Introduction
William Shakespeare has written most of the problematic texts in all of literature. With the exception of certain biblical texts, no other work has produced such a continuing, lively, and contentious debate about how the readers are supposed to understand it. In fact, one could very easily construct a thorough and intriguing history of modern literary criticism based upon nothing other than various interpretative takes on Shakespeare’s works – a task which has already been carried out by at least one historian of ideas. Such critical undertaking in the literature studies commonly revolve around the use of copies of the work as well as the viewing of stage plays. Given this critical confusion, it might as well admit up front that the readers are not going to arrive at anything like a firm consensus on what the play is about and how the readers should understand it. However, wrestling with this play is a very important and stimulating exercise, because it puts a lot of pressure on the readers to reach some final interpretation (that is, it generates in them a desire to make sense of all the elements in it, to find some closure), and, even if that goal eludes them, they can learn a great deal about reading poetic drama and interpreting literature from a serious attempt to grasp this most elusive work. In this respect, this paper intends to discuss that better understanding of the works of Shakespeare can be extended using the film production techniques to reach the contemporary audiences. Production similarities as well as difference between plays and film were likewise discussed to support such claim using various works of Shakespeare that have been displayed in theater acts and film productions.
Discussions
Media in all its forms serves as the ultimate information bank where the people around the world derive knowledge and facts, learn and enhance imagination, broaden reasoning, and finally, aid their decision-making. At present, the modern media “produce and circulate meaning in the society” (Jensen 2002) within the context of nationality and cultural heritage, religion, regional identities, societal classes, ethnic and minority rituals, family values and self-actualization. Comparing the staging of the plays and films depicting the works of Shakespeare, it is apparent that in stage plays, empathic participation of the audience is more demanded compared to film audiences. But in the new-fangled inclusive environment where people get their selves engrossed in commerce, in the marketplace, and in a world of competitive and diversified commodities, art is contemporary and multifaceted (Wilson & Goldfarb 2001) which resulted to modern audiences to adhere to the convenience and accessibility of film productions as medium to better understand and critically assess the works of Shakespeare. In the case of Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Othello, presentation of the narratives were made more modern compared to the level of loyalty of theater staging to original plot and details of the entire production aspect.
In theater productions, the producer normally delivers casting choices (Cox 1996). If the playwright is a participant, he/she will usually have definite opinions as to who should or should not be cast. It should be remembered, however, that the director is the one who will be working the most closely with the actors. In additions, his/her experience may often lead to the workable choice, as there is much more involved than merely the “right” look (Cox 1996). But the most important qualification for him is that the person can justify and follow the principles of art, dance and theatre in particular (Butterworth & Clarke 1998). Even though film do not have an interactive audience in terms of acting as compared to theatre (Benedetti 2001, 10), it could be said that there are billion of people who watch films. They find their personality more aligned in the portrayal of the characters in movies. They empathize with the fate of the characters presented in the film. Viewers also delight when the character in which they can associate themselves with are in good condition after a series of hardships and troubles. They are defected when the character they adore dies or loses the fight (David 1990, 2-3). This one among the several reasons on why viewers who see the influences behind and surrounding filmmakers can more clearly and fully understand why films are presented in such ways which are relevant in the level of understanding portrayed by audiences who learn the works of Shakespeare like Othello through film viewing.
Theme is the basic idea of the film (Phillips 1999, 198). It may touch on different aspects of life. It may also be subjective or objective in nature. Various films may be expressed through motif, metaphor, and symbols (Phillips 1999, 198). With this, one can create a mental calculation on what to expect about the film. It may be supposed as a film about life, or its essence, or anything that a person can relate to. Historical, social, fantasy, comedy, etc. or simply the genres of films define the theme of the movie. Many film plots are much like each other but it changes in how the story is told and that makes the great difference (Phillips 1999, 198). There are two known ways to tell a story: chronological order and flashback. Chronological order or sometimes called chronology of events starts at a given point in time and the following straight through the end of the story. On the contrary, flashback is the return to the past from a present point in time (Phillips 1999, 201). In analysing the theme of a film, it could be affirmed that the universality or the worldwide popularity, relevance, and intellectual or philosophical aspects must be considered. Furthermore, film themes must be honest, sincere, and related to the plot (Phillips 1999, 198). In this respect, the difference between theatrical productions and film productions of Shakespearean works lies in the narrative style utilized by the directors. Film productions have more freedom in the type and style of presentation to mediate the plot of the stories. This serves as an effective technique of providing better understanding of the story to the audiences using film as literary channel.
