AJ34160 Film Adaptations of English Speaking LIteratures

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2020
Extent and Intensity
0/0/0. 15 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 18 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 3/18, only registered: 0/18
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 7 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to analyze film adaptations of selected works of American literature. In addition to discussing the general principles of the adaptation process, we will focus on specific case studies. Analyses of selected popular novels together with their film adaptations will allow us to map the specifics of their authors' approaches to the produced texts and to understand them better. For this to be possible, a number of relevant contexts have to be taken into account, which at a given moment of time enter the adaptation process.
Individual seminars will focus on the following topics:
a) African-Americans (To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960, 1962, The Color Purple, 1982, 1985)
b) War (Johnny Got His Gun 1939, 1971, The Heart of Darkness 1902 - Apoclypse Now 1979)
c) Adaptation of Milos Forman (One Layer over the Cuckoo's Nest 1962, 1975, Ragtime 71975, 1981)
Learning outcomes
The successful student will:
- gain deeper insight into the general principles of the process of film adaptation of literary works
- be able to comprehensively map the specifics of the filmmakers' approaches to the adapted texts
- be acquainted with a number of relevant contexts that entered the adaptation process at a given historical moment, and to a large extent impacted the final shape of literary and film works
- get acquainted with six important novels and six acclaimed films of American origin
Syllabus
  • Individual seminars will focus on the following topics:
  • 1) African-Americans (To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960, 1962, The Color Purple, 1982, 1985)
  • 2) War (Johnny Got His Gun 1939, 1971, Heart of Darkness 1902 - Apoclypse Now 1979)
  • 3) Adaptation of Milos Forman (One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest 1962, 1975, Ragtime 71975, 1981)
Literature
    required literature
  • Ragtime. Edited by Miloš Forman. Praha: Hollywood C.E., 2008, 1 DVD-vide. info
  • To kill a mockingbird. Edited by Gregory Peck - Mary Badham - Phillip Alford - Robert Mulligan. [London]: Universal studios, 2008, 1 DVD-vide. info
  • The color purple. Edited by Adolph Caesar - Steven Spielberg - Danny Glover - Margaret Avery. Burbank: Warner Home Video, 2003, 2 DVD-vide. info
  • One flew over the cuckoo's nest. Edited by Miloš Forman - Lawrence Hauben - Bo Goldman - Jack Nicholson - Louise. [Česká republika]: Warner Home Video, 2002, 2 DVD-vide. info
  • DOCTOROW, E. L. Ragtime. Vyd. 2., nezměn. Praha: Odeon, 1985, 251 s. info
  • WALKER, Alice. The color purple. New York: Pocket Books, 1985, 295 s. ISBN 0-671-72779-6. info
  • TRUMBO, Dalton. Johnny si vzal pušku. Praha: Československý spisovatel, 1979. info
  • LEE, Harper. To kill a mockingbird. London: Pan Books, 1974, 284 s. ISBN 0-330-24118-4. info
  • KESEY, Ken. One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest. 13. vyd. New York: Signet, 1962, 272 s. info
    not specified
  • Film adaptation and its discontentsfrom Gone with the Wind to The Passion of the Christ. Edited by Thomas M. Leitch. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007, xi, 354 p. ISBN 0801885655. info
  • HUTCHEON, Linda. A theory of adaptation. New York: Routledge, 2006, xviii, 232. ISBN 0415967953. info
  • Literature and film : a guide to the theory and practice of film adaptation. Edited by Robert Stam - Alessandra Raengo. First published. Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2005, xiv, 359. ISBN 0631230556. info
  • STAM, Robert. Literature through film : realism, magic, and the art of adaptation. 1st pub. Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2005, xvii, 388. ISBN 140510287X. info
Teaching methods
Independent reading and viewing, discussions in three block seminars
Assessment methods
Continuous preparation and active participation in block seminars
An essay (2100 words) on an adaptation topic
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: in blocks.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: Bloková výuka.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2022, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2020, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2020/AJ34160