Teaching Foreign Language Literature with the Use of Film Adaptation and the Problem of Medium Specificity

Abstract

Film adaptations of literary works can be successfully used in foreign language literature classes to the advantage of students. This goal can be achieved through the discussion of the changes that occur when a novel is adapted to screen, with particular stress on the alterations stemming from media specificity. The present paper argues that students can be motivated in their research and that the use of film in the foreign language literature classroom can lead them to interesting conclusions concerning the source text. The article will also discuss the objections raised in the field of adaptation studies against fidelity criticism. Theorists have long called for the independence of film from the novel on which it is based, which could lead to abandonment of the notion of a film adaptation’s inferiority with regard to its source. A case will also be made for comparative analysis of film and its literary source material. Moreover, traits which are unique to the particular media and their influence on reception will be described. Finally, it will be argued that film can be used to facilitate deeper understanding of the works of foreign language literature, and to help students recognize new interpretations of literary works.