Unit information: Novel to Film German Speaking Film Adaptations in 2009/10

Unit name	Novel to Film German Speaking Film Adaptations
Unit code	GERM22043
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Allinson
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of German
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

The filmic adaptation of literary texts is often believed to reveal the possibilities and limits of each medium, enabling the reader/viewer to determine those elements that are untranslatable into film. This unit aims to identify the problems posed by the transposition of verbal texts into visual texts, considering, amongst others, the difficulty of recreating narrative perspective, conveying a specific style, tone or register and maintaining the ontological uncertainty of embedded narratives. Through the analysis of four novels and their adaptations students will learn how to approach a filmic text, establishing a firm understanding of the relevant technical terminology and its application in the reading of a film. Introductory readings of narrative and film theory will form the basis for a discussion of the adaptations which goes beyond the question of a films faithfulness to its literary source to enable a more nuanced understanding of the relations between the two media.

Aims:

• To introduce students to a significant body of knowledge of a complexity appropriate to second year level. The content matter will normally include one or more of the following: literature; social, cultural or political history; linguistics; cultural studies; film, television or other media.

• To facilitate students engagement with a body of literature, including secondary literature, texts, including in non-print media, primary sources and ideas as a basis for their own analysis and development. Normally many or most of these sources will be in a language other than English and will enhance the development of their linguistic skills.

• To develop further skills of synthesis, analysis and independent research, building on the skills acquired in units at level C.

• Some options may prepare students for the experience of the Year Abroad.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Successful students will:

• be knowledgeable about a significant cultural, historical or linguistic subject related to the language they are studying;

• be skilled in the selection and synthesis of relevant material;

• be able to evaluate and analyse relevant material from a significant body of source materials, usually in a foreign language, at a high level;

• be able to respond to questions or problems by presenting their independent judgements in an appropriate style and at an high level of complexity;

• be able to transfer these skills to other working environments, including study at a foreign university and on work placements during the year abroad.

Teaching Information

Student presentations (on pre-set aspect of novel or film) followed by seminar discussions.

Reading and References

Set Texts: Heinrich B�ll, Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum (1974; adaptation Volker Schl�ndorff, 1975); Max Frisch, Homo Faber: Ein Bericht (1957; adaptation Volker Schl�ndorff, 1991); Peter Handke, Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter (1970; adaptation Wim Wenders, 1972); Robert Schindel, Geb�rtig (1992; adaptation Lukas Stepanik, 2002).

Bibliography: McFarlane, Brian, Novel to Film: An Introduction to the Theory of Adaptation (Oxford: Clarendon, 1996) Monaco, James, How to Read a Film: The World of Movies, Media, Multimedia: Language, History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000) Paech, Joachim, Literatur und Film (Stuttgart: Metzler, 1988)