Assignment
Choose one of the following options for your essay. You will have the option to upload your assignment, provide a link, or write the essay in an online editor. Click Write It to get started.
Option 1
Using your outline, write an essay explaining what is gained and what is lost when a work of literature is adapted for the screen. Answer these questions in your essay:
- What is the same in both the film and the book version of Great Expectations? What has changed?
- What, if anything, did you imagine when you read the book that you did not see in the film?
- What did the film capture that the book could not?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of transforming a book into film?
- How faithful must a film adaptation be to the original work?
If you want, you may use additional examples of book-to-film adaptations that you are familiar with.
Option 2
To fully understand the challenges that filmmakers face when adapting a classic work of literature, imagine that you are remaking a new film version of Great Expectations today. How would you present the opening scene on screen?
Explain your interpretation in a letter or memo to a potential producer. You will need to convince the producer why your version should be made. Describe where you will set the scene (it can be any time or any place), what type of actors you will cast, and the effect you want to achieve. If possible, include the kind of music you will use and how the action will take place. (Note: Be sure that your version is different from the one you just watched.) To extend this activity, you can storyboard, script, or even film your own adaptation.
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