[00:45.35]KATIE:Joe, you know I'm giving a presentation in our film studies class next week?
[00:51.02]JOE:Yes.
[00:52.06]KATIE:Well, could we discuss it?
[00:54.49] I could do with getting someone else's opinion.
[00:57.34]JOE:Of course, Katie. What are you going to talk about?
[01:00.81]KATIE:It's about film adaptations of Shakespeare's plays.
[01:05.36]I've got very interested in all the different approaches that film directors take.
[01:11.18]JOE:Uhuh.
[01:12.07]KATIE:So I thought I'd start with Giannetti, who's a professor of film and literature.
[01:18.39] And in one of his books he came up with a straightforward classification of film adaptations based on how faithful they are to the original plays and novels.
[01:31.35]JOE:Right.
[01:32.45]KATIE:I've already made some notes on that, so I just need to sort those out before the presentation.
[01:40.13]I thought that next I'd ask the class to come up with the worst examples of Shakespeare adaptations that they've seen, and to say why.
[01:51.88]That should be more fun than having their favourite versions.
[01:55.75]JOE:Yes, I can certainly think of a couple!
[01:58.67]KATIE:Right. Next I want to talk about Rachel Malchow.
[02:04.89]I came across something on the internet about her work on film adaptations, and I was thinking of showing some film clips to illustrate her ideas.
[02:16.96]JOE:Will you have enough time, though? Both to prepare and during the presentation?
[02:22.37]After all, I doubt if you'll be able to find all the clips you want.
[02:26.55]KATIE:Hmm. Perhaps you're right.
[02:29.79]OK, well, I'd better do some slides instead, saying how various films relate to what she says.
[02:39.03]That should encourage discussion.
[02:41.28]JOE:Mmm.
[02:42.33]KATIE:Next I want to say something about how plays may be chosen for adaptation because they're concerned with issues of the time when the film is made.
[02:54.68]JOE:You mean things like patriotism, or the role of governments?
[02:58.60]KATIE:Exactly. It's quite tricky, but I've got a few ideas I'd like to discuss.
[03:53.46]KATIE:And finally I want to talk about a few adaptations that I think illustrate a range of approaches, and make some comments on them.
[04:04.74]Do you know the Japanese film Ran?
[04:07.98]JOE:I haven't seen it. It was based on Shakespeare's King Lear, wasn't it?
[04:13.57]KATIE:That's right. It was a very loose adaptation, using the same situation and story, but moving it to 16th century Japan instead of 16th century Britain.
[04:28.15]So for example the king's daughters become sons, because in Japanese culture at that time, women couldn't succeed to the throne.
[04:38.96]JOE:OK. I hope you're going to talk about the 1993 film of Much Ado About Nothing.
[04:45.67]I think that's one of the best Shakespeare films.
[04:49.38]It really brings the play to life, doesn't it?
[04:52.18]KATIE:Yes, I agree. And I think filming it in Italy, where the play is set, makes you see what life was like at the time of the play.
[05:02.11]JOE:Absolutely. Right, what's next?
[05:05.34]KATIE:Er, next. I thought Romeo & Juliet, the 1996 film, which moves the action into the present day.
[05:14.20]JOE:Yes, it worked really well, I thought — changing the two feuding families in the original to two competing business empires, even though they're speaking in the English of the original play.
[05:28.46]KATIE:You'd expect it would sound really bizarre, but I found I soon got used to it.
[05:34.94]JOE:Me too.
[05:34.94]KATIE:Then I thought I'd include a real Hollywood film, one that's intended to appeal to a mass commercial audience.
[05:45.16]JOE:There must be quite a number of those.
[05:47.72]KATIE:Yes，but I've picked the 1996 film of Hamlet.
[05:53.57]It included every line of the text，but it's more like a typical action hero movie — there are loads of special effects, but no unifying interpretation of the play.
[06:07.41]JOE:All show and no substance.
[06:09.71]KATIE:Exactly. Then there's Prospero's Books, based on The Tempest.
[06:16.09]That was really innovative, from a stylistic point of view.
[06:20.13]JOE:Didn't it include dance and singing and animation as well as live actors?
[06:25.67]KATIE:Yes, it did. I also want to mention Looking for Richard.
[06:30.79]Did you ever see it?
[06:32.62]JOE:No. But I've read about it. It was a blend of a documentary with a few scenes from Richard lll, wasn't it?
[06:40.72]KATIE:That's right. It's more a way of looking into how people nowadays connect with the playwright — the play is really just the starting point.
[06:51.17]And that'll be where I finish.
[06:53.47]JOE:Well, it sounds as though it'll be very interesting.
