A Comparative Analysis of The Last of the Mohicans: Novel vs. Film Adaptation
1. Differences Between Novel and Film: Cora vs. Alice
While in James F. Cooper’s novel The Last of the Mohicans the heroine of the novel, Cora Munro, is killed near the end of the story, in the filmed version (Dir. Michael Mann) it is her sister, Alice, who dies. Alice dies jumping off a cliff after Uncas in the Michael Mann film.
2. Magua’s Death: Film vs. Novel
In the film version, Magua, the Huron chief (and villain), is killed by Chingachgook, who thus becomes at the end of the story the last Mohican. (In the book, Hawkeye kills Magua. Also in the book, Cora dies instead of Alice, and Munro lives and goes in search of his daughters. In the film, Magua kills Munro, the father.)
3. Elements of Adventure/Action in The Last of the Mohicans
The Last of the Mohicans could logically be classified as an “adventure/action film.” Action sequences, chase scenes, and perilous escapes are prominent in the Michael Mann movie.
4. Audience Psychology in Film
While watching a film, audience psychology involves engagement, emotional response, and interpretation, varying by genre.
5. Primal Fears in Burton’s Sleepy Hollow
Horror films are said to be centered on the darkest aspects of life. Sleepy Hollow taps into fears of the unknown, death, and supernatural forces.
6. The Effect of Back Lights in Film
Back lights are occasionally used in Sleepy Hollow. As opposed to the main light and filling lights, back lights create depth and separation, often used to highlight silhouettes or create a halo effect, enhancing mood or highlighting characters against dark backgrounds.
7. Stages of Script Development
Describe briefly the different stages that a script undergoes in its development. What literary genre seems closer in its form to script writing? Script development involves outlining, drafting, revising, and finalizing, similar to the process of novel writing.
8. Mise-en-Scène in Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence
“The film’s construction of a particular social world is authenticated through the details of the mise-en-scène.” The Age of Innocence meticulously constructs a specific social world through mise-en-scène.
9. Types of Writing Associated with Movies
What different types of writing do we usually associate with the movies? Do they seem to serve the same kind of purposes? Writing related to movies includes scripts, screenplays, and critiques, each serving different purposes.
10. Scripts as a”Point of Departur”
Scripts are said to be a fundamental “point of departure” for most films. Early decisions based on scripts include casting, budgeting, and visualizing the film’s style.
11. Ideology in Film
Could you give a concise definition of ideology—as it appears represented in films? What is most paradoxical about ideology in any of the arts? Ideology in films reflects underlying beliefs and values, often paradoxical due to conflicting perspectives.
12.”A Slippery Pyrami” in The Age of Innocence
Why is the society represented in Scorcese’s The Age of Innocence described as “a slippery pyramid”? Do we see any of the characters slipping down the slopes of the pyramid? The society in The Age of Innocence is depicted as precarious, with characters facing moral dilemmas and social constraints.
13. Social Units and Institutions in Film
What kind of social units or institutions are likely to be dealt with ideologically in a film? Give three different examples. Family, government, and religion are commonly dealt with ideologically in films.
14. Societal Ills and Corrupt Institutions in Dramatic Films
We have argued that “dramatic films” often represent “societal ills” and “corrupt social institutions.” Examples of societal ills and corrupt institutions in dramatic films include political corruption and economic or gender inequality.
15. Ellen Olenska as a Pivotal Character
According to a number of critics, Ellen Olenska is very much the pivot upon which the whole book (and the movie) turns. Ellen Olenska is central due to her disruptive effect on societal norms and relationships. Ellen’s presence challenges the established social order, sparking conflict and introspection among the other characters, particularly Newland Archer. Her decisions and actions drive the narrative forward, making her a pivotal figure in the story’s development.
16. New York as a”Hieroglyphic Worl”
At one point in Wharton’s novel, the narrator tells us that NY is “a kind of hieroglyphic world, where the real thing was never said or done or even thought.” The viewpoint seems to reflect Newland Archer’s perspective on the superficiality of New York society.
17. May Welland’s Revelation
What revelation does May Welland make to Ellen Olenska in the second half of the book that forestalls the latter’s potential romance with her husband? May reveals her pregnancy to Ellen, preempting any potential romantic entanglements.
18. Sub-Genres of Thrillers
We have heard that most film genres can be easily subdivided into sub-genres. Could you give three examples of subgenres of thrillers? Thriller sub-genres include psychological thrillers, conspiracy thrillers, and crime thrillers.
19. Comparing Endings: Burton’s Sleepy Hollow vs. Irving’s Story
Is the ending of Burton’s Sleepy Hollow similar to the one in Irving’s story? The ending of Sleepy Hollow deviates from Irving’s story. In Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, the ending involves a confrontation with the Headless Horseman and a twist regarding his head. In Irving’s story, the conclusion focuses on Ichabod Crane’s disappearance after confronting the Horseman, leaving his fate open to interpretation.
en to interpretation.