literature and film as modern mythology

7/27/2019 Literature and Film as Modern Mythology

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Literature and Film as Modern Mythology

William K. Ferrell; Praeger Publishers, 2000 Westport, CT

Chapter 2Reading the Novel and the Film pp. !"#$%&

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The broadest division o i3tional literature is genre, a distin3t t4pe or 3ategor4into 5hi3h literar4 5or6s ma4 be grouped a33ording to the 3onte7t or sub8e3tmatter. The our ma8or literar4 genres are poetr4, i3tion, noni3tion, anddrama. This 3on3ept o genre applies to both literature and ilm as libraries andboo6 and video stores tend to group novels and ilms a33ording to their sub8e3tmatter. -riginall4 this term 5as used to separate 3omed4 and traged4.

Theoreti3all4 traged4 o33urs 5hen the protagonist loses the struggle; 3omed4o33urs 5henever the protagonist su33eeds in his or her 3onli3t. *s a pra3ti3almatter, an4 area into 5hi3h a number o stories 3an be grouped 3an be3onsidered a genre. For e7ample, 3omed4 and traged4 are usuall4 subdividedinto t4pes o traged4 and t4pes o 3omed4. These generi3 subdivisions 5illin3lude su3h 3ategories as roman3e, adventure, s3ien3e i3tion, m4ster4,horror, humor, and drama. 1ubdivisions o33ur be3ause an author manipulatesthe stru3tural orms##the seven basi3 elements o literature##to 3reate a spe3ii3t4pe o literature. These orms are, or the most part, universall4 a33epted asto meaning and appli3ation.

Plot applies to both the a3tion and the arrangement o the episodes or

se9uen3e o events. *ll o the a3tion and events that o33ur in the stor4 must3onne3t. :4 3onne3tion, there must be a sense o 3ausalit4 in that one eventleads to another and all 3onne3t b4 their relation to a 3entral plan o a3tion.#!"#

Plot reers spe3ii3all4 to the se9uen3e o event, episode, or in3ident in thestor4; 3ausalit4 orms a base or all aspe3ts o the narrative. This 3onne3tingor3e in3ludes ever4thing rom a spe3ii3 3hara3ters motivation to the ee3t oenvironmental 3ir3umstan3e, 5hi3h ma4 or ma4 not be a re3ognili6e the truth>&.

)n literature and ilm it is most important that the 3hara3ters, the a3tions the4perorm, and the setting in 5hi3h the4 perorm the a3tions be trul4 believable5ithin the s3ope 3reated b4 the author.


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Chara3ters are individuals 3reated b4 the author to a3t out the stor4. There areseveral t4pes o 3hara3ters. The protagonist is the o3us, as originator orprin3ipal re3ipient, o the a3tion; the antagonists& ma4 be one 3hara3ter orman4 5ho stand in opposition to the protagonist. *ntagonism ma4 e7tend tonature in the 3ase o environmental or3es, as in The Old Man and the Sea. )n

addition, there are e7position 3hara3ters, ne3essar4 to provide inormation thereader or vie5er re9uires in ollo5ing the a3tion. Transitional 3hara3ters arethose 5hose un3tion is to move the plot in time or pla3e. a8or and minor3hara3ters are arbitraril4 determined b4 their dire3t ee3t on the plot. *ndinall4, lat 3hara3ters are one dimensional, providing the reader 5ith limited6no5ledge about either their ph4si3al or ps43hologi3al ma6eup or both, andround 3hara3ters are multidimensional. The more 5e 6no5 about the3hara3ter, the rounder the4 be3ome, 5hi3h generall4 implies a greaterun3tion. * 3hara3ters un3tion or inluen3e on the plot is the most importanta3tor.

* 3onli3t or struggle o33urs 5hen the protagonist en3ounters obsta3les 5hileattempting to a33omplish something or to prevent something rom beinga33omplished. (a3h obsta3le be3omes a un3tion o the plot. There are theamiliar deinitions man versus himsel, man, so3iet4, the environment, or thesupernatural. This broad deinition tends to generali


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3hara3ter that provides the antagonism. 'o5 ne3essar4 is the setting, bothtime and pla3e, to the stor4? Could the 3hara3ters a3tion have o33urredelse5here 5ith the same ee3t? To 5hat e7tent is the 3hara3ter being3ontrolled or manipulated b4 the environment?

Theme reers to the 3entral or 3ontrolling idea o the 5or6. From a readers

perspe3tive, a theme in its simplest orm ma4 be that meaning o a stor4 thereader 3an relate to his or her lie. -n a broader level, a reader or vie5er ma4iner a metaph4si3al or metaphori3al meaning in a33ordan3e 5ith or evenbe4ond 5hat the author ma4 have intended. This is parti3ularl4 true o storiesremoved rom their originating time and pla3e. ) the ar3het4pe theor4 e7ists,and in this boo6 it does, toda4s meaning o a stor4 ma4 not have been anineteenth#3entur4 authors 3ons3ious intent. )n addition, a good novel ma4 beapproa3hed rom a variet4 o perspe3tives, 5hi3h 5ill shade a theme to5ard arelationship 5ith lie the author did not or 3ould not 6no5. =enerall4, there 5illbe one dominant theme emerging rom the stor4, but as ea3h reader iltersthat theme through his or her o5n e7perien3e and 6no5ledge, variationsbe3ome the rule and not the e73eption. *n author 3ommuni3ates themati3all4,but the reader translates#!!#

the meaning into his or her o5n ob8e3tive realit4. )t is through the sharing othese variations that a broader meaning to the stor4 and, most important a3learer understanding o a theme is developed. This is 5hat ma6es @ungsar3het4pal 3on3ept meaningul. The stor4 ma4 3onne3t to ea3h o us in aslightl4 dierent manner, but 5hat ultimatel4 separates the good rom themundane is that a good stor4 a3tuall4 does 3onne3t. When an ar3het4pal

3onne3tion is made, the stor4 potentiall4 appeals to a mass audien3e.

)n addition, there are three elements over 5hi3h an author has mu3h more3ontrol than a ilm 3ounterpart. )t is through his or her manipulation o theseelements that the stor4 5ill generall4 su33eed or ail.

