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adaptations are a novel idea for directors
By Emily Pyeatt
Staffwriter
We’re told not to judge a book by its cover, yet today it
seems as if a book is quickly judged by audiences’ reactions
to what they see on screen as a film adaptation.
Viewers can either see the movie, get inspired, then read
the source pjhterial or read the book and be tempted to expe
rience the cinematic adaptation after.
Either way, if both the book and film are experienced, the
force of comparison to discover effectiveness is inevitable.
This leaves one to decide die merit of both - die authenticity
of the literature and die creativity of the film.
Take a look at the popular blockbusters and the many that
are scoring the awards such as the Golden Globes and Oscar
nominations right now.
Adaptations of the memoirs of Susana Kay sen’s hospital
ization in “Girl, Interrrupted” and Frank McCourt’s Pulitzer
Prize-winning memoir of the trials of survival in Ireland in
“Angela’s Ashes” are one example.
Classics such as Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr.
Ripley” and Graham Greene’s “The End of the Affair” are
being produced.
Finally, modem works, including Alex Garland’s “The
Beach,” David Guterson’s “Snow Falling on Cedars” and
John Irving’s “Cider House Rules” are also showing on the big
screen.
The trend to adapt material from books seems prevalent in
Hollywood right now, but it has actually been “something that
film has been doing forever,” said Stephen Buhler, an associ
ate professor of English at the University of Nebraska
Lincoln.
It seems as if the success of a novel and intrigue created
from the text have always inspired filmmakers. The question
of effectiveness is “as old as cinema itself,” said Ian Olney, an
associate professor at UNL and instructor of “The Classic
Horror Film” this semester.
“Many times, one of the reasons films based on novels are
a success (is because of) the traditional narratives and famil
iarity audiences recognize,” Olney said. “It’s also viewed as
“Hollywood isn’t
going into the Dark
Ages by adapting "
books into films.
Such adaptations
began with the birth
of the feature film
and will continue.”
IanOlney
Instructor of “The Classic Horror Film"
easier to adapt a novel into a screenplay instead of coming up
with an original idea.”
So does the increase in current film adaptations of books
reflect a lack of originality in Hollywood?
Not necessarily.
The effectiveness of a cinematic adaptation of a book is
best determined by the skill of the director and the strength of
the screenplay. Together, these cinematic elements can com
bine for an effective film.
“The vision of the director is important,” Olney said. “If
there is no vision, the film seems to rely on the success of
author.”
Relying on successful adaptations may “dumb down”
Hollywood films and leave the productions without substance.
Another sustantive aspect is how far the film adaptation
strays from the original text
“Freer film adaptations are far more effective because an
imaginative space is opened ujfrfap interesting work to ber
done,” BuhlersaicL“Such adaptations are more sensitive to
[dot structure, narrative and characterization.”
V;>; At the same time, a “freer” adaptation of a text may be
misleading to the book. £
Does this lead to a creative film with an unique vision? Or
is the artistic intent of the author compromised and some
times lost? p
“How true films are to kooks sometimes works remark
ably by inviting people to cpme to the source material, and
other times gets in the way of an effective cinematic experi
ence,” Buhler said. <
Fortunately, because of the more effective adaptations, the
entire industry gaining appreciation for the written word.
Instead of mi emphasis on Hollywood spectacle, the
appreciation of the written word has become somewhat main
stream, Buhler said.
Appreciation of the written word may be vital, but strict
reliance upon that written word can lead to a terribly weak and
tedious film.
Olney said because books and film are two very different
mediums, the process of adaptation poses many challenges.
Many films are not successful in translating the written
language into visual images.
“The director must have a sense of the source’s subtleties
and convey those subtleties through images, lighting and
sound instead of direct narrative voice-overs,” Olney said.
The effectiveness of storytelling is an intricate process
whether it is conveyed on the page or on the screen.
Audiences will continue to be presented with adaptations
of books on screen. Whether the direct source is discovered or
not will allow audiences to determine the artistic interpreta
tions of both the author and the director.
“This isn’t an all-of-a-sudden thing,” Olney said. “And
Hollywood isn’t going into the Dark Ages by adapting books
into films. Such adaptations began with the birth of the feature
film and will continue.
“It is just a fact of how the industry works.”