English Through Film Adaptation Across Cultures Juanita Huan Zhou York University English Language...
-
Upload
cameron-webb -
Category
Documents
-
view
217 -
download
0
Transcript of English Through Film Adaptation Across Cultures Juanita Huan Zhou York University English Language...
English Through Film Adaptation Across
Cultures
Juanita Huan ZhouYork University English Language Institute
Toronto, Canada<[email protected]>
Outline
A Special Kind of Film Adaptation
Rationale
Objectives
Approach
Tasks of Comparison and Contrast
Group Presentation Assignment
Sample Analysis
Conclusion
A Special Kind of Film Adaptation
Hollywood Remakes of Films from Other Countries
FilmographyNo Reservations (USA, 2007)
Mostly Martha (Germany, 2001)
The Departed (USA, 2006)Mou gaan dou (Hong Kong,
2002)
The Lake House (USA, 2006) Il Mare (South Korea, 2000)
Shall We Dance? (USA, 2004) Shall We Dansu? (Japan, 1996)
Vanilla Sky (USA, 2001) Abre los ojos (Spain, 1997)
The Birdcage (USA, 1996)La cage aux folles (France,
1978)
Point of No Return (USA, 1993) La femme Nikita (France, 1990)
Sommersby (USA, 1993)Le retour de Martin Guerre
(France, 1982)
Three Men and a Baby (USA, 1987)
Trois hommes et un couffin (France, 1985)
Breathless (USA, 1983)A bout de souffle (France,
1960)
Rationale
Advantages over Literary Adaptation
‣ Length, scope, vocabulary
Advantages over Stage Adaptation
‣ Availability
Advantages over Hollywood Remakes of Classic Hollywood Films
‣ Cultural diversity
‣ Affective filter hypothesis
Objectives
Developing cultural awareness
Developing critical thinking skills
Improving English language skills
ApproachA content-based seminar
In a university preparation program for ESL students
To students of lower-intermediate level and up
12 lessons over six weeks, two lessons per week, 105 minutes per lesson
Limited to two pairs of films per session: First pair led by T; second pair led by Ss
Two-part viewing for each film
Rotate the pairs from session to session
Which Pair?
Selection of the pairs of films to study in depth will factor in the following
Variety of Film Genres
Students’ Preferences
Students’ Nationalities
Students’ Ages
Students’ Religions
Tasks of Comparison and Contrast
Compare the characters in age, occupation, marital status, personality, problems, motivations, etc.
Compare the casting decisions
Identify omitted, added, and combined characters
Identify omitted, added, rearranged, and modified scenes
Compare the endings
Compare the social issues raised
Compare the cinematic treatment of major scenes in terms of length, number of shots, type of shots, mise-en-scène, lighting, editing, soundtrack, etc.
Why?
Group Presentation Assignment
Choose one of the non-American films shown in class; or one not shown in class; or a famous Hollywood movie. Imagine yourself as a filmmaker. If the original film were to be remade by you for audiences in your country, what changes would you make in the plot and characterization? Why? Who would you cast to play the main characters? Why?
Sample AnalysisShall We Dance? Vs. Shall We Dansu?
(USA, 2004) (Japan, 1996)
Task One: The Heroes
Estate Lawyer Accountant
Married to an attractive, highly educated, successful
career woman
Married to an ordinary housewife
Has a daughter, a son, and a dog
Has a daughter
Lives in a beautiful two-storey estate home
Lives in a nondescript two-storey house
Cause of unhappiness: Wife’s neglect
Cause of unhappiness: Losing self while living up to
society’s expectations
Task Two: The Heroines
Daughter of a dry cleaner Daughter of the owner of a
dance school
Initiated into the world of ballroom dancing by a blond,
Caucasian “goddess”
Initiated into the world of ballroom dancing by a visit to
Blackpool with her parents
Wardrobe: Tight outfits showing nipples and breasts
Wardrobe: Elegant long skirts with matching blouses
Sex appeal Dance techniques
Task Three: Added Scenes
Scene of the Rumba
Scene of the Tango
Task Four: The EndingsSimilarities Differences
USA JAPANGoes home, changes,
and buys a rose/goes to wife’s workplace,
presents rose & invites her to dance/goes to
party with wife & dances with the heroine after
wife’s approval/introduces the two women/dances with wife/the other couples cheer them on & the heroine is partially in frame and not easily recognized/epilogue:
happy ending for everyone
Goes to the party and
dances with the heroine/the
other couples join them/the hero and the
heroine disappear in the crowd/film ends
with a wide shot of the dance floor
✓Morning: Wife’s note
✓After work: Undecided
✓On the train: Sees invitation
Task Five: Film Styles
Length with Credits
104 min 119 min
Length w/o Credits
100 min 114 min
# of Shots 1,337 748
Ave. Length of Shot
4.5 sec 9 sec
Mise-en-scène One depth of fieldLong takes with three depths of fields
Types of ShotsDominated by
close shots and close-ups
Dominated by full shots and long
shots
Editing
Dominated by cross-cutting and reaction shots;Obsessed with Continuity editing
Cross-cutting and reaction shots limited in number;Unconcerned with continuity editing
USA JAPAN
Culturally Embedded Film Styles
Personal Space
Eye Contact
Need for Sensory Stimuli
Attitude Towards the Audience
Conclusion
It is not the purpose of the course to evaluate which film, culture, or ideology is better.
It is the hope of the course to help students understand how a culture or ideology presents itself and why it does so.
Credits of Imageshttp://www.bennadel.com/resources/uploads/no_reservations_movie_poster.jpg
http://richkleber.com/family/rich/moviereviews/moviereviews/movieimages/thedeparted.jpg
http://www.impawards.com/1993/posters/sommersby.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4nfE_zw3Tnw/S2ZvlbIBmrI/AAAAAAAAAO8/0ppzP7ArEeY/s400/the_lake_house.jpg
http://www.impawards.com/2001/posters/vanilla_sky.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c200/dreamersball/birdcage.jpg
http://www.disneydreaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Three-Men-And-A-Baby1.jpg
http://www.impawards.com/1993/posters/point_of_no_return.jpg
http://content7.flixster.com/movie/10/89/98/10899813_det.jpg
http://www.impawards.com/2004/shall_we_dance_ver2.html
http://www.movieactors.com/freezeframes33/ShallWeDanceUSA5.jpg
http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsG/6473-27248.gif
http://images2.cinema.de/imedia/2695/2302695,cco3qxjLvMXjAo3gDnzRhOFI61LbD0zPjeNoyonQG0juBIdgcna4JL5SCXXB2wTq8H0SWOYoM3UXHtvYWCQ3+A==.jpg
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews37/shall%20we%20dance%20blu-ray/HF7Y2758_shall_we_dance.jpg
http://images1.asianmediawiki.com/images/thumb/d/d5/Shall_We_Dance%3F.jpg/250px-Shall_We_Dance%3F.jpg
http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/040927/040927_jlo_vmed.grid-4x2.jpg
http://www.torito.nl/tango/video/shallwedance_trailerpic100.jpg
http://www.pymmik.com/Shohei_Sugiyama1.jpg