movie as i assume you are doing or want to do is that the movie is much more personal.
Gatsby has had four film adaptations, with two especially bigbudget, wellknown movies. Tess of the durbervilles comparing the three adaptations. She claims that the reason adaptations have so much controversy and criticism surrounding them is because when we assess an adaptation we are not really comparing book to film but rather interpretation to interpretation the novels that we ourselves have recreated in our imaginations out of which we have constructed or own movie and. A number of details are lost or changed to make the story fit within the film medium. Comparing the novel and film adaptation of mary shelleys.
Of course, while most semipopular books are getting adapted into movies and tv series nowadays, actually seeing them make it to the screen is another issue as opposed to lingering in developmental limbo. The lord of the rings best book to film adaptations. In my experience, the big screen rarely captures the wonder of the written word. Once one fully comprehends the relationship between book, film, and adaptation, one can see that adaptations should be treated as a literary art form of their own. Film is a column comparing books to the film adaptations they spawn, often discussing them on a plotpointbyplotpoint basis. For another, the vibrancy and leanness in visual storytelling has lent much to our necessarily windier, lusher written literature however, its also important to realize books vs. The reason is that mccandless kept very little in the way of journ. In this video, we looked at how four screen adaptations of anne of green gables compare to the novel.
Activity gather two or three film, television or other interpretations of the literary work currently being studied in class, with a focus on an important character for example, american literature teachers might pair the great gatsby with the 1949, 1974 and 2000 tv movies and look at portrayals of gatsby or daisy. Of course, watching the movie is not a substitute for reading the book. Guide students to connect their overall impressions of the film adaptation with the choices they made on their covers. Indeed with the sheer volume of books being turned into movies today, its almost impossible to find a movie on the big screen that wasnt first written on paper.
In this episode of comparing vonnegut adaptations, ill be looking at the 1972 film slaughterhousefive out of all of vonneguts novels, slaughterhousefive isnt the first i would choose to adapt into a movie. Because there were to be far fewer characters, each had to represent many. However, within the past year, i have come to appreciate movie adaptations of books more because i have realized that comparing books to. To consider the choices directors make, i give students some tools that empower them to talk about film using the language of film. Lesson plans using film adaptations of novels, short. First, you can write about each thing separately and then include a section in which you make comparisons and contrasts between them. I still face a conundrum today with film adaptations, vacillating between seeing the movie first and then reading the book, or vice versa, or even sticking to one option. In the book, however, she actually goes with the girls aunt carrol, as well as aunt carrol. For every gone girl theres a girl on the train, and for every harry potter theres a vampire academy.
In this lesson we compare a book to its film version and discuss several things. The book was better is a common reaction to hear among the crowd exiting a movie theater. The main crime the film did against the book is that it is dull compared to the exciting, fast paced book, as well as many plot differences that change the story. With this organization, you would first write about the strengths and weakness of the book, and then about the movie. Book to film book lists meet your next favorite book. They analyze the differences between the two versions by citing specific adaptations in the film version, indicating the effect of each adaptation on the story, and deciding if they felt the change had a positive effect on the overall story. Best of all, it can be used over and over again with any book that has a movie companion. For some, the adaptation is never as good as the original, while for others, the. Superman 1978 and batman 1989 are two later successful movie adaptations of famous comic book characters. The movie won best director and best actor oscars for brie larson and lenny abrahamson. Books to film 2019 50 movies based on books in 2019.
Every year, a few books get new life thanks to their movie adaptations. Ill be comparing movie and tv adaptations of vonneguts work, starting with harrison bergeron in this post. I reread the book, made numerous notes, wrote down everything i wanted to see in the film and brought a notebook into the cinema with me, ready to jot down my thoughts as the film played out. It includes questions, charts, a scaffolded compare and contrast essay template, and more. November marks the release of several movies based on young adult novels, which makes it the perfect time for this kind of study. As a result, major, specific spoilers for both versions abound, often including dissection of how they. Books have a long history of being adapted into films, but now that theyre making their way to tv, we compare movie to tv adaptations of john greens books.
Compare and contrast a book and movie ideas for making this activity meaningful for 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade students. Not only can the flick perfectly capture the books spirit, but it helps you love the source material even more. In the early 2000s, blockbusters such as xmen 2000 and spiderman 2002 have led to dozens of superhero. I am a teacher and recently took a graduate class on childrens literature and film and wrote a paper comparing the book and both films. Curious, we spent a little time comparing other book covers with the posters of their film adaptations to see which movies maintained the. And every time the next book is adapted to the big screen, we witness a. A planning sheet and essay plan to support learners in writing a comparison of dickens a christmas carol and any of its film adaptations. Comparing a book and a movie the book was better is a common reaction to hear among the crowd exiting a movie theater. Comic book characters, particularly superheroes, have long been adapted into film, beginning in the 1940s with saturday movie serials aimed at children. You are more likely to know room the film rather than the 2010 book by emma donoghue. After the book has been completed, ask the students. Critical essays novel versus film adaptation in 2006, the namesake was adapted into a film directed by mira nair by the same title.
But before i go into that, i suppose i should acknowledge the argument that comparing novels to their film adaptations is unreasonable. Using a very complex and completely subjective algorithm, i compare books to their movie adaptations and determine which one was better. The 15 worst book to film adaptations of all time taste. Emma, the book, opens with a quick introduction to its main character 21yearsold, handsome, clever, and rich and then picks up. Differences between the movie and the written work can be used to explicate various literary devices. There was also a silent film adaptation made in 1926, just one year after the novel came out, but that film has been lost, with only a oneminute trailer that survives to. They analyze the differences between the two versions by citing specific adaptations in the film version, indicating the effect of each adaptation on the story, and.
My job is to give students reasons to read before watching. As is the case in many other adaptations, grownup amy travels to europe with aunt march in the movie. Students will respond with ideas that suggest they were comparing the book to the movie and mentally noting similarities and differences. There are a few factors to consider when writing essays about film adaptations. Franco zeffirelli versus kenneth branagh hamlet and ophelia scene language elements zeffirelli language elements branagh the way hamlet and ophelia talk to each other in the beginning part of this scene has a soft loving tone to it which shows that they both still love. This category collects articles about specific adaptations along with articles of a more general nature about the subject.
Whole subplots get axed from movie adaptations simply because there isnt time to explore them. Curious, we spent a little time comparing other book covers with the posters of their film adaptations to see which movies maintained the mood of the books original cover, which twisted it around. Unlike many book adaptations, the maze runner, while constantly nodding at its source material, is very different from the book it is based on. Indeed, they often beg to watch the movie rather than read the book.
Necessarily, a movie s pacing is much tighter than a book s. For a no prep way to have students compare and contrast a book with its movie, check out my book vs. Novels are verbal and use words to tell a story, while films are visual and rely on images to do the telling. In this video, we look at four popular onscreen adaptations. The da vinci code novel is actually a sequel to angels and demons, but it. A mix between a picture book and a chapter book, it doesnt seem like it would really have enough story to carry a two hour. In your book, youre not constrained by such limitations.