First, and perhaps most important to a 5ritten narrative, is point o vie5. This isthe voi3e, persona, or narrator 5ho tells the stor4. 1tudents are usuall4 taughtthat a stor4 ma4 be irst person, an identiiable narrator, or third person, ananon4mous narrator. 'o5ever, these are simpl4 headings or several t4pes oea3h available to an author. * irst#person narrator ma4 be rom a ma8or or

minor 3hara3ter, interior monologue, dramati3 monologue, letter narration,diar4 narration, sub8e3tive narrator, deta3hed autobiograph4, memoir, orobserver narration. *n anon4mous narrator ma4 be 3ategori


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persona telling the stor4 3ontributes to the level o verisimilitude 3onve4ed tothe reader. For e7ample, the narrator o Cu36oos Nest is as3hi


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)t ma4 have been a series o memories o past asso3iations 5ith the 3hara3ter,the event, or a 3ombination o the t5o. -ne artist 5ho demonstrates thedegree to 5hi3h this 3an be ta6en is @ames @o43e in ortrait of the #rtist or%l&sses. )n both novels, @o43e uses a stream#o#3ons3iousness point o vie5that upon a irst reading is e7tremel4 3onusing. The protagonist is allo5ing usto see the ull range o memor4 and eeling an event ma4 evo6e. @o43e relies

on s4mbols to 3onne3t the des3ribed memories to the a3tion. -mnis3ien3e 3anta6e us there; a3ting, no matter ho5 brilliant, 3annot.

* thought to remember 3on3erning 5ord 3hoi3e 3omes rom a 9uotation#!$#

attributed to ar6 T5ain >The dieren3e bet5een the right 5ord and the5rong 5ord is similar to the dieren3e bet5een a light bulb and a bolt olightning.> When the right 5ord appears 5ithin the right s4nta7, the readerseel the ee3t 5ithin their o5n being.

The 3ohesion o the elements in relation to the abstra3t 9ualit4 o the narrative5ill determine the 9ualit4 o the presentation. @ust as in musi3 or painting oran4 o the other ine arts, 5hat determines 9ualit4, be4ond a high proi3ien345ith me3hani3s, is the harmon4 and unit4 the author 3an develop in theelements 5hile simultaneousl4 presenting a strong theme. The stru3tural ormslisted above are the basi3 devi3es used to identi4 spe3ii3 5ea6nesses orstrengths in a 5or6 o literature. The ar3het4pal idea, 5hi3h rames the themeand meaning o the 5or6, 3an onl4 be 9ualiied b4 identi4ing 5hi3h o theelements the author 3ould have or should have improved. )t is 5ell toremember that a 3riti3 begins 5hen the author inishes his or her 3reation.

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There 5as a time 5hen it 3ould be trul4 said that reading is undamental. *tages our to si7, 3hildren 5ere e7posed to the 5ritten 5ord, and the onl4pi3tures 5ere boo6 illustrations or the o33asional movie su3h as inocchio orSnow hite and the Seven Dwarfs. 1in3e the mid#"D$0s, 3hildren have beene7posed to ilm almost rom the moment the4 enter the 5orld. )nstead o beingundamental, reading has be3ome, to some e7tent in the minds o man4, anad8un3t to their sensor4 5orld. * response su3h as, >)t 5as a good movie, butthe boo6 5as so mu3h better,> is no longer a 3ommon response. There are

probabl4 man4 e7planations or su3h rea3tions, none o 5hi3h is reall4 relevantto our sub8e3t here. -ur interest is not in determining 5hi3h medium issuperior. (a3h orm o presentation has strengths and 5ea6nesses inpresenting an ar3het4pe. -ur goal is to assess 5hi3h orm is a more a33urateand 3omprehensible portra4al o our 3ulture at a spe3ii3 time and pla3e.

This 5ill be determined in the manner 5e approa3h ea3h medium. When 5eread a novel, 5e tend visuall4 to imagine the 3hara3ters and a3tion asdes3ribed in the narrative. )n other 5ords, 5e are mentall4 3reating our o5npi3ture version o the stor4. 1in3e ea3h o us 3reates a personal pi3ture version,ea3h 5ill be dierent in detail, 3larit4, and depth. (a3h version be3omesdependent on the level o 6no5ledge and e7perien3e ea3h o us has in relationto the stor4. For e7ample, a bla36 teenage girl reading *li3e Wal6ers The Colorur(le5ill imagine a parti3ular set o images based on her o5n e7perien3e.


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These images 5ill be dierent i the teenager lives in Ne5 @erse4 rather thanississippi. )t 5ill also dier i the teenager is male or 5hite or :uddhist or5hatever mi7ture he or she might be. )t 5ould even be dierent i he or shehas read other novels b4 Wal6er. (a3h person#!E#

has a lietime o personal e7perien3e, both real and learned, that 5ill inluen3ethe images he or she per3eives. This is true or ever4one 5ho reads a noveland sees a motion pi3ture.

This personal histor4 adds degrees o 3omple7it4 5hen vie5ing a ilm aterhaving read the novel. * vie5er enters the ilm 5ith a multitude o biasesbased on an e7pe3tation generated b4 his or her imaginar4 per3eptions and, inaddition, ho5 and to 5hat degree he or she li6es, or in the 3ase o a 3lassroomassignment, disli6es the novel. )t is assumed ver4 e5 people 5ill or3ethemselves to read a novel the4 disli6e.

* third element has to be 3onsidered. )n literar4 anal4sis, it is impossible toseparate the author rom the 5or6. * good novel is, b4 an4 standard, a 5or6 oart. Thereore, the novelist has a reputation, perhaps a ollo5ing thatre3ogni


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*n approa3h to ilm anal4sis must begin 5ith an area o stud4 most asso3iated5ith ilm 3riti3ism. 1emiolog4 as a term ma4 be applied to both literature andilm, but or 3ommuni3ation a33ura34, 5e 5ill use it pri##!#

maril4 as a ilm devi3e. 1emioti3s, 5ith regard to ilm anal4sis, is the stud4 o

the stru3tural pla3ement and integral un3tion o ma8or s3enes in thedevelopment o the overall plot and theme. The 3reative pro3ess or ilm begins5ith a stor4 idea a novel or short stor4&, 5hi3h is translated into a s3reenpla4.

The s3reenpla4 or s3ript pla3es into 5ritten orm the dialogue and a summar4o lo3ation in spa3e and time. The s3reenpla4 is then 3onverted into astor4board, a visual representation that pla3es into stru3tural orm the s3enes,in both 3ontent lo3ation, 3hara3ters, props, re9uired a3tion& and ordersele3tion and pla3ement o s3enes&, ne3essar4 to present the stor4. This3on3ept diers rom literar4 anal4sis primaril4 be3ause rom the ver4beginning, the stor4 is being >redu3ed> to those 3omponents that 3an betranslated into visual repli3ations o the novels a3tion. *t this point, the vie5er5ill be an omnipresent parti3ipant in developing the produ3tion. Thestor4board pla3es into the planning the order and lo3ation or s3enes, andidentiies or the dire3tor, 3inematographer, and sound engineer 5hat thevie5er 5ill need to see and hear to 3omprehend the stor4.

