Analysis of novels and their films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Analysis of novels and their films - Essay Example For example, Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, the 1984 film directed by MiloÃ… ¡ Forman and adapted from Shaffer’s stage play, differs greatly from the original version of the story and the character development in the play and the film differs to the highest degree. The story of the movie and the film based loosely on the lives of two composers who lived in Vienna, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, has significant variations between the film version and the play. Similarly, the character development in the movie and the play fluctuates hugely mainly due to the adaptation technique, and Shaffer’s further revisions of his text. In a reflective analysis of the changes that the character of Salieri undergoes on his way from stage to screen, it becomes evident that the director of such a film version of a literary piece often brings about drastic changes by reason of the adaptation techniques of the film. Thus, the screen Salieri is Shaffer’s final and most ingenious version of this dark and tragic character, the Oscar-winning F. Murray Abraham superbly casts this character. it has been maintained that the character of Salieri remains the motivating force at the core of the action in the film, although Mozart’s personality has been considerably expanded. Significantly, the changes made in the film can be comprehended as the logical continuation of the changes that Shaffer had already made between the London and New York productions of his play. â€Å"The most important of those changes was the removal of Salieri’s servant Greybig who played the part of the masked figure in place of Salieri.† (The characters in the play and the film) As Shaffer recognized that the presence of Greybig meant more disadvantages than benefits, changes were made in the film version Salieri himself replaces this character as the agent of destruction in the film. Therefore, there are several marked alterations made by the film version of the play which