TuTh, 11:15 AM-12:30 PM, BH 214
Required film screening: Tu, 7:00 PM-10:00 PM, WH 106

Carries College Intensive Writing Credit

Instructor: Karen Bowdre 		
E-Mail: kmbowdre@indiana.edu
Office: Mottier Hall 208
Phone: 855-0530	

From its inception, films have used literary source materials to
capture audience imagination.  While there have been changes to the
medium of film over the years, many films still rely on literature
as their source.  In spite of this “borrowing,” when adapted films
are analyzed, discussed, and critiqued, tension remains between the
original text and the “new” visual form.   This course examines the
process of adaptation of literary texts into feature films such as
The Godfather or The Lord of the Rings.  While the focus of the
class is more about looking critically at the two mediums, it will
also consider the challenges involved in taking written material to
the screen.  The class will also consider adaptations from comic
books (Superman) and television series (Charlie’s Angels).  Some of
the questions engaged in this class include what makes an adaptation
successful from a theoretical point of view?  Since film and novels
are different mediums, how can we discuss a film’s fidelity to its
source?  And can critical theories assist in making better
adaptations?  By the end of the course, students should have an
understanding of the theoretical and broader cultural debates
regarding adaptation.