Austen

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Austens Sense and Sensibility From Text to
Screen

• Roberta Grandi
• Università della Valle dAosta

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• Adaptations of novels
• Heart of Darkness Apocalypse now
• Harry Potter
• The Lord of the Rings
• Dracula

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• Adaptations of drama
• Shakespeare
• Oscar Wilde
• Adaptations of short stories
• King The Shawshank Redemption
• Baricco The Legend of 1900

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• Adaptations of comic books
• X men
• Spider-Man
• Adaptations of video games
• Resident Evil
• Tomb Raider

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• The Jane Austen Phenomenon
• Pride and Prejudice

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• The Jane Austen Phenomenon
• Emma

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• The Jane Austen Phenomenon
• Persuasion
• Northanger Abbey
• Mansfield Park
• AND
• Jane Austen!

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• SENSE SENSIBILITY
• Novel, Jane Austen, 1811
• Film, Ang Lee, 1996, Columbia Studios, Screenplay
  by Emma Thompson

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From text to screenplay
Text and Screenplay
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From text to screenplay
Descriptions (places and characters)
Text and Screenplay
Plot (Episodes)
Direct Speech
Indirect speech and interior monologue
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From text to screenplay
Descriptions (places and characters)
Setting and Actors
Text and Screenplay
Plot (Episodes)
Plot (Sequences)
Direct Speech
Dialogue
Indirect speech and interior monologue
Dialogue (or voice over)
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From Description to Setting

• CHAPTER VI THE first part of their
  journey was performed in too melancholy a
  disposition to be otherwise than tedious and
  unpleasant. But as they drew towards the end of
  it, their interest in the appearance of a country
  which they were to inhabit overcame their
  dejection, and a view of Barton Valley, as they
  entered it, gave them cheerfulness. It was a
  pleasant, fertile spot, well wooded, and rich in
  pasture. After winding along it for more than a
  mile, they reached their own house. A small green
  court was the whole of its demesne in front and
  a neat wicket-gate admitted them into it. As a
  house, Barton Cottage, though small, was
  comfortable and compact but as a cottage it was
  defective, for the building was regular, the roof
  was tiled, the window shutters were not painted
  green, nor were the walls covered with
  honeysuckles. A narrow passage led directly
  through the house into the garden behind. On each
  side of the entrance was a sitting room, about
  sixteen feet square and beyond them were the
  offices and the stairs. Four bed-rooms and two
  garrets formed the rest of the house. It had not
  been built many years, and was in good repair. In
  comparison of Norland, it was poor and small
  indeed!- but the tears which recollection called
  forth as they entered the house were soon dried
  away. They were cheered by the joy of the
  servants on their arrival, and each for the sake
  of the others resolved to appear happy. It was
  very early in September the season was fine and
  from first seeing the place under the advantage
  of good weather, they received an impression in
  its favor which was of material service in
  recommending it to their lasting
  approbation. The situation of the house was
  good. High hills rose immediately behind, and at
  no great distance on each side some of which
  were open downs, the others cultivated and woody.
  The village of Barton was chiefly on one of these
  hills, and formed a pleasant view from the
  cottage windows. The prospect in front was more
  extensive it commanded the whole of the valley,
  and reached into the country beyond. The hills
  which surrounded the cottage terminated the
  valley in that direction under another name,
• and in another course, it branched out
  again between two of the steepest of them. 

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From Description to Setting
14
From Description to Cast

• Characters eliminated or modified
• Eliminated Anne Steele, Sir Middletons family.
• Modified Margaret Dashwood

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From Description to Cast

• Chapter 1
• Elinor, this eldest daughter, whose advice was so
  effectual, possessed a strength of understanding,
  and coolness of judgment, which qualified her,
  though only nineteen, to be the counsellor of her
  mother, and enabled her frequently to counteract,
  to the advantage of them all, that eagerness of
  mind in Mrs. Dashwood which must generally have
  led to imprudence. She had an excellent
  heart--her disposition was affectionate, and her
  feelings were strong but she knew how to govern
  them it was a knowledge which her mother had yet
  to learn and which one of her sisters had
  resolved never to be taught.
• Marianne's abilities were, in many respects,
  quite equal to Elinor's. She was sensible and
  clever but eager in everything her sorrows, her
  joys, could have no moderation. She was generous,
  amiable, interesting she was everything but
  prudent. The resemblance between her and her
  mother was strikingly great.
• Chapter 10
• Miss Dashwood had a delicate complexion, regular
  features, and a remarkably pretty figure.
• Marianne was still handsomer. Her form, though
  not so correct as her sister's, in having the
  advantage of height, was more striking and her
  face was so lovely, that when in the common cant
  of praise, she was called a beautiful girl, truth
  was less violently outraged than usually happens.
  Her skin was very brown, but, from its
  transparency, her complexion was uncommonly
  brilliant her features were all good her smile
  was sweet and attractive and in her eyes,
  which were very dark, there was a life, a spirit,
  an eagerness, which could hardily be seen
  without delight.

