Film adaptations of theatre plays are about as old as Hollywood cinema. With literally hundreds of stage-to-screen films made over the years, these movies present their own challenges. Examples of these challenges include limited settings and long-winded dialogue. But when done well, can be a masterful blend of two primary art forms. Some of Hollywood’s favorite films are based upon plays, like Casablanca and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (which was a novel turned play turned film). The average moviegoer might think these types of adaptations are thinning out. With today’s films featuring less and less original screenplays, whether they be remakes or comic book adaptations, theatre adaptations are still alive and well. This year’s Academy Awards was a fine example of such.
Both Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and One Night in Miami are play adaptations that were nominated for multiple Oscars this past April. Film’s today have been more geared toward stories that are meant to inspire civil change. And this is something I love to see. But I find it more fascinating that this shift in cinema has not excluded films made from theatrical adaptations. Very high-praised films like Fences can be seen as examples of this. Another thing that has stood out to me is the how these adaptations are received compared to their stage origins. Looking at how past play to film adaptation have done awards-wise, a trend emerges. It is more likely for film adaptations to fall short of the awards haul their source material enjoyed at the Tony’s. Some key examples do overperform, but it is not the norm. Some films that did better at the Oscar’s than the Tony’s include Chicago, A Few Good Men, A Streetcar Named Desire, and West Side Story. I myself find it quite fascinating to see the awards and accolades these adaptations are bestowed compared to their stage counterparts.
And I’m starting to see why this is. The whole reason I’m writing on this subject is for one of the films I just mentioned... West Side Story. I have never been one to binge watch musicals or even go out of my way to see one in general. But West Side Story is a film that I recommend anyone and everyone who has ever enjoyed a movie to go see. Being a story adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, it is one of the most colorful, creative and mesmerizing things I have ever seen on screen. While I have never seen a stage performance of West Side Story, I almost feel that I don’t need to. Other films like Fences and Chicago have masterfully turned theatre pieces into true cinema. But for West Side Story, I feel as if I am watching an actual play unfold on screen. Much of this is attributed to the creative masterwork that won the film ten Oscars. The costumes, the sets, the directing, the editing, the music... all of it has the raw feel of a theatrical performance. It was as if a play was performed and a camera recorded the whole thing seamlessly. West Side Story is one of my favorite films ever and one that stands out among the rest, still as captivating today as it’s 1961 release.
But does is there any films that were adapted to plays? And how did they fare? One of the most beloved films of all time is Disney’s The Lion King, one of the greatest stories of all time. The film itself debuted in 1994 and went to Broadway in 1997, being a rare case of a reverse stage-to-screen adaptation. And the Broadway show did it better. Seeing the show for the first time as a five-year-old child... I fell asleep in the first act. But seeing it years again later when I was in middle school, I was entranced with the production. Not being very experienced in the world of artistical theatre, I always thought stage plays were bright costumes, musical numbers and over dramatic acting. But The Lion King show was so much more. The number one stand out to anyone who has ever seen the show is the costumes. And when I say costumes, I mean actual costumes. Actors on stilts made to look like giraffes, multiple people working a ten-foot-tall mechanical elephant, dancers prancing around the stage like the gazelles they are portraying. It is unlike anything I have ever seen. And an amazingly creative set with amazing performances from the whole cast creates not just the memory of a fantastic show but an unforgettable sensation as well. Being part of the Disney generation, I grew up with a worn-out VHS copy of The Lion King. All my childhood nostalgia about the movie will never be adequate to how impressed I was with the live show. And I am not alone with my praise. There is no surprise as to why the Broadway show won 5 Tony’s, especially for set and costume design.
Through my research for this post, I now have a much better idea of how to look at and make adaptations. Much of the research I found echoed ideas that I already had about faithful adaptations, but prior to this research, I was typically untrusting of loose adaptations. Being forced into a position where both the movie adaptation of the book, and the play adaptation of the movie had to be loose, however, gave me a much better idea of the kind of flexibility that loose adaptations can have, and how they can relate to their original source material and still be their own story. While theorizing how to create a movie and a play, trying to use the same story for each, I got a pretty good idea of the kinds of similarities and differences there are between the two mediums. For all of their differences, their goals, and many of their methods, are the same. While not every story can be told in both mediums, for those that can, it seems to largely just be personal preference which one an individual would prefer to make or see it in.