*n aestheti3 8udgment is made as to 5hat s3enes 5ill be in3luded in thevisuali) 4ou build it,

he 5ill 3ome.> (arl4 in the novel, in order to o3us the readers attention onRa4s m4sti3 nature, 5e are given the ollo5ing passage

)t 5as near noon on a gentle 1unda4 5hen ) 5al6ed out to that garden.The soil 5as sot and m4 shoes disappeared as ) plodded until ) 5as nearthe 3enter. There ) 6nelt, the soil 3ool on m4 6nees. ) loo6ed up at the lo5gra4 s64; the rain had stopped and the onl4 sound 5as the surroundingtrees dripping ragrantl4. 1uddenl4 ) thrust m4 hands 5rist#deep into thesnu4#bla36 earth. The air 5as pure. *ll around me the 3lean smell oearth and 5ater. Keeping m4 hands buried ) stirred the earth 5ith m4ingers and ) 6ne5 ) loved )o5a as mu3h as a man 3ould love a pie3e o

earth. "B&

What 5e see in the ilm is Kevin Costner, as Ra4 Kinsella, pull a stal6 o 3ornrom the earth and plunge his hands into it 8ust as the disembodied voi3einterrupts his moment. )n this s3ene, he angril4 3ast the stal6 aside as he3hallenges the voi3e to identi4 itsel. We are not told, b4 a3tion or sound, 5h4he is e7amining the stal6s roots.

-ne might imagine Phil *lden Robinson, 5ho 5rote the s3reenpla4 and dire3tedthe ilm, mulling over 5hether to in3lude this s3ene. 'o5 5ould it be ilmed?Would it add to or diminish his version? -r 5ould it, perhaps appear toomelodramati3 or a 3ontemporar4 audien3e? Whatever ma4 have been hismotives, he 3hose not to in3lude it in the ilm. W. P. Kinsella,#!%#


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the novels author, obviousl4 thought it important in establishing his alter egoprotagonists 3hara3ter. :e3ause Ra4 Kinsella is an ar3het4pe, a man 5homeasures lie in terms o amil4 and the primal or3es o nature, does theomission o su3h a des3riptive s3ene lessen the emotional bonding bet5eenreader and protagonist? -r does Robinson at some other point in the ilm

provide a s3ene 5here this aspe3t o Ra4s 3hara3ter 3an be elt andunderstood? -nl4 a 3areul stud4 o the ilm stru3ture allo5s 8udgment.

-ne method is to loo6 at ea3h s3ene semiologi3all4; o3using on ea3h s3ene asboth a revelation and a stru3tural 3omponent. )t is a given that the order in5hi3h s3enes are pla3ed is undamental in 3onve4ing the stor4. 'o5ever,5ithin that organi


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near ground level, and the 3amera lens thus be3omes an >a3tive observer,>presenting to the audien3e a vie5 o the 3hara3ters as large as their Ro364ountain ba36ground. We sub3ons3iousl4 see them as larger than lie. This isilm semiolog4. The ilmma6er is manipulating our minds to see a perspe3tivethat inluen3es 8udgment.

For literature, the language or its presentation is grammar and s4nta7. Forilm, 5e move to the shot, a series o single rames ma6ing up a senten3e orparagraph. For the episode or in3ident, ilm ma4 substitute the s3ene. Keep inmind that ilm is a se9uen3e 3onve4ing a3tion, dialogue 5ords&, andba36ground, 5ith ea3h un3tioning independentl4 and together as a single unit.1e9uen3es are then spli3ed together, 3reating a plot. * se9uen3e 5ill mergeman4 3amera perspe3tives. *s an a3tive observer, the 3amera lens, 5ithin asingle se9uen3e, ma4 sho5 us a3es, hands, 5ide angles, deep perspe3tives,a3tions, rea3tions, ba36ground sights and sounds, s4mbols, or an4 other visualor audio possibilit4 the dire3tor or 3inematographer eels 5ill enhan3e the3on3ept he or she is tr4ing to provide.

*lthough this 3on3ept tends to oversimpli4 the 3omparison dramati3all4, itdoes provide a perspe3tive suitable or 3omparative dis3ussion. Parado7i3all4,motion pi3tures are mu3h more and at the same instant mu3h less. *n authorusing 5ords, is limited to the number o 5ords that 5ill appl4 to thepresentation. For the ilm dire3tor, the possibilities or the use o multiple3ameras and angles, real and 3reated settings, artii3ial lighting, and ilmte3hnolog4 are unlimited. Consider the denouement literall4 the >unt4ing othe 6not>; the solution, e7planation, or out3ome& in a re3ent ilm, # Few +oodMen. The trial has been 3on3luded, and t5o 4oung marines have been

e7onerated o murder, 4et be3ause o their a3tions, the4 5ill re3eive adishonorable dis3harge rom the arine Corps. The protagonist, a naval oi3erpla4ed b4 Tom Cruise, stops the 4oung and ver4 dedi3ated marine 3orporalbeore he e7its. Prior to this moment, the negative tension bet5een these t5o3hara3ters has been ver4 strong. That 5as beore Cruise, as the marinesdeense attorne4, had pla3ed his o5n uture in 8eopard4 b4 a33using a marinegeneral on the 5itness stand o dereli3tion o dut4, thereb4 doing 5hat themarine 3orporal had ailed to do. Cruise a3es the 4oung man 5ho has beentold his marine 3areer is inished and states >Gou do not have to 5ear a pat3hon 4our arm to have honor.> The 3amera goes to a medium shot o the marine,and 4ou see him reali


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This brings into o3us 5hat ma4 5ell be the most 3omple7 and importantaspe3t o ilmma6ing ilm editing. This is trul4 5here ilm, literature, and art3ome together. There are t5o editing te3hni9ues appli3able or evaluation. Theirst, mise#en#s3Ine, is that part o the ilming that ta6es pla3e on the set. Wehave all seen pi3tures o a ilm dire3tor getting read4 to shoot a s3ene, 5herehe ma6es a s9uare rame 5ith his hands and peers through the s9uare at the

setting and a3tors beore ad8usting the 3amera or the a3tors. -r he or she ma4have a mono3ular hanging rom his or her ne36 that 5ill identi4 pre3isel4 5hatea3h 3amera lens 5ill photograph. *ll o this allo5s the dire3tor to ashion thes3ene 5ith the per3eiver in mind. *t this point, the dire3tor is 3on3erned 5ith5hat the audien3e 5ill see and hear. This in3ludes pla3ement o the a3tors inrelation to the 3amera, the lo3ation o the 3amera regarding angle anddistan3e, the a3tors dire3tions, or an4 other immediate 3hoi3e the dire3torma6es at the moment the s3ene is being ilmed. odern 3ameras haveama


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audien3e has 8ust been mailed to *ri3a. *nother method is the dissolve, 5hereone s3ene ades as another enters and or a brie se3ond 5e, as vie5ers, arementall4 moving through time and spa3e into a memor4, a simultaneouso33urren3e or perhaps 8ust a ne5 image. * dissolve 3an be a33omplished ver4slo5l4 or e7tremel4 ast. )n Field of Dreams, a 4oung *r3hie =raham is ver49ui36l4 3onverted into sevent4t5o#4ear#old Ao3 =raham b4 the 3ameras

o3using on a pair o baseball spi6es stepping over a ro36 path and be3oming apair o 5ell#5orn 5ingtips. *s the 3amera opens its lens, 5e see irst hismedi3al bag and then a ull bod4 shot o the do3tor moving 9ui36l4 to aid the3ho6ing 3hild.

