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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

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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?