Analyzing the 2016 Adaptation of 'The Witness for the Prosecution': A Comparison with the Short Stor

The purpose of this essay is to watch of the 2016 film adaptation of “The Witness for the Prosecution.” Your essay will focus on the adaptation process. How does the film treat the short story?

In what ways does the film remain true to the short story and in what ways does the film differ? If the film differs, what are the possible reasons for the differences, and do the differences strengthen or weaken the story?

In addition to reading “Adaptation: From Novel to Film,” here are some things to consider in looking at film adaptation of a literary work: Is the adaptation a straight or a loose interpretation of the novel/short story? Can the adaptation stand alone, or is it necessary to have read the novel/short story to understand the film?

Does the adaptation capture the novel/short story’s formal elements: the theme, characterization, style, tone, plot, and point of view? Is the adaptation a quality film in its own right? When the screenwriter and/or director changes any of the formal elements of the novel, is the overall message retained?

There are many rich points of comparison between the short story and film versions. I do not expect you to address all of the above items. Instead, you should select one major point of comparison between the short story and film to analyze. The questions above are just a starting point for you to brainstorm. For example, the film version adds in more background material from WWI.

It becomes a way to more fully develop many of the characters and also serves as one of the themes in the film. Another example is that several of the characters have much more expanded roles in the film (the maid, Mr. Mayherne’s wife, etc.). It would be interesting to explore what the further development of a character adds to the film, the mystery, themes?

We will use the class discussion boards to brainstorm topics and receive feedback. You are required to use several articles of literary criticism as your research in the essay.

The literary criticism will help you demonstrate ethos and logos to your audience and serve as a jumping off point for your own argument. I will upload several articles in our unit 3 content for you to use since you will be working online and access to our library’s databases may be more challenging.

If you don’t have trouble accessing our databases, you are welcome to look for research in Academic Search Premier, Jstor, and Literature Resource Center. The minimum requirement for sources is your two primary sources (the short story and the film) and at least two secondary sources; you may use more.

The 2016 film Witness for the Prosecution also has a good website dedicated to the making of the film and all things Agatha Christie, which is a good starting point if you choose the 2016 film version The BBC Archive on Agatha Christie is filled with video and audio clips of Christie:

Purpose:

To understand the differences between the short story genre and the film genre and explore the adaptation process. Your goal is also to integrate research effectively in your essay.

Audience: Your classmates and instructor. You should also envision taking part in a discussion on the subject with a wider academic audience. This also means using literary and genre terms correctly as well as documenting the literary criticism in MLA style.

Format: Your essay should fall into the 3-5 page range and include the traditional elements of an academic essay: introductory paragraph with an introduction of the works under discussion and a thesis, body paragraphs which present support for your thesis, a concluding paragraph, and a works cited page (the works cited page does not count as part of your 3-5 page requirement).