The Difficulties of Film Adaptation - Essay Example

?The interpretation of films and the approach taken to change into a different medium is one which is controversial to many working with movies. Transferring story lines and philosophies to film is one which becomes complex because of the variety of viewpoints offered when completing the main ideology. An interpretation which is shown in relation to film adaptation is “Adapt This,” by Phillip Lopate. Lopate shows how adaptation of a book or ideology often disregards various viewpoints and approaches. However, Lopate doesn’t point out that film is a different medium and requires techniques and tactics which are strongly associated with the film industry. Looking at alternative perspectives of film also creates a different evaluation of how the making of a movie differs from other mediums and what this means when building a specific understanding of adaptation. The main thesis of Lopate is based on adapting films from books and other mediums. Lopate raises the point that most don’t grasp the depth of a novel while many producers admit freely that the idea of the novel is taken without understanding or sometimes reading the book which is being adapted. “Another received truth is that the way to make a vivid adaptation is to cut loose from the novel as soon as possible. Some screenwriters boast that they read the novel once, then never go back to it” (Lopate, 2). The author admits that there isn’t the ability to tap into the novel mostly because of misunderstandings and the inability to adapt to the main points. This particular point by Lopate is seen in a variety of movies which he both shows and which are seen through other adaptations. The concept is important and recognized in most films, making the point a realization which most viewers recognize. While the main point of Lopate is one which is identified with most films, there isn’t an acknowledgment of the nature of adaptation and changing between mediums. The concept of the novel is one which can move into the depths of character while developing plot and other characters. The longer period of time taken to read and the main approach to the craft is the main development that takes place. The film; however, is based on continuous action on the screen, fast movements and different changes in the film. The focus shifts to visualization, images, movement, dialogue and music. The viewpoints and the approach with the adaptation then require a change in the adaptation from a novel to a film, specifically because the techniques alter between the two mediums (Stam, Raengo, 71). The perspective which Lopate doesn’t state at the beginning is the difference in mediums and how this requires alternative techniques to show the main philosophy of the novel or idea presented. The concept of lacking the main attributes of a novel continues with Lopate’s perspective by looking at the hypernaturalist viewpoint. At this point, Lopate notes the dividing lines between the novel and the movies. The concept created is based on the realism that is created with the scenery and the adaptation from the novel to the film based on the realistic viewpoint of the natural elements. The film used to create this understanding is Greed, a movie released in 1924, specifically noted for the naturalistic effects. “This filmic discovery of the poetic resources in naturalistic realism, which derived from Zola, was so important to ‘30s French auters…, that their works were even grouped under the name poetic realism” (Lopate, 4). The ideology is one which adapts the detailed scenery of novels and changes it from the words to images and the screen to combine both the real and the poetic effects from the novels. The interchange between mediums is then recognized with the scenes and the images which are created. The concept of scenery that Lopate states for the adaptation is important in recognizing because of the consistency between narratives of mediums. However, there is also a question of whether this is true to the adaptation of the novel or if it is from other techniques and concepts being adapted at the time. New camera techniques, experimentation with scenery and the ability to define new landscapes that were poetic and realistic was one of the driving forces of film at the time. The concept continues to prevail when adapting film or creating new movies, specifically by developing special effects or working with new philosophies to develop the medium of film. The concept then relates not only to the adaptation of the film but also consists of other elements for adaptation, such as time, money, available resources, consistency in known camera techniques and experimentation with other techniques (MacCabe, Warner, Murray, 70). Similar to other concepts of adaptation in Lopate, there is a question of whether the techniques are for adaptation from the novel or if it is based on techniques and experimentation with the camera and film development. Another concept that Lopate approaches with film adaptation is the avant-garde stylization. At this point, Lopate states that there is a difference with the medium of novel and film which requires changing techniques that many of the avant- garde films created. The approach is one which taps into changes in voice fluctuations, rhythm of the film, sounds, movement, dialogue and other concepts unique to film. “The bane of many filmed novels is the episodic, that hurrying – along effort to cram in so many scenes from the book that high points get flattened and details blur. One strategy to circumvent the pitfall has been a highly stylized, austere, anti-naturalistic approach” (Lopate, 5). The recognition of the difference in mediums and the understanding that the avant – garde techniques were developed to counteract this becomes an important point in identifying the differences. The approach which Lopate shows is provided is taking the text and changing this into images that are required for the adaptation. The technique that Lopate associates with holds some recognition of changing and adapting the film. However, the technique with the avant-garde also is based on the understanding of trying to change the medium or have them combine in a similar meaning. However, like the other theories prevented, there isn’t recognition of the adaptation that goes into both a different medium and philosophy of what should be presented in film. The concept of the avant – garde is also based on experimentation and working with philosophies that are attributed to the film industry but remain separate because of other ideologies. The idea that the text was transformed into visualization through the avant-garde is then questioned in defining if this was the intent. The experimentation, types of text and decision to adapt with experimentation of the film a the primary objective then create a question of whether the avant-garde had the idea of experimentation as a priority. The practice of experimentation was the defining point of this movement, leaving the adaptation as a secondary component while the idea of text to visualization remains a limited philosophy (Leitch, 95). The representations of the adaptations and the limitations are furthered with the understanding that Lopate presents about how the idea of the cinematic was used with literature in mind to create a cultural connection. The other techniques presented show that the main agenda of directors was based more on the ideology of presenting the classics for audience interest, as opposed to showing the true essence of the novel created. Lopate states “Novels originally brought cultural cachet to movies. Classics and established novels of the day have always enjoyed marketing advantages of being presold, familiar names, and the number of novels adapted for