* third method o transition is multiple imaging, b4 5hi3h 5e see on the s3reenmore than one image. This te3hni9ue is re9uentl4 used to pla3e us into themind o a 3hara3ter. )n older ilms, inserts are used to move the audien3e inspa3e or time the 3lo36 5ith the hands turning, ne5spaper headlines, datesalling rom a 3alendar, subtitles, and ire5or6s e7ploding or 5aves 3rashing onthe ro36s ollo5ing a love s3ene.

The motion pi3ture is not limited to stri3tl4 visual images; a3tion isa33ompanied b4 sound. )n ilmma6ing, there are three t4pes o sound presentin pra3ti3all4 ever4 s3ene. First, and probabl4 most important, is the dialogue.)t is important the audien3e hear and understand ever4 line. * good soundmi7er 3an separate ea3h tra36 and augment 5here ne3essar4 to heighten and3ontrol 3ommuni3ation. * se3ond use o sound is musi3al a33ompaniment, or5hi3h there are t5o t4pes. -r3hestral ba36ground musi3 is generall4 5ritten toenhan3e the mood and a3tion o the ilm. * se3ond t4pe o musi3al ba36groundhas re3entl4 be3ome ver4 popular. The ilm#merican +raffiti"D!&, instead o

using or3hestral musi3, used 3ontemporar4 musi3 as it 5ould be pla4ed on aradio. This started a trend that is both popular and in man4 5a4s moree3onomi3al or the produ3tion. 1top into an4 re3ord store, and 4ou 5ill ind a3ategor4 o re3orded sound tra36s##musi3 in both orms that a33ompanied theilm. The third t4pe o sound is natural sound in 5hatever setting the s3ene isbeing perormed###B2#

automobile horns, or trains, or trai3, or voi3es, or 5hatever else 5ould bepresent in realit4. 1ound is al5a4s 5ithin the 3ontrol o the dire3tor and audioengineer. 1pe3ial ee3t sounds are 3ategori


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ps43hologi3all4. )n 3asting a ilm, the 3asting dire3tor does not have thatprerogative. 'e or she must sele3t a living person to portra4 the literar43reation. 1ometimes the a3tor 3hosen its and other times does not. *3torsma4 be 3hosen to pla4 a role be3ause o their 3elebrit4 value as 5ell as theirtalent. )n some 3ases an a3tor ma4 sele3t a parti3ular stor4 he or she 5ants topla4, se3ure the stor4, and develop the pro8e3t. -ne a3t must be a33epted

in3idents and 3hara3ters in a novel are not the 3hara3ters and in3idents 5evie5 on a s3reen. @a36 Ni3holson, regardless o the a3t he 5on an *3adem4*5ard or his portra4al o Randle P. 3urph4 in One Flew over the Cuckoo'sNest, is not >red headed 5ith long red sideburns . . . as broad as papa 5as tall,broad a3ross the 8a5 and shoulders and 3hest.> Nor is Tim Robbins as *nd4Auresne in The Shawshank ,edem(tiona >short, neat little man 5ith sand4hair and small, 3lever hands.> /nli6e literature, 5here the reader develops hisor her o5n mental image o the 3hara3ter based on 5hatever ph4si3aldes3ription an author ma4 provide, the dire3tor sele3ts the person he or shebelieves its the role or, in some 3ases, the ilms 3ommer3ial re9uirements.Who pla4s the lead roles ma4 or ma4 not determine the su33ess o the ilm atthe bo7 oi3e.

Fundamentall4, there are t5o t4pes o a3tor. * personalit4 a3tor, su3h as @ohnWa4ne, @a36 Ni3holson, =oldie 'a5n, and Roseanne, has a personal 9ualit4 thatdominates his or her presen3e on the s3reen. @ohn Wa4ne 3ould not believabl4pla4 a hairdresser or =oldie 'a5n a nu3lear ph4si3ist. The publi3 5ould nota33ept them even i their s6ills 5ould allo5 them to pla4 the role. Te3hni3all4this t4pe is 6no5n as presentational the4 present themselves as the 3hara3teran author 3reates in i3tion, be it a pla4 or a novel. Robert Auvall, on the otherhand, 3an pla4 a reormed al3oholi3 3ountr4 singer in Tender Mercies, or 5hi3h

he 5on :est *3tor, or a8or Fran6 :urns, an overse7ed religious


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o living representation, living the role is indispensable. The ha36 manages5ithout it and indulges in it onl4 o33asionall4. 9td. in Pudov6in2BE&

)n ilm and on the stage, it is the 8ob o an a3tor to so 3ompletel4 >live> the rolethat a vie5er does not see the person pla4ing the part but sees the 3hara3teran author 3reated. For a @ohn Wa4ne, it 5ould happen rarel4; or Austin

'oman, it happens most o the time.

What is important to remember is that 5hen 5e are loo6ing at ilms3onstru3ted rom a novel, 5e must 3onsider the 3hoi3e o a3tors as 5ell as the9ualit4 o perorman3e in portra4ing the roles 3reated b4 the author. Aoes thea3tors ph4si3al presen3e overshado5 the stor4, or b4 giving a poorperorman3e harm the stor4? -r 5as the a3tor simpl4 mis3ast, rendering theoriginal stor4 inee3tual?

-r perhaps the stor4 or the 3hara3teri


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e7pression never 3hanges. *ll 5e 6no5 about him is his e7pressionless a3e,his native#li6e adornments, and his title, ghost. When 5e leave the theater, 5eta6e 5ith us his image. Perhaps he as mu3h as an4 other 3hara3ter in the ilmis Coppolas s4mbol o the +ietnam War. * stage dire3tors mantra as heprepares the 3ast or perorman3e is an old 3li3hJ and is as true or ilm as orthe stage >There are no small parts, onl4 small a3tors.>

Film te3hnolog4 in3ludes a point o vie5, 5hi3h in most 3ases is the 3ameralens. 'o5ever, it is possible to ilm in su3h a 5a4 as to present the s3enes roma 3hara3ter perspe3tive. For e7ample, in both the novel and ilm, TheShawshank ,edem(tion, Red, a long#time prison inmate, un3tions as itsnarrator and as a ma8or 3hara3ter in the stor4. This allo5s the dire3tor to useRed as voi3e#over, providing transitions 3onne3ting s3enes that are 4earsapart. This te3hni9ue is also used in 1pielberg The Color ur(le, a novel3onve4ed in letters. Films that are presented rom the vie5point o a parti3ular3hara3ter provide opportunit4 or both transition and perspe3tive. )n both3ases, the >ob8e3tive> observer is the 3amera, 5hile the sub8e3tivit4 resultsrom our 6no5ing, that the stor4 is being told rom a single 3hara3tersmemor4. * voi3e#over o33urs 5hen a disembodied voi3e ma6es observationsabout the s3ene, illing in gaps in time or as a motivation or the a3tion. Thevoi3e#over is a 6ind o vestigial solilo9u4, a theatri3al devi3e o33urring 5hen a3hara3ter spea6s dire3tl4 to the audien3e,#B$#

providing inormation the audien3e needs to 6no5 in order to ollo5 the plot.The voi3e heard is generall4 that o the protagonist, although it 3an be another3hara3ter, as 5hen a letter is being read b4 its author. 1ub8e3tivit4 primaril4

enters in the editing o the ilm rather than the ilming.

