1Joe, you know I'm giving a presentation in our film studies class next week?
2Yes.
3Well, could we discuss it?
4I could do with getting someone else's opinion.
5Of course, Katie. What are you going to talk about?
6It's about film adaptations of Shakespeare's plays.
7I've got very interested in all the different approaches that film directors take.
8So I thought I'd start with Giannetti, who's a professor of film and literature,
9and in one of his books he came up with a straightforward classification of film adaptations
10based on how faithful they are to the original plays and novels.
11Right.
12I've already made some notes on that,
13so I just need to sort those out before the presentation.
14I thought that next I'd ask the class to come up with the worst examples of Shakespeare adaptations that they've seen,
15and to say why.
16That should be more fun than having their favourite versions.
17Yes, I can certainly think of a couple!
18Right.
19Next I want to talk about Rachel Malchow.
20I came across something on the internet about her work on film adaptations,
21and I was thinking of showing some film clips to illustrate her ideas.
22Will you have enough time, though?
23Both to prepare and during the presentation?
24After all, I doubt if you'll be able to find all the clips you want.
25Perhaps you're right.
26OK, well, I'd better do some slides instead,
27saying how various films relate to what she says.
28That should encourage discussion.
29Next I want to say something about how plays may be chosen for adaptation
30because they're concerned with issues of the time when the film is made.
31You mean things like patriotism, or the role of governments?
32Exactly.
33It's quite tricky, but I've got a few ideas I'd like to discuss.
34And finally I want to talk about a few adaptations that I think illustrate a range of approaches,
35and make some comments on them.
36Do you know the Japanese film Ran?
37I haven't seen it.
38It was based on Shakespeare's King Lear, wasn't it?
39That's right.
40It was a very loose adaptation, using the same situation and story,
41but moving it to 16th century Japan instead of 16th century Britain.
42So for example the king's daughters become sons,
43because in Japanese culture at that time, women couldn't succeed to the throne.
44OK.
45I hope you're going to talk about the 1993 film of Much Ado About Nothing.
46I think that's one of the best Shakespeare films.
47It really brings the play to life, doesn't it?
48Yes, I agree.
49And I think filming it in Italy, where the play is set,
50makes you see what life was like at the time of the play.
51Absolutely. Right, what's next?
52Er, next, I thought Romeo & Juliet, the 1996 film,
53which moves the action into the present day.
54Yes, it worked really well, I thought -
55changing the two feuding families in the original to two competing business empires,
56even though they're speaking in the English of the original play.
57You'd expect it would sound really bizarre,
58but I found I soon got used to it.
59Me too.
60Then I thought I'd include a real Hollywood film,
61one that's intended to appeal to a mass commercial audience.
62There must be quite a number of those.
63Yes, but I've picked the 1996 film of Hamlet.
64It included every line of the text,
65but it's more like a typical action hero movie -
66there are loads of special effects, but no unifying interpretation of the play.
67All show and no substance.
68Exactly.
69Then there's Prospero's Books, based on The Tempest.
70That was really innovative, from a stylistic point of view.
71Didn't it include dance and singing and animation, as well as live actors?
72Yes, it did.
73I also want to mention Looking for Richard.
74Did you ever see it?
75No, but I've read about it.
76It was a blend of a documentary with a few scenes from Richard III, wasn't it?
77That's right.
78It's more a way of looking into how people nowadays connect with the playwright -
79the play is really just the starting point.
80And that'll be where I finish.
81Well, it sounds as though it'll be very interesting.