There have been many book-to-movie adaptations that have made me excessively and unnervingly happy, just as there have been many that have made me excessively and unnervingly disappointed. There is really no room for anything in between. This is true for many literary nerds like myself, and everyone likely has a different standard for what makes a good book-to-movie adaptation. Mine involves two things: accuracy to the original book’s plot and descriptions, and translating the words to the screen in a way that is just as exciting as the book was.
The first Jane Eyre movie had a lot going for it. I think it did very well in conveying the mood of the book on screen. Jane was plain and passionate, her life and love just as so. Lowood was cold and unforgiving, and Gateshead and Thornfield were both the perfect amount of spooky. However, many things about the plot were changed for the sake of making the movie interesting. Helen’s characterization, for me, was the most drastic change, turning her from a methodical and introverted girl to a warm and immediate friend. I believe that accuracy should never be sacrificed for ratings, so this does not rise to the top of my favorites list.
The second movie was much more accurate. John Reed hitting Jane with the book was kept, Jane’s head wound was kept, the ghost in the red room was kept, and that’s all just in the first few minutes of the movie. Despite all that, it wasn’t a very good movie. There was no connection from one event to the next, and though I’m not certain, I think that someone who has never read the book would have an extremely difficult time understanding what was going on. In the same vein as the above paragraph, I also believe that ratings should never be satisfied for accuracy. Therefore, this is not my favorite, either.
I liked how you set out your standards for evaluation and then clearly and thoroughly evaluated all three films. I liked that you structured the piece so that it went from your least favorite film to your favorite. Saying that, however, I would have liked to hear a bit more about why you enjoyed the third one the most. I too thought it was the best, but I would have liked to see what other aspects besides the flashback you enjoyed. Overall nice job.
ReplyDeleteI second what Izzy said about how you stated what your standards for a good film portrayal are, it worked very well for this post and allowed the reader to follow your thoughts and points easily. I also agree with Izzy that hearing more about the third movie would have been beneficial, especially since it was your favorite! Overall, you did a really great job formulating this post and making your points and thoughts about the films clear. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Izzy and Gianna, I liked the way you outlined your standards and compared each film to those. I also liked that you compared the movies to each other; it makes your arguments more understandable and flowing. I think that, as well as including more information about the third movie, you could include a more comprehensive and clear conclusion. It felt like you ended abruptly, so I think a longer and maybe free-standing conclusion would have helped. Overall, I really like what you say about the movies and how you tie your argument together throughout the post!
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