239643 Novel - Screenplay - Film: Principles of Literary Adaptation (S) (WiSe 2012/2013)

Film has been 'hungry' for stories since its beginning more than a hundred years ago. For this reason, film makers have frequently adapted literary texts, especially novels, for the cinema screen. The adaptation of a narrative from print to film requires a number of strategic changes, and it will be the task of this seminar to explore the principles that guide the translation of a book to film. In the process of a story's transition from novel to film, the screenplay plays a major role, but in spite of its importance, the screenplay has only recently been acknowledged as an object of study.

In this seminar, we will read and discuss, first, three novels, and second, the screenplays made on the basis of the novels. Finally, we will watch the three films to compare and contrast the different versions of the original story.

Please note that this course only makes sense if participants know the original novels well. You will therefore be asked to do a number of small quizzes on the texts. To take some pressure off your working week during the semester, it will be a good idea to read at least one of the novels in the term break.

Also note that we are likely to need three additional film-viewing sessions.

Bibliography

A reader containing the screenplays will be made available at the beginning of the semester.
Please buy your own copy of the novels:

Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
John Fowles, The French Lieutenant's Woman
Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient.