Essay #2- Film Adaptation_
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Olivet Universiy *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
2
Subject
English
Date
Nov 24, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
6
Uploaded by MagistrateReindeerPerson1493
[surname] 1
Student Name Discipline: English
Instructor
Date Submitted Film Adaptation: Breakfast at Tiffany's
Breakfast at Tiffany's
is one of the most iconic classic films Blake Edwards produced (
Pankova, 105). The film was adapted from Truman Capote's novella by the same name. Indisputably, Truman's novella, Breakfast at Tiffany's,
and the film are charming art pieces that tell the story of a young fey café society girl named Holly Golightly. They explore her glamorous
lifestyle and relationships with wealthy men as she searches for love and identity. In both the novella and the film, the narrator of the story is increasingly drawn to Holly's unconventional ways. One of the key things that stand out is that Holy Golightly is, at her core, exceptionally lonely, sad, and empty. The author, Truman Capote, masterfully created her character, giving the writer a great experience with writing (
Kräme, 59). However, it is imperative to note that there are often notable differences when an idea is transferred from paper to film. In most cases, the overall meaning of the story may be impacted, or the original idea lost. The adaptation of Truman's novella, Breakfast at Tiffany's, resulted in slight alterations to the plot, characters, and themes, which clearly altered the originally presented idea. The changes to the plot of the story are one of the most notable differences between the film and the novella, and although this change was subtle, it had a significant impact on the overall point of view. For instance, the novella primarily focuses on Holly. This is justifiable because the unnamed narrator in Capote's novella is recanting the memory of Holly Golightly (a
[surname] 2
young fey café society girl and the story's main character) to a bartender named Joe Bell. More specifically, the narrator expresses their perception of Holly and the things she did when they knew her. In sharp contrast, the movie focuses on the romantic relationship between Holy and a character named Paul (who Holy calls Fred because, apparently, he reminds her of her "brother").
It is also imperative to note that Paul, as portrayed by the film, is the "narrator." A feasible and justifiable reason for the film's focus on the romantic relationship between Holly and Paul is to appeal to a wider audience, create a more conventional Hollywood romance, and ensure the viewer is fulfilled at the film's end. By adding the element of romance to the film, the original idea of the story was significantly altered, particularly its unique charm and character. Some audiences may feel that adding romance as a subplot alters creates a distance between them and Holly's character, thus impacting her character's perception. For instance, the characterization of Holly in the novella is quite complex, and it is easier to connect with her clearly pronounced emotions and motivations. For example, when Holly mentions that it is "useful being the top banana in the shock department" (Capote 24), the reader can understand her desire to find a wealthy man to settle down with. This portrays her motivations and underscores her use of charm
and beauty to survive in the harsh environment. Holly is a romantic character in the film, and although some audiences may find this appealing, the level of emotional depth involved makes it
difficult to understand her motivations. Another notable difference between the novella and the film is how the characters are treated, portrayed, and developed. In the novella, Holly's character portrayal, especially how she relates with the narrator, is more platonic, which makes it difficult to tell if they have a romantic relationship. For instance, in the novella, Holly Golightly mentions that she cannot get excited by
a man until he is at least forty-two (Capote 23). However, in the film, Holly's relationship with
[surname] 3
Paul Varjack reeks of romanticism (Edwards et al. 24:30), making it obvious that they will end up together. Another point of contrast in how the characters are presented in both settings is that while Paul is more of a passive character in the novella, he is a more dynamic character in the film. As such, Holly's happiness is dependent on Paul in the film. These changes in character portrayal have a significant impact on the overall mood of the original story. Usually, when people act in a certain role, they embody the character, giving the audience a perspective of that character's personality. The actions and personalities of these characters determine their motivations and motives, which essentially alters the overall mood. For instance, the juxtaposition of Holy in the novella and the film adaptation is significant; but the novella portrays her as a more nuanced and complex character, the whole film simplifies her story. In terms of character development, the film director may have taken artistic license to make each character appealing. For instance, Holly's character is modeled to make her more likable in the film. On the downside, this makes it significantly difficult for the audience to understand some of
