Adapting Poe :: essays research papers fc

Differences in Film and Literature Today there are many differences between stories and film adaptations. When people read a book like Lord of The Rings they use one of the mind’s greatest things, the imagination. When people read the story they imagine how the characters look, the way they act, where the story takes place, and other of the setting. Then when a movie such as â€Å"Lord of the Rings† comes out, they see the movie and see how the director has interpreted the story, many people are either impressed because it is how they imagined it or they don’t like it because it is so different from the story and what they thought it would be. In most cases of a book or story gone Hollywood, the fans of the book generally don’t like it because it doesn’t fit the liking of the reader/viewer. Some reasons for a director to adapt the movie from its original literary counterpart may be that the description in a section of the book may be to elaborate or not elaborate enough and to expensive for a director and his/her company to create. The director will take something that he does not like or can not do and adapt it so that it fits his/her liking or the movie in general. The director may also add things that were not in the movie for other reasons like character development or a stronger plot line. One example of this is in Edgar Allen Poe’s short story Hop-Frog, also known as The Eight Chained Orangutans. This short story was adapted and turned into a one hour long TV movie called â€Å"Fool’s Fire† that aired on PBS in 1992. The was written and directed by Julie Taymor, based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe(New York Times). Page 2 In "Fool's Fire," the story revolves around Hop-Frog a jester. He is the one who must be the kings pet and must follow every command of the over weight king and his seven councilors, each who are very rude and mean to Hop-Frog. When a tiny dancer named Trippetta enters the picture, Hop-Frog has a secret crush on her and be-friends her. Then when the king throws a cup of wine in her face it pushes Hop-Frog to the edge. He plans his revenge in an elaborate plot that is thought up for one of the kings pranks.