Omissions / What has been left out?
-Scenes? Dialogue? Objects?
Who has been left out?
-Characters?
How have the film makers compensated for these losses?
-New or rewritten dialogue?
-Emphasis on visual details?
What is the impact on the story does any omission have?
-Effect on character?
-Effect on plot?
-Does a sub-plot disappear?
Additions / Are there any additional scenes?
-New/unexpected changes?
-Scenes developed from references in the play script?
Anything visual that fills in more about the characters?
-Any flashbacks or recalls from a character?
-Any images that highlight something
- Remember – film works through images and texts recount through words
Adapting the narrative / How has the play script been adapted to film?
-How have the characters’ been interpreted by the Director?
-Is the general tone of the film similar to the original play?
-Is the setting true to the play script?
-Describe the actors’ interpretation of the characters.
-Is there any additional language (written on screen) or added images that create meaning?
Is there a specific scene that best exemplifies the style of this adaptation?
-Explain the scene and what Act/Scene it reflects and describe the camera positions and how it is represented.
Characterisation / Characters in the film are portrayed through images, speeches, actions and gestures.
Is this all done in a manner consistent with the narrative of this text?
-Are the characters stronger or weaker?
-Is the character true to the essence of the character in the play?
-Is the character physically what you would expect of the literary character?
-Is there personality what was required for the message and power of this text?
Actions and Gestures / What extra actions, gestures or expressions do the characters make that are not part of the original text?
-Facial expressions?
-General demeanor?
-Hand gestures?
-Body language?
-Interaction with other characters?
What are the effects of the Director’s decisions?
-Added visual emphasis?
-More natural character?
-More emphasis on a specific aspect of the character?
-What is the best example to emphasise this?
Relationships / Have the dynamics of the various relationships been maintained?
-Sexual relationships?
-Father/son relationships?
-Dysfunctional relationships?
-Betrayal?
-Loyalty?
-Power struggles?
Have the dynamics been modified or emphasized?
-Which relationships?
-How are they different?
How does the casting of actors change your view of the characters?
-More glamorous?
-More sympathy? Repelled?
-More appealing or admirable?
Setting / How closely do the settings reflect the play script?
-Authenticity of historical settings?
-Proportion of indoor/outdoor settings?
-Lighting or backgrounds?
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Does the set evoke the storytelling or does it challenge the association of story to context?
-Are you drawn into the world of the characters?
-Does the setting provide information about the characters?
Has the setting been updated or relocated?
-For what purpose?
-Are the themes still relevant?
-For what audience?
-Any contemporary changes?
Does the film use a more naturalistic setting?
Are the characters more believable?
How are props enhanced in the film version?
Costumes
-Are they simple or ornate?
-Has colour been used to emphasize something?
Key moments / Are there any key moments in the film that greatly differ to the play script?
-Explain the moment?
-Write down your explanation for why you believe the director has attempted to do this?
-Do you believe the changes reflect changing social values?
Performance / Casting
-Are the actors’ physical appearances consistent with the stage directions and the characters’ roles in the play?
-Does the celebrity status of the actor detract from the realistic or convincing quality of their performance?
-Who is most convincing?
-Who is least convincing?
Acting techniques
-Describe the main actors’ tone of voice and how the lines of dialogue have been delivered.
-Have gestures been used to convey meaning – use one example to detail what you mean
Music / Music is a very important addition to film
How has music been used in this film version?
-Is music used to emphasize historical time, set mood, or create suspense?
-Has modern language been used?
-Is there a connection between characters, events and music?
-Is a theme song or sound used? How and why?
Imagery / Is recurring visual imagery used?
-Does this convey the writer’s main ideas?
-Does a recurring image link with a character?
Film Language
Cinematography / Character movements and groupings
-How does the director control character movements and groupings?
-How are they framed by the tracking of the camera?
Close-ups and medium close ups of one character
-How does the camera focus on a single character?
-What speeches are made more significant through the use of filming? (Describe what the director has done)
Point-of-view shots and audience perspective
-How has the camera been used to introduce or highlight point of view? Whose? Why?
-How has editing been used to shift audience perspective?
-Has shot/reverse shots or crosscutting been used?
-Is the filming true to how the original play script was written?
Play script
- Context and settings
- Characterisation (speech, movement, dialogue)
- Main ideas and concerns
- Dramatic devices
- Tone and style
- Structure
- Point of view
- Context and settings (studio or on-location?)
- Characterisation through filmic elements
- The use of visual and aural imagery to create meaning
- Point of view as created by the camera (shot distances and angles, camera positions and movements, mise-en-scene)