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FENCEs Film Comparison Comparing August Wilson’ play to Denzel Washington’s 2016 film
Part ONE: Analyzing the Setting Directions:Comparehowthesettingisdepictedintheplaywithhowitispresentedinthefilm.
Whatisthetimeperiodoftheplay?
Howdoesthefilmdepictthetimeperiod?Howeffectiveisthepresentation?Explain.
Setting Howdescribedintheplay(Lookinyourbookstofindwordsandphrasesdescribingeachofthedifferentsettings.)
Howshowninthemovie(Givespecificexamplesofhowthesettingisdepicted,includingchangesfromtheplay).
Theporch
Name:____________________________________________Period:______
Part TWO: Analyzing the Major Characters Directions:Foreachofthemajorcharacterslisted,analyzetheirappearanceintermsofthequalitieslistedbelow.
TroyMaxson(DenzelWashington)
RoseMaxson(ViolaDavis)
CoryMaxson(JovanAdepo)
GabeMaxson(Mykelti
Williamson)
JimBono(StephenHenderson)
Lyons(RussellHornsby)
Appearance(Considercostumes,personalprops,looks,etc.)
Acting(Howbelievablewasthecharacter?Howwouldyouratetheiracting?)
AndtheOscargoesto….Whichactordoyouthinkdoesthebestjobportrayinghisorhercharacter?Why
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Part THREE: Artistic Differences Directions:Withanyadaptation,thereareboundtobeartisticdifferences.Inthemovie,thereareseveralminorchangesfromWilson’splay.Foreachoftheelementsbelow,explainwhyyouthinkWashingtonmadethechangeforhismovie.
Elementchangedfromtheplay Whydoyouthinkthedirectormadethischange?
Whateffectdoesthishaveonthestoryoverall?
TheplaybeginswiththeTroyandBonosittingonTroy’sporch.Inthefilm,thetwocharactersareshownridingonthebackofagarbagetruck.
ThesceneinActTwobetweenTroyandBonotakesplaceinbar.
ThethunderstormaddedwhenRosetellsTroyaboutAlberta.
AshortsceneisaddedshowingTroyvisitingthecommissioner’soffice.
Gabriel’slastlineoccursrightafteracloudhasblockedoutpartofthesun.
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Part FOUR: Analyzing Critics’ views InRichardBrody’sreviewofthefilmforTheNewYorkermagazine,hewrote:“ItgoeswithoutsayingthattheactorsinFences,amongthemWashingtonandViolaDavis,aresomeofthemosttalentedandskillfulinthebusiness.ButWashington’sfilmingoftheplay,despitehisevidentdeepcommitmenttoit,isfarlessimaginativeandlessoriginalthanWilson’screationoftheplay;theperformancesresembletheatricalonesandspurnthedistinctiveexhilarationsofmovieacting.”Doyouagreewithhisviewpoint?Doestheplaysuccessfullymaketheleapfromstagetoscreen?Explain.
Inhisreviewofthefilm,PaulAsayofPluggedInwrote:“Eventhoughitsdialoguecanbeharshanditsprotagonistcanbeamonster,Fenceshassomeimportantthingstosay.”Whatdoesthisplay/filmhavetosay?Identifytwo.
1.
2.
Howdoesthemoviestackupagainsttheplay?Whichdoyouthinkwasbetter,theplayorthefilm?Why?
IfyouweretomakeafilmofFences,whatisonethingyouwoulddodifferentlyfromthecurrentversion?
