MJ LANGUAGE ARTS III : LIFE CHANGING INNOVATION : 01.05 EVALUATE MEDIUMS Knowledge Is Power Here you go! You will watch a portion of a movie version of the narrative fiction piece "A Retrieved Reformation." You will then evaluate which one is better at telling the story. Assignment At the end of this lesson, you will evaluate two mediums—a text and a movie. Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to identify how different media represent stories in diverse ways. Different Mediums Have you ever had your favorite book made into a movie? Which medium was better—the book or the movie? Why should one be better than the other? Shouldn’t they be exactly the same? Actually, they won’t be the same! This is because everyone has a different interpretation of the same story. When you read the text of narrative fiction, you use your imagination to interpret the story in your own way. When you watch a performance of narrative fiction, it is an adaptation of the text. You may see that the actors have interpreted it differently than you have pictured it. This is known as dramatic license. Medium: form of communication Interpretation: understanding Adaptation: presentation of material in a new form What Is Dramatic License? Dramatic license is the artistic interpretation of a performance. This is not a real license that you can get from a government office. Instead, it is more like an agreement between the audience and the actors. Creative people, like actors and directors, bring their own talents to the work they do. Every person is different, so every person’s creative interpretation of a text will be a little different. Actors and directors can present a story differently from the way the author presented the ideas. How Can Actors and Directors Present a Story? Actors will portray (Portray: act out) characters using their creative vision. One actor may interpret Jimmy Valentine as a very unprincipled person. Another actor may interpret him as a very self-assured person. This is artistic expression, and it is what actors do best. We give actors dramatic license to bring their interpretations to the play or film Directors (Directors: the people who make the artistic and technical decisions in movies or plays) take dramatic license to interpret the story in their own creative way. ● ● ● ● They might change the title of the story. They may add, remove, or change lines in the script to make the story more effective. They may interpret the characters and setting of the story differently than the author imagined. They may also use lighting and music to enhance the story. The Script Watching a movie is not the same as reading a short story. In a movie, actors use a script to learn the lines they will say, and the characters’ names appear before every line they speak. There also isn’t much description of anything else that is happening, the way you would see in a story. It is up to the actors and director to interpret the script for an audience to see. Everyone will interpret the story and characters a little differently. Interpret: understand and bring to life The Characters Which of the following descriptions of the three main characters most closely matches the way you have envisioned them? The Characters There are three characters: Jimmy Valentine, Ben Price, and Annabel Adams. Various interpretations of these characters are given by three teenagers. Jimmy Valentine: Teen 1: I think Jimmy is a sneaky, lying criminal. He can't be trusted, even if he did help Annabel's niece get out of the safe. A slick, gangster-looking Jimmy Valentine is revealed on the stage. Teen 2: I think Jimmy is a good person who made some bad choices. He has turned his life around and become a respected member of the community. A clean-cut Jimmy is revealed on the stage. Teen 2: Jimmy Valentine may have reformed his ways, but he still stands out in Elmore. A "cool" Jimmy is revealed on the stage. Ben Price: Teen 1: I think Ben Price is a determined detective who follows the clues and makes sound decisions based on what he observes. He is okay with bending the rules if there is good reason. A casually dressed "undercover" Ben Price is revealed on the stage. Teen 2: I think Ben Price is a very by-the-book kind of detective. He may change his mind and decide to come back and arrest Jimmy after all. A stern-looking Ben Price in a formal police/detective uniform is revealed on the stage. Teen 3: I think Ben Price is only looking out for himself. He lets Jimmy go because he knows Jimmy will owe him a favor. If Ben ever needs a little extra cash, Jimmy will have no choice but to help him get it by breaking into another bank. A disreputable-looking Ben Price, dressed in a suit is revealed on the stage. Annabel Adams: Teen 1: I think Annabel is a sweet young woman. She loves Jimmy unconditionally and thinks only the best of him. A sweet looking Annabel in a frilly dress, perhaps holding a parasol is revealed on the stage. Teen 2: I think Annabel is suspicious of Jimmy. After all, who has an entire suitcase full of shoe-horns, even if he is a shoe salesman? And where did he learn to crack a safe? A suspicious Annabel, dressed in smart, almost bookish attire is