Adapting Novels to Films: Literary Concepts & Aesthetic Justifications - Essay Sample

Introduction

The adaptation of literature into films requires extensive activities and collaboration between different people. The Theory of Adaptation focuses on the important literary concepts that must be considered in film production. Writers, critics, and film-makers have different opinions in the adaptation of literature into films (Austen, 2004). Also, writers and film-makers have challenged aesthetic justification in the adaptation of novels to screen-plays. In most cases, adapting a novel into a film is challenging because of its complexity. Adapting novels affects their form; therefore, a lot of considerations are applied to maintain their forms. According to Bazin (2000), the metaphysical content of the literary work must be retained while adapting it to the screen. The problem of film adaptation is not solvable; therefore, a lot of consideration must be taken by the writers and producers to retain original forms of literature work. This paper provides comprehensive information on various theoretical concepts used in the adaptation of literature into films.

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The Six Concepts From the Adaptation Theory

Adaptation of literature work in the screen requires the producers to consider various factors that determine their abilities to retain important forms (Austen, 2004). Retention of the original forms is crucial in ensuring that the meaning of the literary works is not tempered during the adaptation process. "It is metaphysically impossible to make a cinematic work inspired by a literary one, with sufficient faithfulness to the spirit of the original and with an aesthetic intelligence that permits we to consider the film equal of the book" (Bazin, 2000).

The challenges of adaptation literary work for the audience has been evident in radio stations. Reproduction and transmission of concepts from any literary work affect their forms. Adaptation increases criticisms and affects artistic works due to the inability of producers or directors to maintain literary forms and contents. According to Elliott (2003), words and films do not translate during the adaptation process. Also, content and form differ in the adaptation process because characters, themes, plots, and rhetoric determine the nature of a film or literary work.

The Psychic Concept of Adaptation

The psychic concept of adaptations provides a clear understanding of the important contents that must be passed from a book to the film (Elliott, 2003). The psychic concepts focus on the ability of the adapter to preserve the original spirit of content and create a new form. The spirit of the original literary work must be retained regardless of the type of the new form to be created. The ability to pass the main contents from a book to a film is referred to as "the spirit of the text" (Elliott, 2003). In the adaptation process, the author's personality determines the ability to promote the spirit of a text. Quality of soul has been appreciated in the literature because of the ability of authors to maintain the spirit of text in their work.

According to Elliott (2003), academic critics have represented the literature writing spirit in a less mystical manner. In these cases, the personality of authors has become imagination, authorial intent, or style. The last stage of adaptation involves pre-textual activities like authorial inspiration and imagination. The psychic concept of adaptation provides appropriate representation spaces for authorial intent and spirits.

The Ventriloquist Concept of Adaptation

The ventriloquist and psychic concepts of adaptation differ in the representation of form and contents (Elliott, 2003). The ventriloquist concept of adaptation does not offer any representation of authorial spirits. In the adaptation processes, the ventriloquist blatantly provides significant signs of a novel for the development of film spirits. Also, the ventriloquist represents what is passed from a book or novel to a film in the adaptation process. The perceptions of film-makers determine nature if filmic spirit to be incorporated in the adaptation process (Elliott, 2003). The adaptation critics have proposed that the spirit of a novel or a book is determined by the nature of culture.

The surrounding culture affects narrative, semiotic content, and generic conventions that determine the representation of artistic spirit during adaptation activities. Adaptation is composed of filmic features and novel content (Harrington, 1977). In most cases, commentaries blame semiotic of adaptation in the impoverishment of the film. Also, the adaptation of films does not condense contents in the novels, but it adds semiotic features like moving images, props, music, costumes, architecture, and audible dialogue. The semiotic features incorporated in the adaptation process are laden with symbolic and cultural resonances.

The Genetic Concept of Adaptation

The genetic concept of adaptation is established based on approaches of narratives. According to Elliott (2003), the genetic concept of adaptation figures out the main contents and forms that are transferred from novels to films. The narrative contents are related to genetic structures. Also, the adaptation process is similar to the way in which genetic material determines the nature of cells and tissues in the human body. A narrative involves a series of events that casually linked (Elliott, 2003). Characters influence the events in a narrative. The features of events in the narrative are transferred from a novel to a film; therefore, relating to how genetic material is passed from parents to offspring.

