Literature into FilmLinda Costanzo Cahir2006

For most people, film adaptation of literature can be summed up in one sentence : "The movie wasn't as good as the book." This volume shows that this evaluation is not always true and may even be intrinsically unfair. Movies based on literary works, while often billed as adaptations, are more correctly termed translations, and evaluating them fairly takes an awareness of many factors.

This analytical guide to literature-based films establishes a contextual and theoretical basis to help the reader understand the relationships between such movies and the original texts as well as the reader's own responses. It focuses on recognizing the difficulties of basing a film on a literary work, be it a novel, novella, play or short story. Chapters deak with the problems raised by each of these genres, providing an overview backed up by case studies of specific film translations. Interspersed are suggestions for activities to enhance understanding of the films. This volume also discusses the attributes of effective film translation, considers what an adapter owes to the parent text and explores the theorical aspects of analyzing such works.

Titre original : Literature into Film (2006)