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Semester 1

Literature and Film: The Challenge of Adaptation (Ordinary) (ELCF09023)

Subject

European Languages and Cultures - French

College

CAHSS

Credits

20

Normal Year Taken

3

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

In order to be eligible to take 3rd/4th Year Options, Visiting Students should have the equivalent of at least two years of study at University level of the appropriate language(s) and culture(s).

Course Summary

This course offers an in-depth study of the theory and practice of film adaptation. It provides students with the opportunity to think about the challenges involved in transposing a literary text into film, and to analyse the rich and varied approaches to adaptation of a range of celebrated directors from Jean-Luc Godard to Julian Schnabel.

Course Description

Since the beginnings of modern cinema, literature and film have mutually inspired one another. From the Surrealists to the Nouvelle Vague and beyond, many directors have taken fiction as a starting point for their visual works. This course will provide an in-depth analysis of the interface between the two media. We will examine various types of literary adaptations and assess the strategies and negotiations involved in the move from text to film. Taking into account broader issues of adaptation theory, we will also consider the economics of adaptation, the specificity of the two media literature and film, and the cinematic translation of literary texts into different temporal and cultural contexts. Seminars will be based on a selection of French films ranging from the New Wave to the twenty-first century. Topics for discussion will include the question of "faithfulness" to a source text; the translation of thought, point of view and interiority to the screen, and the different "language" of text and film.

Assessment Information

Written Exam 0%, Coursework 100%, Practical Exam 0%

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