-riginall4 a 3amera position 5as stationar4 and 3ould onl4 pan verti3all4 andhori


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being 5ater, des3end rapidl4&, or perhaps an ob8e3t. )n The Color ur(le,1teven 1pielberg, during a romanti3 s3ene in 5hi3h 1hug and Celie 6iss, theaudien3e is treated to a vie5 o a pin6 5ind 3hime. )ts deli3a34 o 3olor andsound adds a rather sentimental inno3en3e to the en3ounter. Chan3es are thati the 3amera had not eliminated all other aspe3ts o the s3ene, the audien3e5ould not have noti3ed the 5ind 3hime.

ighting, li6e sound, has advan3ed dramati3all4 as e9uipment, parti3ularl4 the9ualit4 o ilm and 3ameras, has been te3hnologi3all4 improved. From thebeginning o motion pi3tures at the turn o the 3entur4 until the late "D!0s,almost all ilms 5ere bla36 and 5hite. )t 5as believed even into the "D0s thatbla36 and 5hite ilm had an advantage over 3olor be3ause it seems more real.'o5ever, b4 the mid "DE0s and the prolieration o 3olor television, i a ilm5as to ma6e it to television, it had to be in 3olor. *meri3an ilmma6ers 5ithe5 e73eptions, one being Peter -o*danovich The Last icture Show, "D"&,produ3ers, and dire3tors 5ould not ta6e the 3han3e on losing that 3ommer3ialre5ard. To be a33urate, it is most notabl4 the investors 5ho demand theinsuran3e o video options.& Peter :ogdanovi3h had great dii3ult4 in3onvin3ing the studio that bla36 and 5hite#BE#

5as appropriate or his ilm. )n the end, he 5as proved 3orre3t, but his su33esshas not led others to attempt to ilm in bla36 and 5hite.

ualit4 o ilm is the determining a3tor 5ith regard to lighting. The t5ote3hnologies are inter5oven. The aster the ilm, the less lighting is re9uired toilluminate the shot. Te3hni3olor, the irst real 3olor pro3ess, 5as invented in

"D!$. The dii3ulties it 3reated had to do 5ith its high light re9uirement, 5hi3h3reated problems o 5here s3enes 3ould be shot. With toda4s highspeed 3olorilm, the dire3tor 3an use less light and use ilters, altering the tint in order to3reate a mood. *udien3es 5ho have vie5ed an4 o the Ai36 Tra34 or :atmanilms 5ill re3ogni


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environment. This is urther enhan3ed b4 the a3tors 3ostumes and ma6eup.(ver4one in the desert seems to blend into the surroundings 3onve4ing one oi3hael -ndaa8tes themes man is not the 3enter o the universe but simpl4one o its man4 eatures.

Color ilm, even high#speed ilm, re9uires more light than does bla36 and 5hite

to bring out the 3ontrasts.

*PPG)N= T'( *RC'(TGP( T- N-+(1 *NA F)

*rt, in 5hatever orm it ma4 be presented has been deined as >theembodiment o the spiritual matured to the point o revelation> @ae 9td. in

@ung 12$0&. )t is an a3t 5hereb4 the artist 3reates a 5or6 that 5ill reveal tothe publi3 an aspe3t o human spiritual nature. *n artist sends a message; areader, vie5er, or listener must be present to per3eive or art 3annot e7ist.#B#

-ne 5a4 to per3eive and 3omprehend is to anal4


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Jane )&re& and (mil4 utherin* $ei*hts&. The great adventure stories, pastand present, also are a ma8or romanti3 genre. *meri3a 3ontributed (dgar *llenPoe and his man4 stories o the grotes9ue along 5ith Nathaniel 'a5thorneThe Scarlet Letter&, 'erman elville Mo!& Dick&, and the bridge bet5eenromanti3ism and earl4 realism, ar6 T5ain $uckle!err& Finn Tom Saw&er&.(a3h o these has been made into ilm, some o them several times.

* ma8or dieren3e bet5een the novels listed above and modern roman3enovels and ilms is that 3ontemporar4 stories generall4 in3orporate elements orealism in even the most romanti3 o stories. There are several devi3es#B%#

ea3h medium possesses in order to 3onne3t roman3e and realism. -nee7ample or ilm is the use o a3tual lo3ations, parti3ularl4 5ith amiliarsettings. *lred 'it3h3o36 did this re9uentl4; his amous North !& Northwestinale 5as ilmed on the a3es o the presidents at ount Rushmore. * novel ora ilm ma4 in3orporate real people or a3tual histori3al events or pla3es toenhan3e believabilit4. Robin 'ood, one o the most amous m4thologi3alheroes, o33upied an a3tual orest, 1her5ood Forest in 5estern (ngland.Romanti3ism b4 tradition also in3ludes all imaginative literature#5henimagination overshado5s reason, o3using instead on horror, antas4, oradventure, and in3luding those ilms rel4ing on spe3ial ee3ts rather than plotor 3hara3ter to attra3t an audien3e. Romanti3 novels ma6e no attempt topresent the 5orld realisti3all4 but instead 3reate a 5orld to it the needs o thestor4. )n *meri3an literature, roman3e is most oten asso3iated 5ith themovement 5est 5ith the novels o Mane =re4 and Willa Cather, and present#da4 authors arr4 3urtr4 and ouis *mour. *s 3an be readil4 seen b4 the

diversit4 o roman3e 5riters, the genre is alive and 5ell representedthroughout both 3enturies. )ts popularit4 remains high as 3ontemporar4 novelsand ilms 3ontinue to rel4 on romanti3 3hara3ters and settings, and 5hile the4ma4 be in one sense m4thi3al, the4 are not bound to maintain a mana identit4.

The general o3us o modern roman3e literature is primaril4 dire3ted to5ardentertainment and 3aters more to satis4 our popular 3ulture.

