Emma
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After reading Jane Austen’s Emma, then viewing the BBC production and Miramax films based on the novel one can understand why most authors are horrified over the translation of their novels into film. The two film versions are quite different from one another, but both take such liberties with the original text as to wonder why the film makers of each even bothered with Austen’s work. The BBC production encompasses more of the tone and atmosphere of the text, the polite, mannered, upper-class social milieu of Victorian England than does the Miramax version, but both make interpretations of the text that belie the filmmakers’ agenda than they do of Austen’s own. The films are different from the novel in many ways, including characterization, setting, action, dialogue and theme. For example, the Miramax version of Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow portrays an Emma who is more like cupid armed with the bow of modern feminism. In the BBC version, Emma is not portrayed as lightly and as humorous. Instead, she is turned into a bantering harpy who lacks much of the charm of Austen’s Emma. This analysis will compare the first chapter of Emma with the corresponding opening scene in each film. By doing so, we will see not only many differences among them (including some obtrusive additions on behalf of the films), but we will also see how the filmmakers differed in their interpretation of Austen’s original.The opening scene of each film directly corresponds to th
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ntional Victorian woman. The filmmakers of the Miramax version took even greater liberties in this vain. Paltrow’s version of Emma makes Emma appear to be much more of a modern feminist than she is in Austen’s text. There is no caustic banter between Knightley and Emma in this version, however the filmmakers change the ending of the chapter. Instead of bantering with Knightley, Emma becomes quite pensive over the sterling character qualities of Miss Taylor. In fact, veering away from the book, this Emma thanks her for, among other things, “encouraging me to improve myself.” In other words, this Emma is a woman who knows education and self-improvement will lift her above her oppressive Victorian society. This addition also seems to make Emma less selfish and spoiled than she is portrayed in the novel or the BBC version, more than likely in keeping with the Hollywood tradition that a major star must not have too flawed of a character.
Nonetheless, this version of Emma is much more comedic than either the novel or the BBC version. The film is also much more rich in color, sound and mise en scene than the BBC version. The sets, costumes and color of the BBC version are cold, one-dimensional and lacking in life. They mirro
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Approximate Word count = 2372
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)
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