Cinema and literature
Cinema and literature is an interdisciplinary subject that, in the comparative theoretical context, and as its name indicates, studies the relationships between both arts, that is, the influence of literature -in its various genres, novels, stories, theater, poetry and essay- in the History of Cinema as the very imprint of cinematography in modern literature of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The central axis on which the subject pivots consists of learning to analyze both languages from the analysis of a literary work -a book translated into Spanish- and its cinematographic adaptation or adaptations. From an extensive and varied list of books and films (over 150 titles of absolute cultural reference) each student must choose a title and analyze the film and the literary work on which it is based or inspired. Titles cannot be repeated by students, so each student must analyze a different work.
At the end of the course, the student must submit to the professor a written paper, in Word format, with single spacing in Times New Roman 12 format, of no less than eleven pages. The best papers, selected by the professor, could be presented in class. In addition to its eminently practical nature, in which students work on books and films that already belong to the Western cultural canon, the course incorporates a fundamental film-literary theoretical component, while at the same time placing the main lines of research on the relationship between literary text and filmic text.
Learning Objectives
- Understanding cinematographic and literary languages, with their similarities and differences, especially in the field of fictional narrative.
- Enhancing the perception and analysis of modern societies through their cinematographic and literary narratives.
- Developing a critical spirit and a greater cultural and artistic sensitivity.
- Improving written skills, dialectics and public speaking.
Contents of the Subject
Cinema and literature
- 1. Introduction and organization of the subject.
- 2. Decalogue on literature and cinema: topics, common places and misconceptions that must be discarded.
- 3. Introduction to the History of Cinema (1888-2020). Historical-political, cultural and social context in which literary and film works are developed.
- 4. Influence of literature in cinema: coincidences and divergences.
- 5. The writers most adapted to cinema.
- 6. Analysis of adaptation. SÁNCHEZ NORIEGA (2000, 138-140) will be used as a basis: “6. Theoretical scheme for the analysis of adaptations”.
- 7. Literary adaptations I: from the novel to cinema.
- 8. Literary adaptations II: from the play to cinema.
- 9. Literary adaptations III: from the story, nouvelle or story to cinema.
- 10. Literary adaptations IV: other genres adapted to cinema, poetry, essays, biographies.
- 11. Free adaptation or inspiration, and writers who have directed movies.
- 12. a) One hundred filmmakers with the best adaptations of the Western literary canon. b) Review of papers.
- 13. Influence of cinema and television in literature of the 20th and 21st centuries. Film scripts adapted to motion pictures.
- 14. Workshop and final review of "Analysis of adaptation" (submission of individual work).
- 15. Conclusions and brief presentations in class of the best papers.
Professor
Professor of Cinema and literature