)t is in the area o realism 5here literature and ilm are at one point 3losest toea3h other and perhaps semanti3all4 the urthest apart. )t is parado7i3al todis3uss i3tion, be it novel or ilm, as being real. Parado7 or not, it is in realism,3onne3ting to a3tual e7perien3e, that the idea o ilm as m4thopoiea be3omes

most 3losel4 united. >People onl4 respond to the m4thi3 nature o a stor4 5henthe4 re3ogni ona3o *FN2$!&. )n realism, 8ust as inm4th, there e7ists the aura o truth. The 3loser the novel or ilm represents aprimeval realit4, the 3loser the stor4 relates to m4th. The 3loser the stor43onne3ts to m4th, the more dire3t the 3onne3tion bet5een the stor4 being toldand the reader or vie5er o that stor4. >Real m4ths, those artisti3 eviden3es oour 3olle3tive 3ons3iousness . . . spring dire3tl4 rom roots in realit4> and are oour geneti3 inheritan3e. We 3annot resist 3onne3ting 5ith these stories as the4tend to >heighten realit4 and 3ondense it> 2$"&. For the moment in time in5hi3h 5e are parti3ipating in the stor4 the un6no5n be3omes the 6no5n.

)n addition, there is a orm o realism 5here i3tion and a3t 3ome in dire3t3onta3t. -ne e7ample is a ilm made rom a >true novel,> Truman Capote 0nCold -lood. Capote moved to Kansas, the setting o the brutal murder o the


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Clutter amil4, and spent a great deal o time resear3hing the eventssurrounding the 3rime, the subse9uent 3apture o the 4oung perpetrators, andtheir e7e3ution. Capote 5as irst and oremost a novelist, not a historian. Theboo6 that resulted rom his resear3h 3ontains mu3h#BD#

a3tual material. *t the same time, be3ause o Capotes personal belies, thenovel presents a strong argument opposing the death penalt4. The "DE bla36and 5hite ilm version, dire3ted b4 Ri3hard :roo6s, ollo5ed the novels orm b4appearing as a semido3umentar4 in relating the details o the 3rime, the3apture, and subse9uent e7e3ution. Through e73ellent perorman3es b4 the3ast, parti3ularl4 Robert :la6e and 13ott Wilson as the 4oung 6illers, theaudien3e 5as made to eel great s4mpath4 or the 4outhul 3riminals duringtheir last moments o lie. This ollo5s the boo6 in highlighting and enhan3ingCapotes theme, that 3apital punishment is unne3essaril4 3ruel, to a mu3h5ider audien3e than the novel did. The result o this t4pe o narrative is apresentation o the stor4 realisti3all4 but not pre3isel4 ob8e3tivel4, that is,events 5ere shaded to present a sub8e3tive realit4. The plot o a stor4 3anpresent a theme o 5h4 seemingl4 good bo4s be3ome violent 6illers andsimultaneousl4 attempt to s5a4 the audien3e to a parti3ular ideolog4. )nCapotes mind, there 5as little dieren3e in ho5 the 4outhul murderers 6illedthe Clutter amil4 and ho5 the 1tate o Kansas subse9uentl4 treated them. *si3tion, the stor4 possesses a high level o verisimilitude; as a3t, it be3omessub8e3tive realit4. )t also 3ontains all o the elements ne3essar4 or m4th. T5o4oung men, 3raredeem> themselves, butso3iet4 e7a3ts ull pa4ment or their transgressions b4 re9uiring them to oreit

their lives.

* ver4 3ontemporar4 entr4 into this mode is @ohn :erendt Midni*ht in the+arden of +ood and )vil, a >true novel> about a murder and the subse9uenttrials in 1avannah, =eorgia. The novel 5as published in "DDB and almostimmediatel4 rose to the best#seller list, 5here it remained or over a 4ear. Theilm version, dire3ted b4 Clint (ast5ood, arrived in theaters in "DD. The ilmre3eived mi7ed revie5s.

1ome other e73ellent 3ombinations o ilm and novel based on histori3al3ir3umstan3es are Com(ulsionb4 e4er evin, a stor4 o Chi3agos amous

oeb and eopold 3rime and trial, and#ll the resident's Men, 3on3erning theWatergate burglar4 and the ultimate resignation o President Ri3hard Ni7on,5ritten b4 reporters :ob Wood5ard and Carl :ernstein. -liver 1tone "DD"retelling o Kenned4s presiden34 and assassination, JF1, a33ording to man43riti3s attempted to re5rite histor4 b4 re8e3ting the Warren Commissions3on3lusions and reviving the 3onspira34 theor4. *nother novel that sought tore5rite histor4 is Robert Penn Warren#ll the 1in*'s Men. *lthough man4 3riti3s3onsider the novel biographi3al in nature, Warren, admitting to similaritiesbet5een the novel and the lie o the late 'ue4 P. ong, 3olorul senator romouisiana, assured readers that the 3onne3tions 5ere present onl4 to provide arealisti3 base or a i3tional stor4. What he reall4 5anted to sho5 a publi3emerging rom World War )) 5as the dangers o demagoguer4. :4 in3orporatinga3tual events or settings in a i3tional novel or ilm the author used a literar4devi3e that im#


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#$0#

poses a sense o verisimilitude to their presentation. :4 atta3hing i3tionalrather than real names, the novel has a universal and timeless appeal. :43onne3ting the plots and the 3hara3ters 5ith a m4thi3al ar3het4pe, the novelsand ilms provide that spiritual revelation *niela @ae spo6e about.

Whether a novel or ilm is romanti3 or realisti3, the author or dire3tor mustin3lude an element o real truth, 5hi3h then be3omes the means b4 5hi3h thestor4 3onne3ts to the audien3e. When the realit4 o the stor4 represents ametaph4si3al truth, the stor4 3onne3ts to a re3urrent ar3het4pal theme andrea3hes to5ard m4th. )t does not matter i the stor4 is based on a3tual eventsor is totall4 the 3reation o the author. The 3riti3al measurement is in ho5ee3tivel4 and to 5hat e7tent the author or dire3tor is able to in3orporate truthin his or her 5or6 o art.

-ur o3us is not on the histori3al 3ontent but on the author or dire3tors abilit4to portra4 the 3omplete stor4 5ith a sense o the a3tual. )n a pra3ti3al sense,realism re9uires the novelist or ilmma6er to sta4 5ithin the la5s o naturals3ien3e in portra4ing the 3hara3ter, the a3tion, and the setting. *s simple asthis sounds, an4 avid reader or ilm ai3ionado 6no5s that nature is oten bentto 3onorm to the needs o the stor4. )n realit4, seldom does a 3lap o thundero33ur at 8ust pre3isel4 the right moment to pun3tuate the 3hara3tersstatement or a3tion. * sta36 o 3ardboard bo7es does not al5a4s appear in analle4 5hen poli3e are in hot pursuit, and a par6ed 3ar never be3omes a rampor one 3ar to 3atapult into the air beore e7ploding. 4 personal avorite isthe un3ann4 abilit4 to ind a par6ing pla3e dire3tl4 in ront o the 3hara3ters

destination.& When a3tion, setting, or 3hara3ter be3ome re3ognirealism must rea3hO an artisti3 3riti3al mass, at 5hi3h point the re3ordbe3omes transormed into m4th> ona3o *FN2$2&.