As the film production begins, the production design comes in (Dick 1998, 24). With constant communication and instruction from the director, the production designer plans the set, costumes as well as make-ups. The production design is centred into the art aspect of the film. There are several departments that mainly work out the plans for the entire film visual appearance. The actions of the said individuals are related mainly on the genre of the film being made. Evaluating the effectiveness of production design largely depends on the contribution it made in the totality of the finished product. Meanwhile, theater has had a more or less interesting history considering that it has continuously understood to be a mysterious art form which can entertain and teach. Even those who believed that they are of the lowliest in the status quo will be able to comprehend and enjoy the presentations that are offered to them. Its evolution is likened to peeling of an onion’s layers which, in order to rightfully understand the importance of each part, must be taken away, thus, comes the analogy wherein each part of the layers, including the scenery, the background, the stage, the music, the costumes, the actors, the audience, and even the direction are stripped individually just to take into the significance of all these elements. Theater productions are obviously exaggerated in their portrayals following the original works of the playwright unlike the more technical and flexible presentation of films which closes more the gap between the literary piece and the audiences understanding.
Directors do the play from their own perspective (Berger 1994). Berger (1994) believes that may it be good, bad, indifferent, or shallow or deep, it is a singular production that evolves from the talents and personalities rehearsing it. In their own interpretation of texts, a director must determine which directions are actually the playwright’s and which are the stage manager’s notes from the initial production (Cox 1996). If someone does not have the essential facilities or equipment to do what is asked, he or she must choose how to achieve the best effect that is wanted in the some possible ways and remedies. It is important to be consistent with the overall production, and his or her decisions must be text supported, but it is probably better to change directions if they cannot be done effectively and well. They facilitate the extraction of the creative juices of actors by means of internalization, research and experimentation. This applies to all aspects of theatrical productions including the language used in the play. Consistency serves as one of the guidelines in the success of stage plays. And since theater productions of the works of Shakespeare are more traditional and loyal to every scene and act of the literary piece, old English is normally used as the language in theater productions of such works. In film productions, meanwhile, consistency likewise serves its purpose and the more contemporary approaches of the use of language in filming Shakespearean plays. As such, film versions of the literary pieces utilize the less rustic English language style to narrate the plot of the story
Conclusion
If one of the really important functions of great literature is to stimulate thought-provoking conversations which force the readers to come to grips with many things about the text and about ourselves, then the works of Shakespeare are particularly valuable. With the spread of faster and powerful information technology like the Internet, transfer of knowledge can be done in a blink of an eye. In premises of computer shops or in the house, a person can read books of great academician browse world-wide events and communicate to people, even view them, from other countries. Althusser (1972) and Butler (1997) recognize the effect of the assumptions held by authors regarding the ‘passive’ position of their readers on the content of the messages that could either contribute to or detract from the credibility of the source. Similar to the claims of rhetorical criticism, critical literacy “complements media literacy in particular as it offers a way to examine how media messages are designed for certain groups, why some media texts might be more effective than others, what issues are raised by media coverage, and whose interests are served by media content’ (Warnick, 2002). Hence, in analyzing the differing impact of film and theatrical productions of the literary masterpieces of Shakespeare in terms of staging, acting, theme/plot, production and costumes as well as language, the contemporary culture and lifestyle of today’s audiences are best served by the film medium to enhance and foster better understanding of the highly academic and popular literary works. The shared values and lifestyle dictated by the way of presenting particular ideologies to the society could lead to more workable as well as increased understanding of the literary works of Shakespeare. In this regard, it is most effectively delivered by film production characteristics and features.
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