Art of Movie-Making: Adapting From Written Texts - Essay Sample

Introduction

The art of making a play is rather an underrated talent in the movie industry. The skill requires keen observation as well as extensive critical analysis for quality work to be presented in the first place. As a result, producers often employ different sets of talents in coming up with a storyline as well as scripting for the movie they wish to present. Even more daunting is the task of adapting the story from a previously written text. The success of the resulting film would be much dependent on the skills employed within to present the ideas in as original a manner as in the actual literature piece.

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Glaspell's 'A jury and her peers' (1917) is a short story about the tribulations of a woman who finds herself in trouble with both the law and the society after her husband is found dead in her home. The setting of the story was in the early 1990s when the world thought very little about women, and their abilities to compete with men. As such, women were often treated with little regard and thus were subject to vices such as domestic abuse. Besides, oppression of women by their male counterparts was rampant among the communities of the time, leading to numerous injustices due to the inequality (Angel, 1995).

Mrs. Wright in A jury and her peers, after enduring a tumultuous and abusive relationship with her husband eventually snap and end up murdering her husband in a violent domestic argument. The original story contained numerous symbolisms including to represent among others, the coldness of Mrs. Wrights heart which led to her committing such a heinous act against her husband, isolation, oppression leading to intense pressure, guilt as seen by the dirty roller towel in her table as an indication of men's sins. Finally, there is the concept of a caged bird, which portrays Mrs. Wright's situation in her marriage (Angel, 1997).

In the 1960's adaptation of the play by Alfred Hitchcock, women's situation had tremendously changed when it comes to their social standing. There was more regard for their rights and abilities by their male counterparts, albeit with raising awareness about the need for equality, especially in marriages. In such a context, instances of domestic abuse and other similar vices were on the decline. The public at the time had shifted interests on women and equality was more on the rise.

Hitchcock, in his adaptation, presented much of the same ideas from the original book, albeit with different aspects in his play. The central symbolism of coldness, loneliness and oppression is represented much in the same way as in the original text. However, the change of attitude in regards to the treatment of women is evident from the increased degree of warmth Mr. Wright shows his wife in the play (Angel, 1997). Furthermore, the change in attitude towards women is apparent in the manner in which women decide to employ integrity and convict Mrs. Wright for her crimes.

Different producers employ separate skills in their art to bring out their main ideas as they wish to be understood by their audiences. Much of this, however, is influenced by the existing trends and public interests at the time. The original story in this instance was done at a time when public affairs were much more different from the second adaptation of the 1960s. However, much of the same concepts are presented within, albeit with a few twists to incorporate the existing public trends when it comes to the treatment of women and their rights.

Works Cited

Angel, M. (1997). Susan Glaspell's Trifles and A Jury of Her Peers: Woman abuse in a literary and legal context. Buff. L. Rev., 45, 779.

Angel, M. (1995). Criminal law and women: Giving the abused woman who kills a jury of her peers who appreciate trifles. Am. Crim. L. Rev., 33, 229.