Both Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and One Night in Miami are play adaptations that were nominated for multiple Oscars this past April. Film’s today have been more geared toward stories that are meant to inspire civil change. And this is something I love to see. But I find it more fascinating that this shift in cinema has not excluded films made from theatrical adaptations. Very high-praised films like Fences can be seen as examples of this. Another thing that has stood out to me is the how these adaptations are received compared to their stage origins. Looking at how past play to film adaptation have done awards-wise, a trend emerges. It is more likely for film adaptations to fall short of the awards haul their source material enjoyed at the Tony’s. Some key examples do overperform, but it is not the norm. Some films that did better at the Oscar’s than the Tony’s include Chicago, A Few Good Men, A Streetcar Named Desire, and West Side Story. I myself find it quite fascinating to see the awards and accolades these adaptations are bestowed compared to their stage counterparts.
And I’m starting to see why this is. The whole reason I’m writing on this subject is for one of the films I just mentioned... West Side Story. I have never been one to binge watch musicals or even go out of my way to see one in general. But West Side Story is a film that I recommend anyone and everyone who has ever enjoyed a movie to go see. Being a story adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, it is one of the most colorful, creative and mesmerizing things I have ever seen on screen. While I have never seen a stage performance of West Side Story, I almost feel that I don’t need to. Other films like Fences and Chicago have masterfully turned theatre pieces into true cinema. But for West Side Story, I feel as if I am watching an actual play unfold on screen. Much of this is attributed to the creative masterwork that won the film ten Oscars. The costumes, the sets, the directing, the editing, the music... all of it has the raw feel of a theatrical performance. It was as if a play was performed and a camera recorded the whole thing seamlessly. West Side Story is one of my favorite films ever and one that stands out among the rest, still as captivating today as it’s 1961 release.
But does is there any films that were adapted to plays? And how did they fare? One of the most beloved films of all time is Disney’s The Lion King, one of the greatest stories of all time. The film itself debuted in 1994 and went to Broadway in 1997, being a rare case of a reverse stage-to-screen adaptation. And the Broadway show did it better. Seeing the show for the first time as a five-year-old child... I fell asleep in the first act. But seeing it years again later when I was in middle school, I was entranced with the production. Not being very experienced in the world of artistical theatre, I always thought stage plays were bright costumes, musical numbers and over dramatic acting. But The Lion King show was so much more. The number one stand out to anyone who has ever seen the show is the costumes. And when I say costumes, I mean actual costumes. Actors on stilts made to look like giraffes, multiple people working a ten-foot-tall mechanical elephant, dancers prancing around the stage like the gazelles they are portraying. It is unlike anything I have ever seen. And an amazingly creative set with amazing performances from the whole cast creates not just the memory of a fantastic show but an unforgettable sensation as well. Being part of the Disney generation, I grew up with a worn-out VHS copy of The Lion King. All my childhood nostalgia about the movie will never be adequate to how impressed I was with the live show. And I am not alone with my praise. There is no surprise as to why the Broadway show won 5 Tony’s, especially for set and costume design.
Through my research for this post, I now have a much better idea of how to look at and make adaptations. Much of the research I found echoed ideas that I already had about faithful adaptations, but prior to this research, I was typically untrusting of loose adaptations. Being forced into a position where both the movie adaptation of the book, and the play adaptation of the movie had to be loose, however, gave me a much better idea of the kind of flexibility that loose adaptations can have, and how they can relate to their original source material and still be their own story. While theorizing how to create a movie and a play, trying to use the same story for each, I got a pretty good idea of the kinds of similarities and differences there are between the two mediums. For all of their differences, their goals, and many of their methods, are the same. While not every story can be told in both mediums, for those that can, it seems to largely just be personal preference which one an individual would prefer to make or see it in.
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