The nature of narrative determines the filmic spirit developed by film-makers during adaptation procedures (Bazin, 2000). In most cases, the higher levels of narratives contain both films and novels, while removing the heretical form. Also, content divides during the primary level of categorization and individual signs. The genetic concept of adaptation focuses on the elimination of semiotic contradiction. Currently, some films incorporate screenwriting handbook suggestions formulated by adapters to replace verbal symbols with visual components (Elliott, 2003). The utilization of the genetic concept of adaptation provides a clear understanding of how features of narrative determine characterization in film-making activities. For example, the resemblance of characters influences the narrative events included in a film.

The De (Re) Composing Concept of Adaptation

According to the de (re)composing concept of adaptation, film and novel decompose, link together and create a new composition (Elliott, 2003). The type of composition formed from the merging of films and novels depends on the levels of reading applied by writers, film-makers, and critics. In this case, the adaptation processes and composite of filmic and textual signs that merge in audiences' consciousness. The cultural narratives lead to confusion in an event of distinguishing between a film and novel. In most cases, the adaptation of novels into films involves the identification of detached text that may lead to confusion. The detached texts from the novel must be infused with visual images and responses from readers.

Also, the adaptation of novels into films must subvert all artistic activities, perform a paradoxical task of unveiling textual sources. According to Elliott (2003), novels adaptation in the screen must mask the sources and ensure the originality of text in films. Unfaithful adaptations are identified when critics read the novel and translate the content directly to the film. In the unfaithful adaptation, the critics make a direct merging and identify that the film has been changed from the original novel. To avoid unfaithful adaptation, critics are required to read back from film to the novel (Elliott, 2003). Analyzing the nature of films using the literary contents applied in a novel is critical in eliminating the causes of infidelities that may lead to rejection.

The Incarnational Concept of Adaptation

The incarnational and psychic concepts of adaptation are related (Elliott, 2003). The rhetoric of materialization, realization, and incarnation allows people to criticize the adaptation of novels into films. For instance, some critics complain that the characters in the novels were not real because they wanted to see them alive. According to Elliott (2003), the realization is used to mean a lack of realism and originality of the adapted film. In this case, realism is known to be an unstable and relative concept in artistic activities. In some phenomenological perspectives, the adaptations of films may contribute to the development of reality represented by words in a novel.

The incarnation concept of adaptation is different from the psychic approach because it does not provide signifiers to be attached to the film. Also, the incarnational concept of adaptation enables writers and film-makers to consider the relationships between novel contents and filmic features. The analysis of novels' contents and film features like visual images help in the restoration of primacy analogies applied in artistic activities (Bazin, 2000).

The Trumping Concept of Adaptation

The Trumping concept of adaptation provides a succinct description of the transition between reading and performed text because they determine the literary adoption of the film. According to Elliott (2003), many critics have identified a close connection between dreaming and filming. Also, the trumping concept of adaptation shares significant concerns that address a medium with a better representation of content in the novel. Most of the criticism in adaptation favors novels more than films. Thematic features determine the nature of adaptation criticism presented after analysis of a film.

The trumping concept of adaptation provides similarities between the film and the novel that help in the development of characters and settings. For example, the medium used in representing content is common in both the film and novel. Also, criticism affects the character and setting of films and novels during the adaptation process. The characterization developed by a writer in the novel must be retained in the film to avoid unfaithful adaptations.

The Hidden Meanings From Gestures of Character and Setting

Characterization and setting are important factors that determine the realism represented by a novel or a film. The adaptation of films from novels represents different meanings depending on the character and settings applied by film-makers or writers. A critical analysis of the film shows that the sensibility of a character determines his/her personality. For example, Elinor does not make a rush in making judgments (Austen, 2004). Also, Elinor is an understanding woman who is able to control her feelings (Austen, 2004). The settings of a film or novel are dependent on the nature of the environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the adaptation of films from novels depends on the characters and settings of the artistic work. Textual and formal approaches to adaptation vary depending on the content of the novel a film features. It is critical to analyze the differences that exist between films and novels. Critics must read and analyze the novels and films in a two-dimensional approach to avoid unfaithful adaptation. In some cases, many writers and publishers refuse to sell their books for adaptation to the screen. Also, many film producers refuse to adapt books from other writers due to the complexity of literary concepts used in the artistic material. The skills and experiences of film-makers are important in ensuring that appropriate adaptations of films are achieved from the analysis of key contents in the novels.

References

Austen, J. (2004). Sense and Sensibility. OUP Oxford. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?...