higher – budgeted, Oscar friendly pictures” (Lopate, 6). The concept of adaptation, through this statement, then changes the perspective of not only being based on transferring mediums, but also taking a concept and leaving the novel outside of the main film for cultural and social appeal. From this perspective, the concept of adaptation becomes one not only altered by the medium but also carries limits because of the perspective and intention of the directors producing a specific film. The concept presented by Lopate becomes a question not only with the intent of attracting attention to the viewers. The concept can expand into an awareness of what the intent is according to the film in terms of politics, economy and the agenda of the film. If a novel is known to carry a specific theme or model, then it can also be used as an adaptation to make the same statement. The link between both mediums then works to create a significant difference in how the audience interacts. The concept of adaptation becomes complex not only with techniques but also with the intent and statement made through each of the mediums. The difference does not only rely on the adaptation of the film from the book and connecting to the main audience for cultural and social appeal. It goes a step beyond this with the intent for creating a relationship to the novel and the main statements and themes made by the film and the novel. The experimentation to adapt the novel correctly and the emergence out of this are then included in the main intent of the director and decisions which are made to create a practice of showing the themes of various novels (Ryan, 221). The appeal that Lopate states are furthered with the understanding of the complexities of what the audience is looking for through social stigmas. However, the perspective that Lopate defines are based on politics, actions and other concepts that attract the audience and which are defined elements in the novel. Lopate highlights the sexual stigma that is in many novels and reproduced or highlighted through films, even if they are secondary components in the novel. Lopate also recognizes that 40% of the films change the endings to fit with the audience while adapting the text to elements that aren’t in the novel. The main concept goes beyond the perspective of adaptation and into on the screen ideologies that are accepted by the public or which offers the perspective of the same story line with different interpretations. The ideology which Lopate challenges the reader with is that the films become a critique of a novel, as opposed to an adaptation (Lopate, 7). The main identity that Lopate creates is based on a statement of another perspective based on the intent and viewpoint of the director. However, this may be limited to expectations associated with the audience or the beliefs of what an adaptation should include. The concept of creating a critique of a novel through an adaptation or presenting outside elements for appeal holds the truth of one perspective. The concept is often referred to as brand name novels that create advantages for various industries. This is often combined with the experimentation that is introduced, depending on the genre and techniques used by both popular and independent studios. The perspective which Lopate invites is furthered with the understanding that the industry and directors are expected to produce specific components to a novel or adaptation. This begins with the medium and how the information is presented to the audience. This is furthered by the genre which one is working in and the associations of the commentary that are for a given time frame. The ideologies which are presented are then furthered with the industrial standards and expectations that alter the associations many have with the novel and the film (Edwards, 32). The ending proposal that Lopate states is based on the understanding that movies take their own creative form and that they have the ability to think. The end proposal is one which holds truth and is shown through the understanding of the creative process in creating stories and themes that stem from novels or adaptations. The importance of this statement is one that changes by not limiting the perspectives of film adaptations to taking basic concepts, working with a specific genre or working within the medium of film. Lopate states “Once we understand that there is no limit to the intellectual or artistic complexity of which films are capable, we will be in a better position to appreciate the past and potential symbioses between the novel and the cinema” (Lopate, 10). The ending statement is one which shows an overall understanding that, while the mediums are different, there are several perspectives that are added into the value of the cinema and how it associates with the various concepts. While Lopate states this at the end, it is also assumed that the essay limits the perspectives of adaptation while showing that the attempts to adapt film is one which requires other techniques and is limited by stating it is an adaptation. The question then moves back to the intent and the understanding of what should be created with a film. The objective of authenticity for adaptation is one perspective of this while the medium, intent and experimentation remain questionable with the limitations often placed on film. While there is a statement that adaptation doesn’t have limits, there is also a limited understanding and definition of what this should mean and how this alters according to perspectives by viewers and those creating the adaptation (Faulkner, 17). The concept of overcoming the limitations of defining adaptations then becomes a main component when looking at the various perspectives offered by both Lopate and others who have experimented with the changing medium. The concepts presented through Lopate show a variety of perspectives with the limitations of adaptation to film. This begins with the alteration in medium from novel to film and continues with genres used for experimentation and altering of techniques. The continuous perspectives for adapting film then move into the intent of the directors and how this alters the adaptation. The presentations of Lopate all hold truth in the ideals of adaptation and how this causes complexities of authenticity to a novel. At the same time, the understanding of how the creative process alters the idea of adaptation becomes an important concept to consider. While the points Lopate states cover a variety of perspectives and ideologies, there are also concepts which are not provided in the essay. There are limitless explanations and perspectives available with understanding adaptation, how this is limited and what the advantages are. Expanding this into other philosophies also changes the perspective of adaptation and what it means to transfer the medium of the novel to the film. Works Cited Edwards, Kyle. “Brand Name Literature: Film Adaptation and Selznick International Pictures.” Cinema Journal 45 (3), 2006. Faulkner, Sally. “The Question of Authenticity: Camus’s Film Adaptation of Cela’s La Colmena.” Studies in Hispanic Studies 1 (1), 2004. Leitch, Thomas. Film Adaptation and Its Discontents: From Gone with the Wind to the Passion of the Christ. JHU Press: New York, 2007. Lopate, Phillip. “Adapt This: Fiction Into Film.” The Library of America’s Anthology 2006. MacCabe, Colin, Rick Warner, Kathleen Murray. True to the Spirit: Film Adaptation and the Question of Fidelity. Oxford University Press: UK, 2011. Ryan, Marie – Laure. Narrative Across Media: the Languages of Storytelling. University of Nebraska Press: Nebraska, 2004. Stam, Robert, Alessandra Raengo. Literature and Film: A Guide to Theory and Practice of Film Adaptation. Wiley – Blackwell: New York, 2005. Read More