The inal broad 3ategor4 into 5hi3h 5e 3an pla3e literature and ilm are thosestories emplo4ing an aura o naturalism. This term is applied to realisti3literature or ilm that tends to sub8ugate people to the e7trinsi3 or3es o3ulture and nature. )t >attempts to des3ribe lie e7a3tl4 as it is, and ends, b4the ver4 logi3 o that attempt, in pure iron4> Fr4e *CBD&. @ohn 1teinbe36, oneo *meri3as oremost naturalisti3 authors, demonstrated this orm in his great*meri3an novel, The +ra(es of rath. Whether 4ou read the novel or vie5 the"DB0 ilm, the dar6 and violent 5orld o the migrant ield5or6er is deepl4 real.From a literar4 perspe3tive, it is so real that it#$"#


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be3omes some5hat surreal, attaining a nightmarish 9ualit4. The elements o3hara3ter and setting, through their s4mboli3 reeren3e, 3reate a realit4be4ond the visible. When 5hat 4ou see in 4our imagination or on a s3reen ispresented to 3onorm to an e7odus rom depression# and drought#ridden-6lahoma to a >promised land,> Caliornia, and maniests itsel ull4 in thehumiliation and degradation o a amil4 that 5as >pere3t and upright, and one

that eared =od and es3he5ed evil> @ob ""&, a metaph4si3al realit4 issimultaneousl4 3reated. *s su3h, the stor4 moves into the realm o naturalism.

The environment dominates the 3hara3ters. )t is an environment over 5hi3hthe @oad amil4 has no 3ontrol. Arought, ignoran3e, povert4, violen3e, andso3ietal indieren3e be3ome or3es that 3ontrol the @oads ver4 e7isten3e eventhough the4 have seemingl4 done nothing or 5hi3h punishment 5ould bedeserved. The4 allegori3all4 represent the e7odus o the @e5s rom (g4pt andthe stor4 o 8ob.

Naturalism dominated *meri3an literature during the "D!0s and "DB0s. )t 5asalso a strong aspe3t o #ll the 1in*'s Men, as the protagonist, Willie 1tar6,su33umbs to the po5er o 3orrupt politi3s. The theme o the novel and ilmollo5s the admonition o :ritish ord *3ton 5hen he 5arned, >Po5er tends to3orrupt; absolute po5er 3orrupts absolutel4.> Willie 1tar6 begins his 9uest anhonest man and loses. When he ights 3orruption 5ith 3orruption, he 5ins. i6ethe @oads, 1tar6 is 3onsumed b4 the environment. The 3hara3ters in these t5onovels seem ph4si3all4 and intelle3tuall4 unable to 3ombat the evil inluen3eso the environment and suer grave 3onse9uen3es. This does not diminish therealit4 o either stor4. )n a3t, The +ra(es of rath5as so real that, 5hen it5as published, it had an impa3t on the so3ial order in the /nited 1tates. Peoplebe3ame outraged that good amilies 5ere being treated in the manner o the

@oads, and in man4 states, espe3iall4 Caliornia, la5s 5ere ena3ted to prote3tmigrant 5or6ers.

When dis3ussing a modern novel or ilm, it is not ne3essar4 to 3lassi4 the stor4ormall4 as romanti3, realisti3, or naturalisti3. 'o5ever, it is ne3essar4 tounderstand the level o inluen3e that e7trinsi3 or3es, su3h as the environmentor 3ontrivan3e, impose on the 3hara3ters. :e 3areul not to 3onuse literar4realism 5ith believabilit4. iterar4 realism is more s4non4mous 5ith being trueto lie, as in verisimilitude. * stor4, su3h as 0nterview with a 2am(ire, 3an be3ompletel4 believable to those seated in the theater or reading the novel andnot in a literal sense be realisti3. * purel4 imaginative stor4 5ill al5a4s be

romanti3, or it e7ists in a 5orld 3reated solel4 to it the needs o the3hara3ters. For anal4ti3 depth, it is ne3essar4 to identi4 the amount o3omplian3e the author o the original stor4 gave to realism. This is an area on5hi3h mu3h 3riti3al anal4sis and 8udgment 5ill be made##ho5 man4 la5s onature are 3ontrived or subverted to it the stor4. We 5ill 3riti3all4 assess thelevel o believabilit4, realism, and verisimilitude in 3hara3ter, setting, and plot.

* third area involving the term realism o33urs 5hen it is 3ontrasted 5ith#$2#

obstra3tion. *n abstra3t 9ualit4 in novel or ilm o33urs 5hen an idea or eventgoes be4ond sensor4 per3eption or its 3omprehension. * realisti3 9ualit4, onthe other hand, is 3omprehensible in 3on3rete terms. =eorge :luestone, inNovels into Film, seems to eel this is an area o great dii3ult4 or ilm to


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3ompare avorabl4 5ith a novel. 'o5ever, it is not an area ilm dire3tors tendto omit. The good ones attempt to develop 3inemati3 methods that 5ill, even inthe brie spa3e o time given to su3h devi3es, 3onve4 a eeling that 5ill ampli4or enhan3e the narrative meaning.

This 5ould 3ompare to the use o imager4 and igurative language in poetr4.

)mages are sensoriall4 per3eived, 5hile tropes or igurative language, as inmetaphors, similes, allusions, and allegories, re9uire a more abstra3t abilit4 to3onne3t t5o dierent ob8e3ts or ideas. For e7ample, a novel or ilm utili


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ilm version did. Criti3al anal4sis sho5s the novels presentation to benaturalisti3, 5hile the ilm version 5as termed >star6l4 realisti3.>

-ne other orm o metaphor 5e need to 6no5 is allusion, a spe3ii3 t4pe o3omparison 5hen the s4mboli3 idea or ob8e3t is derived rom a previous literar4or histori3al sour3e. * lood, or a sna6e, 5hen in3orporated into a literar4 5or6

or ilm as a s4mbol, 5ill signi4 =ods 5rath or the presen3e o evil. :oth othese originated in a literar4 sense in the :ible. *n >*3hilles heel> signiies a5ea6ness or atal la5 hamartia& and 3omes rom =ree6 m4tholog4. The great=ree6 tragedies and or the most part all o 1ha6espeares tragedies o33urredas the result o a protagonists la5. * re3ent movie built around an allusion5as Don Juan DeMarco, in 5hi3h the a3tor, @ohnn4 Aepp, believes himsel to bethe rein3arnation o the great lover Aon @uan, a reno5ned romanti3 hero oseventeenth#3entur4 1pain, immortali


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inle3tion to 3reate the same out3ome, a meaning be4ond 5hat the sensesa3tuall4 per3eive.

