Feature
What to look for.
Omissions
What has been left out?
- Scenes? Dialogue? Objects?
Who has been left out?
- Characters?
How have the film makers compensated for
these losses?
- New or rewritten dialogue?
- Emphasis on visual details?
What is the impact on the story does any
omission have?
- Effect on character?
- Effect on plot?
- Does a sub-plot disappear?
Additions
Are there any additional scenes?
- New/unexpected changes?
- Scenes developed from references in
the play script?
Anything visual that fills in more about the
characters?
- Any flashbacks or recalls from a
character?
- Any images that highlight something

Remember – film works through
images and texts recount through
words
Examples and Effects
Adapting the
narrative
How has the play script been adapted to film?
- How have the characters’ been
interpreted by the Director?
- Is the general tone of the film similar
to the original play?
- Is the setting true to the play script?
- Describe the actors’ interpretation of
the characters.
- Is there any additional language
(written on screen) or added images
that create meaning?
Is there a specific scene that best exemplifies
the style of this adaptation?
- Explain the scene and what Act/Scene
it reflects and describe the camera
positions and how it is represented.
Characterisation
Characters in the film are portrayed through
images, speeches, actions and gestures.
Is this all done in a manner consistent with
the narrative of this text?
- Are the characters stronger or
weaker?
- Is the character true to the essence of
the character in the play?
- Is the character physically what you
would expect of the literary
character?
- Is there personality what was
required for the message and power
of this text?
Actions and
Gestures
What extra actions, gestures or expressions
do the characters make that are not part of
the original text?
- Facial expressions?
- General demeanor?
- Hand gestures?
- Body language?
- Interaction with other characters?
What are the effects of the Director’s
decisions?
- Added visual emphasis?
- More natural character?
- More emphasis on a specific aspect of
the character?
- What is the best example to
emphasise this?
Relationships
Have the dynamics of the various
relationships been maintained?
- Sexual relationships?
- Father/son relationships?
- Dysfunctional relationships?
- Betrayal?
- Loyalty?
- Power struggles?
Have the dynamics been modified or
emphasized?
- Which relationships?
- How are they different?
How does the casting of actors change your
view of the characters?
- More glamorous?
- More sympathy? Repelled?
- More appealing or admirable?
Setting
How closely do the settings reflect the play
script?
- Authenticity of historical settings?
- Proportion of indoor/outdoor
settings?
- Lighting or backgrounds?
Does the set evoke the storytelling or does it
challenge the association of story to context?
- Are you drawn into the world of the
characters?
- Does the setting provide information
about the characters?
Has the setting been updated or relocated?
- For what purpose?
- Are the themes still relevant?
- For what audience?
- Any contemporary changes?
Does the film use a more naturalistic setting?
Are the characters more believable?
How are props enhanced in the film version?
Costumes
- Are they simple or ornate?
- Has colour been used to emphasize
something?
Key moments
Are there any key moments in the film that
greatly differ to the play script?
- Explain the moment?
- Write down your explanation for why
you believe the director has
attempted to do this?
- Do you believe the changes reflect
changing social values?
Performance
Casting
- Are the actors’ physical appearances
consistent with the stage directions
and the characters’ roles in the play?
- Does the celebrity status of the actor
detract from the realistic or
convincing quality of their
performance?
- Who is most convincing?
- Who is least convincing?
Acting techniques
- Describe the main actors’ tone of
voice and how the lines of dialogue
have been delivered.
- Have gestures been used to convey
meaning – use one example to detail
what you mean
Music
Music is a very important addition to film
How has music been used in this film version?
- Is music used to emphasize historical
time, set mood, or create suspense?
- Has modern language been used?
- Is there a connection between
characters, events and music?
- Is a theme song or sound used? How
and why?
Imagery
Is recurring visual imagery used?
- Does this convey the writer’s main
ideas?
- Does a recurring image link with a
character?
Film Language
Cinematography
Character movements and groupings
- How does the director control
character movements and groupings?
- How are they framed by the tracking
of the camera?
Close-ups and medium close ups of one
character
- How does the camera focus on a
single character?
- What speeches are made more
significant through the use of filming?
(Describe what the director has done)
Point-of-view shots and audience perspective
- How has the camera been used to
introduce or highlight point of view?
Whose? Why?
- How has editing been used to shift
audience perspective?
- Has shot/reverse shots or crosscutting
been used?
- Is the filming true to how the original
play script was written?
Play script

Context and settings

Characterisation (speech, movement, dialogue)

Main ideas and concerns

Dramatic devices

Tone and style

Structure

Point of view
Film

Context and settings (studio or on-location?)

Characterisation through filmic elements

The use of visual and aural imagery to create meaning

Point of view as created by the camera (shot distances
and angles, camera positions and movements, mise-enscene)