Literature vs. Cinema: A Comparative Analysis
Literature vs. Cinema
Cinema is expensive, whereas novels are cheaper. Cinema involves collaboration among various professionals, while literature is often created by an individual.
Drama is the genre that most closely resembles a script or screenplay of a movie on the page because they both use dialogues, describe character’s actions, movements, expressions, and the setting of each scene. Moreover, they are both divided into scenes, and they both focus on performances.
Theatre relies on live performances and direct interaction with the audience, while film involves recording performances. In addition, films involve editing them into a final product. They use sound, lighting, camera angles and different positions, set designs, and special effects in order to convey the meaning and reach the audience.
According to Virginia Woolf and some modernist writers, the relationship between literature and cinema was anti-natural and deficient/detrimental. V. Woolf said that literature was a victim of the new art. They criticised it because the cinema was very basic and incomplete since there was no sound, no camera movements, etc. But with the arrival of sound and lighting, cinema started to be a threat.
Horizontal intertextuality refers to different primary texts that are similar in genre, context, characters, etc. Vertical intertextuality refers to the relation between a primary text and other texts of a different type that refer to them.
Imelda Wheelan suggests that Adaptation Studies is a complex field of study because the process involves navigating multiple factors such as narrative structure, cultural context, and audience reception.
In Wheelan’s opinion, “fidelity to original” has been displaced because viewers prefer to pay attention to aspects like cinematic techniques, thematic importance, and emotional impact.
Cinematographic genres help film audiences by providing them with expectations about the type of movie they are about to watch. They serve as a guide, allowing viewers to choose films that fit with their interests and preferences.
Directors use “rolling shots” when they want to indicate that the character is falling, drugged, or sick, to show the world in a peculiar way.
Nostalgia plays such an important role in cinema because it provokes powerful emotions and connects viewers to memories or past experiences. Normally, they use this feeling in historical genres or when reminding us of something from the past.
In grammar/language, the units of analysis are words, phrases, and sentences to convey meaning through written communication. They follow specific rules and structures. However, in the language of cinema, the units of analysis are elements such as: shots, scenes, camera angles, editing techniques, and audiovisual cues. They are used to communicate through visual storytelling.
The expository passages in the beginning of Miller’s “The Crucible” provide crucial background information about the setting, characters, and historical context of the play, helping to understand the events that follow.
Reverend Hale is sent to Proctor’s home in Act II of the play to investigate accusations of witchcraft in Salem. He is trying to gather information about the Proctor’s involvement in witchcraft, as well as their religious beliefs and practices, in order to know if they are guilty of witchcraft.
Expressive lighting is used to create a mood and to contribute to narrative details in characters. Realism in lighting means images are presented naturally, and we shouldn’t notice the lighting.
One weakness of biographical dramas may be that we simplify the real person and events. Another weakness is that the ending is predictable.
For example, we can know how the heroine of Wild survived her devils/demons.
At the beginning, Elisabeth Proctor is resentful towards her husband, John Proctor, due to his affair with Abigail Williams. However, in the last stages, when she knows that John is going to be killed, she decides to forgive his mistakes and supports him, showing her deep love.
Camera angles, deep field of focus, screen size, and framing are important cinematic elements.
Courtroom dramas involve intense conflicts and moral dilemmas, which create tension and suspense. Movies often use this kind of setting because they tell interesting stories and help us to think about what is right and wrong.