1ituational iron4 o33urs 5hen the a3tion implies a meaning greater or less than5hat is being presented. @ust as h4perbole and understatement appl4 to verbaliron4, parod4 or overa3ting and undera3ting or subtlet4, 3onve4s in man4

3ases meaning ar be4ond the literal a3tion. Compare the perorman3es oAustin 'oman in Tootsie and in ,ain Man. )n Tootsie, the role 3alled on'oman to e7aggerate his 3hara3ter to be3ome a >raging eminist.> )n ,ainMan, the demand 5as or subtlet4. The 3hara3ter is re9uired to be 5ithdra5nand 3onined 5ithin himsel. This t4pe o iron4 in3ludes bod4 language, a3iale7pressions, and hand gestures, as 5ell as intera3tion 5ith other 3hara3ters orob8e3ts 5ithin the environment. )n a3ting, this is 6no5n as subte7t. The a3tor,through bod4 language or e7pression, 3ommuni3ates something more than thedialogue 3onve4s. )n literature this is developed through the 3onli3t and anarrators sub8e3tive di3tion used to des3ribe the a3tion.

Aramati3 iron4 is some5hat dierent. )n literature, theater, and ilm, dramati3iron4 e7ists 5hen the reader or vie5er 6no5s inormation the 3hara3ter or3hara3ters do not##a subtle but ver4 important devi3e. For e7ample, in The Lasticture Show, readers or vie5ers 6no5 the truth about ri3h and prett4 @a34,Auane, and 1onn4s love interest, long beore the bo4s reali


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ho5ever, the dire3tor must ma6e 3hoi3es. 'e or she 5ill 3hoose those3hara3ters and a3tions that ma4 be developed and spli3ed together to 3onve4the stor4. * proessional s3reen5riter, or in some 3ases the novels author, 5ill3reate a s3reenpla4 that 5ill be used b4 the dire3tor as a base upon 5hi3h tobuild the inal produ3t. /ltimatel4 the dire3tor 3reates the ilm, or it is he orshe that 5ho brings together the te3hnologies. This is the ma8or point at 5hi3h

semiolog4 be3omes a prime a3tor. * ilm dire3tor ma4 3ontinue to ilm andedit until that parti3ular s3ene meets the pre3ise 3riteria he or she 5ants theaudien3e to see and hear. )n essen3e, a ilm dire3tor represents ea3h membero the audien3e. *lso, a dire3tor 3an be more ob8e3tive than an author be3ausethe stor4 being ilmed is the a3tual 3reation o the author. The dire3tor ma4 nothave a personal interest in the stor4, onl4 in ho5 the stor4 3an be 3onve4edvisuall4.

The 3hoi3es a dire3tor ma6es ma4 be obvious, su3h as in The Color ur(le,5here the stor4 is told in the orm o letters 5ritten b4 the protagonist, irstaddressed to =od and later to her sister, Nettie. )t 5ould not ma6e mu3h o amovie to have a 5oman sitting at a table and reading aloud or "$2 minutes5hat she is 5riting. iterar4 3riti3s or the most part agree that or this stor4,the point o vie5 is ee3tive, although at least one s3holarl4 3riti3 elt that apoor, abused bla36 5oman 5riting letters to =od 5as a little 3ontrived. 1teven1pielberg, the dire3tor o the ilm version, 3hose the s3enes the lettersdes3ribed that he elt rele3ted the essen3e o the 3ontroversial *li3e Wal6ernovel. Gou 5ill read the novel in its letter orm and then vie5 the ilm. Gou 5illbe a 8udge o 5hether 1pielberg sele3ted the 3orre3t s3enes to 3onve4 thestor4s essen3e. Gou 5ill evaluate 5hether the 3orre3t a3tors 5ere 3hosen topla4 the parts. Gou 5ill determine

#$E#

to 5hi3h seasonal phase this stor4 o one 5omans passage rom adoles3en3eto 5omanhood belongs. The novel 3reated 3ontrovers4 in both the bla363ommunit4 and among man4 5hites. u3h o the 3ontrovers4 o33urredbe3ause people either do not agree on 5hat Wal6er 5ants to sa4 or the4 agreeabout her purpose but disagree 5ith the 5a4 Wal6er and 1pielberg tell thestor4.

)n other ilms, the 3hoi3es are less obvious. 1ome novels adapt easil4 to ilm.Pra3ti3all4 ever4thing (rnest 'eming5a4 5rote has been 3onverted to ilm.

:e3ause o his terse st4le o 5riting and the a3t that he 3onstru3tedstraightor5ard dialogue, his stories seem to be easil4 adapted. 1tephen King isa 3ontemporar4 author 5hose 5or6 has been made into ilm. 1ome 3riti3s statethat he stru3tures his novels 5ith the ilm version in mind. -ne short stor4 oKing, >Rita 'a45orth and the 1ha5shan6 Redemption,> 5as published in a our#stor4 volume entitled Aierent 1easons in "D%!. Criti3s are split 5henrevie5ing the stories, some stating that King should sti36 to horror stories 5hileothers sa4 it demonstrates King proves he 3an 5rite more than horror tales.

The ilm version o this stor4 3ame t5elve 4ears later and is 3onsidered one othe best pi3tures o "DD$, 5ith organ Freeman nominated or an *3adem4*5ard or his portra4al o the institutionali


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)t is the stor4 through its primeval realit4, its m4thologi3al truth, that 3onne3tsto the reader or vie5er.

-ne inal aspe3t to 3onsider is the 3onte7t o the time in 5hi3h the novel 5as5ritten and the ilm produ3ed. )n older ilms, su3h as 'enr4 King The Sun #lso,ises, made in "D$ and based on (rnest 'eming5a4s "D2E novel o the same

name, restri3tions on 5hat 3ould be ilmed and 5hat 3ould be published aremu3h dierent rom toda4. The language 3ontained in the novel is b4 toda4sstandards ver4 mild, and it is even milder in the ilm. This is one reason 5e donot 5ant to 3ompare a "D2E novel too 3losel4 to a "D%! novel. This is 5h4beginning 5ith the ar3het4pe provides a basis on 5hi3h 5e, as amiliar as 5ema4 be 5ith novels and ilms o the "DD0s, 3an ind a 3ommon ground. Aoesthe ar3het4pal essen3e and mode o the stor4 emerge rom the orm, be it ilmor literature, "D2E or "DD%? What does it tell us about the 3ulture thatprodu3ed it? )s the in3lusion o graphi3 se7 and proane and obs3ene languagean enhan3ement? Will an4 o the novels or ilms be available to audien3es it4or more 4ears rom no5? What do these stories tell us about us?

)n ea3h 3ase, a novel and ilm must be 8udged on its o5n 3onte7t. *lthough 5e5ill anal4


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literature and film as modern mythology

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