Overview
Instructions:
Prompt # 3: For this response, you will briefly discuss the following prompt from Jim Harrison’s novella Legends of the Fall and the film version of it by the same title (warning: you need to always be clear which version you are talking about). This novella (see note below) is based partly on real-life people, especially Ludlow. But overall it is fiction, with much of the story changed, compressed, fictionalized. Many works of literary art blur “true stories” with “fictionalized” stories for numerous reasons. That said, without being at all concerned with what Harrison took from “real life” and what he changed, select three or more differences between the novella and film version and argue from your point of view why these differences in the film are either necessary or not because of how film differs as a medium (or genre of art) from written art. Also do not forget to come up with a meaningful thesis of limited topic and narrowed claim to fit your essay, with an original title and introduction to interest and lead in your audience and a good conclusion to make your last impression and lead your audience out of your essay.
- Some notes on terminology: 1.) Generally speaking, a Novella is a work longer than a short story yet shorter than a novel. 2.) Typically a Novel should be reserved for use about longer works of fiction (at least for the most part--there is a type of blurring between fiction and non-fiction only (though there is a sub-genre considered “Non-fiction Novel,” it would need to be listed by that full name: “novel” alone (or “fictional novel”) is best used alone only to describe fictional works). Personally, I would claim novellas run from roughly 50/60 pages to roughly 110/120 pages—of course, the size of print and spacings can make that range inexact. Some people argue that the novella isn’t even a genre or form: just that there are short novels. I think “novella” is a useful term, though, and that it actually differs in form from the other two prose literary genres. Here for this work, use novella, consistently. 3.) Cinema and Film are the terms we usually use when referring to efforts more directly and completely "artistic" in a sense--we often use "movie" for this category, but generally that term should be reserved for less "serious" works focusing only on entertainment, and one you should try to avoid in this essay. (Keep in mind that many comedies are more serious and "artistic," while many "dramas" aren't: the variety and ranges are astounding.) 4.) Adaptation is most used in the Arts to refer to taking a written work--perhaps an epic poem, perhaps a short story or novella, or perhaps a novel--and converting it to a film. The term would also include, in terms of film, "Remakes" of earlier films (often already adaptations themselves). However, while many films are adaptations from writing, there are also Original Screenplays--works without (at least apparently) reference to works written before they became film. Our film for this class is of course an adaptation of a written work we have read. This essay consequently will focus on bringing together the two arts--Literature and Cinema--in our essay.