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From Description to Cast

• Kate Winslet 17
• Emma Thompson 19???
• (at that time she was 36)

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From text to screenplay

• Plot and narration (diegesis)
• Episodes (? sequences) preserved, eliminated,
  modified (condensed), added, shifted

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From text to screenplay

• Norland Park (Chap. 1-5), death of the father,
  arrival of the new owners, Edwards arrival,
  family departure. The beginning of the main love
  plot Elinor and Edward.
• Barton Cottage (Chap. 6-15 ) arrival, meeting
  with Colonel Brandon, Marianne and Willoughby,
  sudden departure of Colonel Brandon after
  receiving a letter, non-proposal of Willoughby
  and his sudden departure. The setting of the
  secondary love plot Marianne and Willoughby.
• Barton Cottage (Chap 16-25 ) Edwards visit,
  after Edwards departure, arrival of Mrs
  Jennings other daughter, Charlotte, with husband
  Mr Palmer and two miss Steeles departure of the
  Palmers Lucys revelation of secret engagement
  with Edward, invitation to London. Evolution of
  main love plot.
• London (Chap. 26-41 ) Absence of Willoughby, ball
  and meeting between Marianne and Willoughby,
  Willoughbys letter, Brandons account of
  Willoughbys misdeeds with Eliza Williams,
  arrival of the miss Steeles, dinner at Mr John
  Dashwoods . Party where Lucy meets Mrs Ferrars.
  Visit of Lucy and Edward at Elinors. Another
  ball where Elinor and Lucy meet Robert Ferrars.
  Fanny invites the miss Steeles. Revelation of the
  secret engagement and Edward disinherited.
  Brandons offer of a rectory. Development of both
  main and secondary love plots.
• Cleveland (Chap. 42-45) Mariannes illness, Mr
  Willoughbys visit, return of Brandon with
  mother.
• Barton Cottage (46-end) Mariannes recovery and
  maturation, news of Mr. Ferrarss marriage with
  Lucy, arrival of Edward, revelation and proposal
  (not described). Reconciliation with Mrs Ferrars,
  Edward and Elinor get married, so do Brandon and
  Marianne with Willoughbys regrets.

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Analysis of relevant changesMariannes Illness

• (Chap. 42) Marianne's feeling, in her head and
  throat, the beginning of a heavy cold, Two
  delighted twilight walks on the third and fourth
  evenings of her being there, not merely on the
  dry gravel of the shrubbery, but all over the
  grounds, and especially in the most distant parts
  of them, where there was something more of
  wildness than in the rest, where the trees were
  the oldest, and the grass was the longest and
  wettest, had- assisted by the still greater
  imprudence of sitting in her wet shoes and
  stockings- given Marianne a cold so violent as,
  though for a day or two trifled with or denied,
  would force itself by increasing ailments on the
  concern of every body, and the notice of herself.
  Prescriptions poured in from all quarters, and as
  usual, were all declined. Though heavy and
  feverish, with a pain in her limbs, and a cough,
  and a sore throat, a good night's rest was to
  cure her entirely and it was with difficulty
  that Elinor prevailed on her, when she went to
  bed, to try one or two of the simplest of the
  remedies.
• (chap 43) MARIANNE got up the next morning at
  her usual time to every enquiry replied that she
  was better, and tried to prove herself so, by
  engaging in her accustomary employments. But a
  day spent in sitting shivering over the fire with
  a book in her hand, which she was unable to read,
  or in lying, weary and languid, on a sofa, did
  not speak much in favour of her amendment and
  when, at last, she went early to bed, more and
  more indisposed, Colonel Brandon was only
  astonished at her sister's composure, who, though
  attending and nursing her the whole day, against
  Mariannes inclination, and forcing proper
  medicines on her at night, trusted, like
  Marianne, to the certainty and efficacy of sleep,
  and felt no real alarm. A very restless and
  feverish night, however, disappointed the
  expectation of both and when Marianne, after
  persisting in rising, confessed herself unable
  to sit up, and returned voluntarily to her bed,
  Elinor was very ready to adopt Mrs. Jennings's
  advice, of sending for the Palmers'
  apothecary.

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Analysis of relevant changesMariannes Illness