revealed on the stage. Teen 3: I think Annabel is a strong young lady who is proud of Jimmy. She recognizes he may have a past, but she gives him credit for the man that he has become. A sophisticated Annabel is revealed on the stage. Setting Sometimes the setting of a scene can influence your interpretation of the story. Directors sometimes change the setting of the original story to make the plot more interesting to the audience. We know that this story is set in the early 1900s. Directors can use dramatic license to use settings different from the one in the story. The scene you will watch from "A Retrieved Reformation" occurs at the end of the story, when everyone is at the Elmore Bank. What do you imagine the bank will look like? How might changing the time period affect your interpretation of this scene? Do any of these images represent your vision? Which setting do you prefer? Why? Influence: have an effect on Music and Lighting When you watch a movie, you might not notice the music and lighting right away, but they are important elements of the production. Lighting impacts our interpretation of a scene. Lighting often directs our focus, telling us who we should be looking at and listening to. It can also give us clues about when the scene takes place; lower lighting generally suggests that it is night, while brighter lighting indicates day. Like lighting, music also helps us to interpret a scene. Music sets the mood of a scene, and often relates to what the actors are doing or saying. For example, a chase scene might include music that is very fast to parallel the movements of the character as he runs down the street. In a scary movie, the music might be slow and a little off-key to suggest something frightening is about to happen. Music Three different kinds of music are provided in the film version of the short story: Bluegrass Ragtime Horror How does your choice affect the interpretation of the story? Mood: match Parallel: feeling Music Three different kinds of music are provided in the film version of the short story: Bluegrass Ragtime Horror How does your choice affect the interpretation of the story? Performance Now, watch this film clip of the movie Jimmy Valentine. What do you think of this interpretation? Notice the choices the directors and actors made in the setting, the characters, the music, and the lighting. Select Play to watch the film clip. From the film clip of the movie, Jimmy Valentine (Agatha and her sister are arguing). Victor Adams: Well who are these two pretty ladies you got with you? Oh, Curly Top and Carrot Top. Two of the prettiest granddaughters I ever did see. Girls’ Mother: Can you keep an eye on these two? Victor Adams: Oh I think I can handle ‘em, yes. Annabel Adams: Daddy, you need anything from Columbus? Ralph’s goin’ there on business. Victor Adams: Here you two. Off you go you two rascals. Don’t go tippin’ over any inkwells. You plannin’ a new line, eh Ralph? Jimmy Valentine: In a way, sir, yes I am. May: You first. Agatha: What’s inside? May: Monsters! Agatha: Are not! May: Are to. Grandpa keeps them inside. The monsters’ll get you! Girls’ Mother: Agatha! Can you hear me? Agatha: Let me out! Let me out! Girls’ Mother: She’s inside! Get her out! Victor Adams: It’s all right. Agatha: Mommy! Mommy! Victor Adams: it can’t be locked. Oh no. The time-lock is set. Jimmy Valentine: For how long? Victor Adams: Agatha. Agatha!! Jimmy Valentine: For how long? Victor Adams: ‘Til tomorrow morning. Agatha: Let me out, Mommy. Please! Girls’ Mother: Agatha, can you hear me? Agatha!! Unseen Man: (To Jimmy Valentine) What in the name of God are we gonna do, Spencer? There’s very little air in there. Victor Adams: There’s not a man nearer than Little Rock that can open that door. Annabel Adams: Ralph, isn’t there anything we can do? Panicked woman in crowd: Oh dear, you must do something! Annabel Adams: Ralph? Jimmy Valentine: (To Annabel) Gimme that rose you’re wearing. Will you? (To crowd) I want everybody to stand back Annabel Adams: Ralph? Girls’ Mother: (To May) don’t worry.. it’ll be all right. Agatha: Mommy! Annabel Adams: Ralph? (Cut to prison) Bill Porter: He had him. He had Jimmy. The evidence was all laid out neat on the table. All he had to do… ten minutes Dick, that was all it took. She woulda died. He knew that. He had to do it. You woulda done the same thing ‘cause you two were… you were a lot alike. Prison Doctor: Porter? Bill Porter: I’m over here. Prison Doctor: You’re only the pharmacist. You should have called me. People die in here every day. It’s nothin’ new. Don’t get smart with me. I’m responsible for reporting all prison deaths. He died of Bright’s Disease. That’s clear enough. Bill Porter: He died when he was nine years old. Prison Doctor: Perhaps it’s for the better. At least he died thinking he was gonna get that pardon. Bill Porter: They never were gonna give him a pardon, were they? Prison: Doctor: He was a three-time loser, Bill. The governor’d rather pardon a murderer than give Dick Bates another chance on the outside. Dispose of the body, will you? Bill Porter: Wouldn’t you know that’d be the way life handled old Jimmy Valentine? Brought him right out to the end