Bookworms and cinema buffs alike might cringe upon hearing about yet another book-to-film adaptation, fearing the lack of attention to plot authenticity and possible lack of on-screen substance. Fortunately, this term's Dartmouth Film Society series will bring a variety of classic and recent films that offer both substance and authenticity in their spring series "Writ Large: From Page to Screen." The series will run from March 28 to May 30 in Spaulding Auditorium in the Hopkins Center.
From this Friday's intense, action-packed "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (2011) to the more lighthearted "Young Frankenstein" (1974; playing May 20), this series will appeal to even the most cynical of book lovers. The DFS spring series will feature adaptations from many time periods and genres, such as Wes Anderson's delightful stop-motion masterpiece "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (2009; April 8), adapted from a beloved Roald Dahl book, to the highly controversial "We Need to Talk About Kevin" (2011; April 29).
The series, proposed two terms in advance to allow time for launching and organizing, edged out five other proposals that were voted on by the Film Society, according to Hopkins Center Film Manager Sydney Stowe. "Writ Large" aims to provide audiences with the opportunity to view different types of adaptations they may not have previously seen, as well as to screen films that invigorate and reinvent their source material, she said.
Stowe noted that film adaptations of books also create the opportunity to attract new audiences to books. While it might seem obvious to have included the recent Harry Potter films as a contemporary adaptation in this series, the DFS mandates that films cannot be shown that have been screened in the last four years at Dartmouth, which in theory keeps students from ever having to see a film twice during their time at Dartmouth, according to Stowe. Parts one and two of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (2010, 2011) were screened back-to-back in the DFS fall series "Now Hear This! Sound in Cinema," as each series tries to include new releases.
For each DFS series, the films included must cover a spectrum of different genres, from silent films to foreign language films, according to Stowe. The recent Japanese film "Norwegian Wood" (2012; April 11) meets this genre-crossing goal and promises to be highly entertaining, as it is an adaptation of Haruki Murakami's well-received novel.
"It's also about young love, which we think sells well on this campus," Stowe said.
Among the series' more eclectic films is the new Gothic horror film "The Woman in Black" (2012; April 18), which features a wandless Daniel Radcliffe in an adaptation of a book and play that ran on London's West End for 23 years, according to Stowe.
This flair for the offbeat continues on May 2 with director David Cronenberg's "Naked Lunch" (1991), which draws from William S. Burroughs' iconic non-linear novel of the same name. The film brings a series of oddities to the big screen, including a typewriter's transformation into a cockroach, according to the Hopkins Center website.
Also in the series will be a restoration print of the French film "The Wages of Fear" (1953; April 22), which chronicles men moving dynamite over a mountain road, inevitably featuring explosions that take advantage of the huge projection screen in Spaulding.
"When seeing [these films] on a big screen, there's really no comparison," Stowe said.
The April 29 screening of "We Need to Talk About Kevin" (2011) tells the haunting story of a mother's reaction to her son's sociopathic tendencies and the school massacre he commits. While certainly disturbing, the film's aesthetic qualities make it a worthwhile view.
"I saw it in the Telluride Series, and it's one of the most harrowing films I've seen, but it's unbelievably good," Stowe said. "Most theaters wouldn't even play it, but it's a remarkable film."
For fans of "The Hunger Games," the 2012 dystopian film adaptation comes to campus on May 6. The film features the Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Lawrence of "Winter's Bone" (2010) as the fearless female protagonist Katniss Everdeen. The film broke box office records before it was even released last week, selling more pre-sale tickets than any other non-sequel film, and the film had the fifth most successful opening day ever with a gross of $68.25 million.
Stowe noted that with the exception of blockbusters like "The Hunger Games" and the "Mission: Impossible" (1996-2011) series, both national and campus trends suggest people have lost interest in going to the movies.
"We're just not going to the movies in the same way anymore the younger generation is changing the way in which we watch movies," Stowe said. "I don't think it's the same social engagement to go to a movie."
The excellent programming in this term's DFS series may alleviate the tension that avid fans of books feel toward their cinematic counterparts.
"We have a love-hate affair with Hollywood because everyone likes to believe that no one can do better than a book, but some [films] do a really good job," Stowe said. "Sometimes they make a book possible that never would have been."
While film adaptations certainly alter readers' personal interpretations of plot and character, this term's series provides a rich variety of films that successfully transform the directors' visions for the texts into engaging cinema.
