With Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu earning $100 million at the box office, and Christopher Nolan adapting the Ancient Greek epic, The Odyssey, scheduled to be released in 2026, there seems to be a trend in Hollywood: adapting literature and more specifically classic literature.
The purpose of fiction is to tell us what it’s like to be human, by learning about complex themes and characters in stories we are able to look at ourselves in the process. An example of this is the 1925 novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The novel tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a millionaire who tries to win “his lost love” Daisy Buchanan over with his wealth. His fortune inevitably led to downfall and death. The book references the “American Dream” and whether this concept is real. Complex universal themes such as this is what makes a novel become a “classic”.
Bringing a “modern twist” to the 2013 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z was brought on as an executive producer. If this record executive and rapper finds enough potential in this story wouldn’t that mean the message is relevant enough to be remembered?
Ms. Hubner, an English teacher who recently finished The Great Gasby with her class stated: “The fact that we’re 100 years separated [from the book being published], but we’re still asking the same questions. It’s an example of why it’s literature and why we teach it.”
Contrary to popular belief complex themes don’t exclusively reside within literature. Movies and films exhibit similar lessons.
Reading classic literature seems like a daunting task to many students. An easy solution is film adaptations done correctly. It’s tricky to convert a beloved story to movie format, there’s two lines of thinking about this subject, those who want original works and the people who see the value of film and the visual elements that go along with that.
There’s a common belief about literature: every work comes from one of the three “pillars”: Shakespeare, Greek and the Bible. Hana Corletto a junior and AP Lit student believes
When the film is adapted, it bridges a divide by adding music and cinematography. Viewers are better able to pick up on tone and mood, often without even realizing it.
Mrs. Patterson, a theater and film teacher, believes cinema plays a crucial role in society. “It is a very accessible art form for any individual. Sometimes art can seem very niche or like you have to be a very intelligent person to understand art… But in reality, art can be pretty much anything.”
By engaging with art like literature that makes them uncomfortable, students can develop empathy and critical thinking skills. Creating digestible stories such as Epic: The Musical, an adaptation of The Odyssey, breeds interest amongst youth. The goal should be to inspire the students to leave their comfort zone. So much of culture can be perceived through art mediums like music, theater, and film. .
Adaptations have existed since the beginning–no story is truly original. Homer’s Odyssey wasn’t originally written down, but was spoken and passed down orally through history before Homer finally wrote it down in the 8th century. If Homer can help the ancient Greeks move on from the oral tradition to a new medium of storytelling, why can’t other forms of art be used effectively today? The important part is to maintain the traditional value of complex themes and empathy.
