Novels to Film

It is estimated that 1/3 of all films ever made have been adapted from novels. If you include short stories and other drama, that number jumps to 65%.

Most classic novels read in high school have been made into films. Sherlock Holmes has been made into over 200 film versions from 1916 silent film made by William Gillette to Bill Condon’s 2015 Mr. Holmes.

Converting a Novel to Film Cannot simply pull dialogue from the pages of a book How faithful to the original written work should a film version strive to be? George Bluestone, one of the first critics to study film adaptions of literature said “the filmmaker is an independent artist, not a translator for an established author, but a new author in his own right.”

Characteristics of Novels Written words stimulate our perceptions indirectly in novels Get to know the characters through what they are thinking or what is said about them in narration Narrator mediates the meaning of what we read through his/her point of view Not limited by time constraints Meaning is controlled by one person – the author Can interact with the plot and characters through our imagination

Characteristics of Films Visual images stimulate our perceptions directly in films Narrator largely disappears Sometimes a narrator’s perspective is kept through the use of voice-over Generally the director, cast, and crew must rely on the other tools of film to reproduce what is felt, thought, and described on the page More direct sensory experience than reading Color, movement, and sound Limited to time constraints (most around 2 hours) Meaning is a result of a collaborative effort Cannot interact with the plot and characters through our imagination

3 Main Reasons Filmmakers Make Major Changes When Adapting Novels to Film 1. the changes are demanded by a new medium Novels use chapters to denote changes Films use flashback, crosscut, dissolve, etc.

2. highlight new themes, emphasize different traits in a character, or try to solve problems they perceive in the original work

3. make a classic story new for a contemporary audience Subtle substitutions Additions of language or props that are more recognizable to a modern audience Depicting events or characters in the novel in a way that better fits a modern sensibility

The Giver Written by Lois Lowry Published in 1993 Intended for middle grades Made into a film in 2014 Directed by Phillip Noyce Stars Jeff Bridges (The Giver), Brenton Thwaites (Jonas), Meryl Streep (the Chief Elder), Odeya Rush (Fiona), Taylor Swift (Rosemary)

Jeff Bridges’ pet project for over a decade Difficult story to make into a film because of its undemocratic state, ethics, and complex issues like eugenics (the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics) and euthanization (to put to death, usually to avoid pain)

Differences between the Novel and the Movie