of the rainbow and then it gave him rain. Right at last. It gave him rain. So, there they were. There they were. The two of them, face to face. (Cut to bank). Jimmy Valentine: Hello Ben. Got around to it at last, have you? Ben Price: I guess you must be mistaken, Mister… Spencer? I don’t believe we’ve ever met. Victor Adams: That… that man. Ben Price: Just saved your bank I’d venture to say, wouldn’t you, Mr. Adams? Victor Adams: Yes. Annabel Adams: Ralph? Ralph? Is that any way to treat your wife? Jimmy Valentine: (To the horse) Let’s go fella. (Cut to Porter in prison.) Narrator: In 1902, William Sidney Porter was released from the Ohio Penitentiary. For the rest of his life, he wrote stories about people who touched him deeply. And he continued to sign those stories, O. Henry. Comparing and Contrasting Mediums One important skill that can help you in school and in life is being able to compare and contrast. This means that you are able to analyze the details of two different things to find out how they are similar and different. We compare and contrast in many situations in our everyday lives: Compare and Contrast There is an image of two teenage boys standing and chatting. Teenage boy 1: Where should I go to college? This one is close to home, but that one offers courses I want to take. I need to compare and contrast the schools so I know where I should apply. Teenage boy 2: Which console should I buy? This one has better graphics and games, but that one costs less. I need to compare and contrast the systems so I know which one to get. In the previous two lessons, you read "A Retrieved Reformation" and interpreted the characters in your imagination. Then you watched a film version of an important scene from the story. This film version probably had some similarities and differences from your own interpretation. To organize a comparison and contrast analysis , you must follow two important steps. Analysis: paragraph or essay in which you break down the important elements of the story Step One First you must analyze the question that you have been asked. In this case, the question is: Which was more effective at telling the story of "A Retrieved Reformation" – O. Henry's short story or the film version of it? Let's take a close look at this question. Move your mouse over the highlighted parts of the sentence to learn more. Which was more effective at telling the story of "A Retrieved Reformation" the text of O. Henry’s short story or the film version of it? *Avoid pointing out that you only saw a portion of the film but read the entire story. Think only about the effectiveness of the way the story was presented as both a text and film, not how much of it was presented. Which was more effective at = This means you are going to compare and contrast the differences and similarities between two things to determine which was better. telling the story of "A Retrieved Reformation" = This means you are going to look at the two different versions of "A Retrieved Reformation". the text of O. Henry’s short story = This means one of the versions you will analyze is the text of the story. or the film version of it? = This means you are going to compare and contrast the film version of the short story with the text to determine which was better. *Avoid pointing out that you only saw a portion of the film but read the entire story. Think only about the effectiveness of the way the story was presented as both a text and film, not how much of it was presented. Step Two Next, gather your information and organize it. There are five things you should ask yourself as you compare and contrast these versions: ● ● ● ● Characters: How did the actors interpret the characters? Did you agree with their interpretations? Setting: How did the director interpret the setting? Was it the way you pictured it? Which did you prefer? Music and Lighting: What type of music or lighting did the director use? Did this tell the story in a more effective way? Emotional Connection: In which version did you feel the most emotion? Why did this happen? Once you have answered these questions, you can begin putting your compare/contrast notes into a graphic organizer. This will help you keep track of your ideas. (This is for your use. It will not be submitted. Please complete it before you begin the quiz for this lesson. You will use the notes on the organizer to complete your quiz successfully.) Writing a Paragraph We heard that you will be writing a compare/contrast paragraph in the quiz for this lesson. Here’s the Inside Scoop on how to write a terrific paragraph detailing which you think is more effective at telling a story—reading the text or watching the movie. Sentence 1: Your opinion: state which one you think is more effective at telling a story—reading the text or watching the movie. Always mention the story title and the author. Sentences 2-6: Support your opinion by giving details about the: a) characters, b) setting, c) music, d) lighting. Conclusion Sentence: Rephrase your opinion by explaining which version most affected your emotions. Recap Well done! You have analyzed the interpretations of the story "A Retrieved Reformation" in two different mediums.