the flaws portrayed in Capote's original story. Furthermore, it is imperative to note that the film director played up some characters more than the original story and left out some minor characters of the original story. A case example is Mag Wildwood's character which was apparently more developed in the film. For this reason, people who have initially read Capote's original novella before watching the adapted film may have difficulty relating to some of these characters or even developing an emotional connection with them. The adaptation of Capote's novella into a film also caused significant differences in themes. These differences also link back to the presentation and portrayal of characters in both artworks. For example, in the novella, Holly Golightly is a troubled character with a dark past. She is driven by the desire to live a good life and is constantly escaping her past life. The
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
[surname] 4
audience may find her to be a self-vested, reckless, and manipulative individual. Based on this portrayal, themes such as restlessness, social class and identity, fear, ambitions, and social mobility can be deduced. However, in the film, Holly is a lighthearted, glamorous character who is noticeably in love with Paul. This introduces the theme of love and romance – which is the most dominant theme. Another notable difference in themes in both the novella and the film is the portrayal and treatment of homosexuality. For example, in the original story, Mr. Bell, Holly's
immediate neighbor, and friend, is a homosexual man – which is portrayed in a sympathetic light. However, the film portrays Mr. Bell's character as a straight man, and his name is changed to Paul (Holly's love interest). A justified explanation of the removal of them of homosexuality and the change in Mr. Bell's character is an ideal representation or reflection of the more conservative social attitudes of the ions when the film was filmed. Today, the audiences who read
the film and watch the adapted film may not quite appreciate these changes as well as Holly's experiences throughout her life of nomadic transience, the life-changing opportunities she overlooked or missed by cutting off certain connections or relationships too early, and the spectrum of her past dark life. Differences in themes also impacted the ending, both in the film and the novella. For instance, the novella's ending was sad, especially considering the writer never sees Holly again. However, in the film, the ending is joyful – with Holly concluding that she does love Paul. This is presented via Paul's dialogue and Holly's subsequent silent actions (
Aberra 61). In conclusion, the adaptation of the novella, Breakfast at Tiffany's
into a film resulted in changes in plot, characterization, and themes which clearly transformed the originally presented idea. While Capote did not necessarily philosophize anything other than Holly's persona, the transcription of these philosophical/idealistic musings in the film was done in such a way that
[surname] 5
there is a possibility that view expectations will obviously differ, especially for audiences who have already read the novella. For instance, Holly's character is romantic, as portrayed in the film. While some audiences may find this appealing, the level of emotional depth involved makes it difficult to understand her motivations in the same way the original story projected them. Furthermore, people who have initially read Capote's original novella before watching the adapted film may have a hard time relating to some of these characters or even developing an emotional connection with them. Finally, some audiences may not quite appreciate these changes, as well as Holly's experiences throughout her life of nomadic transience, the life-
changing opportunities she overlooked or missed by cutting off certain connections or relationships too early, and the spectrum of her past dark life. Nonetheless, both the film and the novella are extraordinary creations, and based on their execution, they deserve to be viewed and read by everybody.
[surname] 6
Works Cited
Aberra, Lulee. "The Politics of Representation in Breakfast at Tiffany's" 2015. https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/154533/thepolit.pdf?sequence=1
Capote, Truman.
Breakfast at Tiffany's
. Vintage International, 1958.
Edwards, Blake, Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, and Truman Capote. Breakfast at Tiffany's
. Jurrow-Shepherd, 1961.
Krämer, Peter. "The Many Faces of Holly Golightly: Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Hollywood."
Film Studies
5.1 (2004): 58-65.
Pankova, Ioana. "Breakfast at Tiffany's. From Page to Screen. The Making of a Classic. Transformation of Gender Relations."
Colloquia Comparativa Litterarum
. Vol. 8. No. 1. Софийски университет» Св. Климент Охридски . 2022.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help