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Analysis of Literary Language Essay 1 · Analysis of Literary Language Essay 2 · Analysis of Literary Language Essay 3
Analysis of Literary Language Essay 4 · A Brief Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" · An Analysis of my Own Writing during the Semester
James Ivory' film A Room with a View takes several liberties in interpreting E. M. Forster's novel when it comes to some of the most important scenes such as George kissing Lucy for the first time and the men bathing. Most times Ivory remains true to the novel and presents the scenes in direct correlation with the novel. Even though Ivory may take some liberties to read between the lines of Forster's novel and also create some of his own interpretations for the purpose of film, one must keep in mind that the two media have their own advantages and shortcomings. Ivory uses film as an effective media to elaborate further on scenes that would be difficult to construct through language.
James Ivory' film A Room with a View takes several liberties in interpreting E. M. Forster's novel when it comes to some of the most important scenes such as George kissing Lucy for the first time and the men bathing. Most times Ivory remains true to the novel and presents the scenes in direct correlation with the novel. Even though Ivory may take some liberties to read between the lines of Forster's novel and also create some of his own interpretations for the purpose of film, one must keep in mind that the two media have their own advantages and shortcomings. Ivory uses film as an effective media to elaborate further on scenes that would be difficult to construct through language.
E. M. Forster describes a message left by George that Miss Bartlett finds in the hotel room of Florence as "an enormous note of interrogation." (11) James Ivory interprets this as a question mark, which makes sense from Forster's choice of words, but little is made of it in the novel. Ivory takes George's question mark and one of the characters remark, "The everlasting why? On the other side there is a yes and a yes, yes, yes." I interpret this as George questioning God as to why the world and life is as it is. Ivory seems to use this to bring George's character more to the forefront.
When Lucy and George witness the street fight and one man is killed, Ivory remains true to the novel and quotes Forster as George says "For something tremendous has happened; I must face it without getting muddled. It isn't exactly that a man has died." (34) Ivory changes the dialog slightly and his George says, "Something tremendous has happened to me and to you (referring to Miss Honeychurch)." Both interpret this moment and this incident as George finding a reason to live and that reason is Miss Honeychurch.
Ivory adds some interpretations of his own throughout the outing into the Florence countryside. Forster talks about how Phaethon, the Italian carriage driver keeps trying to kiss Persephone, the young lady with him. Forster describes the two young lovers as "two figures on the box were sporting with each other disgracefully. Lucy had a spasm of envy. Granted that they wished to misbehave, it was pleasant for them to be able to do so." (49) From Forster's description Lucy is in the same carriage as the two Italian lovers. Ivory interprets this scene differently and shows the two Italians in the second carriage and Lucy enjoying their misbehaving through a pair of opera glasses as though she is a voyeur. Mrs. Lavish catches Lucy and takes the glasses away from her. Also Ivory takes another liberty in portraying Persephone with long flowing hair while Lucy's hair is tightly pined together close to her head. This provides a visual contrast of the Italian philosophy of love and life which allows for free expression of ones emotions and the English Edwardian philosophy of always controlling ones emotions and being conscious of manners and appearances. Ivory quite often uses the power of the visual media that allows for such visuals that could become cumbersome trying to describe with words only. Interestingly, when the English characters proceed with some of their eloquent dialogs with highly polished manners the true meaning of what they say becomes more apparent from Ivory's panning of the camera to other characters within earshot. We are shown the listener's body language and facial expressions providing us with clues as to how others interpret the dialog. As 21st century readers it is easier to understand the humor within the novel this way. This may be that because we are part of the television generation that we miss these clues in the novel or it could be that some of the humor goes right over our heads because we certainly do not speak with such eloquent dialog in this day and age.
Ivory also takes the liberty of showing the men picnicking in one portion of the field and the women in another portion separated from the men. Forster never provides us with this visual. Ivory's interpretation helps to enforce in our minds how the two sexes interacted with each other or the lack of interaction. In addition, while everyone is having tea, George is shown in a tree screaming like Tarzan, which is a fascinating interpretation of the entire scene. Ivory interprets Forster's descriptions of George being a more emotionally expressive man than most Edwardian era men and that because Forster mentions several times its Spring and that they are in the countryside he uses these visuals to create a very emotionally expressive George.
Lastly, Ivory's interpretation of George kissing Lucy is vastly different from the book. Forster spends a few paragraphs explaining how the countryside is filled violets while Ivory shows then in a field of long yellow meadow grass. I speculate the reason for the change between the novel and the film is that Ivory could not find a place that was similar to what Forster described. It's true that such a place could have been created, it would be extremely costly to do. Plus, the imagery of the long yellow meadow grass is something that has been used over and over to elicit the same purpose so it seems logical to utilize it once again.
Ivory does remain true to the scene by using the Italian carriage driver as Lucy's escort who brings her to this place of beauty. Ivory interpreted Forster by showing us that the Italian carriage drive knew full well George was in the field and was playing matchmaker with Lucy and George. The way Forster describes this by speaking to us directly saying, "Italians are born knowing the way. It would seem that the whole earth lay before them, not as a map, but as a chessboard, whereon they continually behold the changing pieces as well as the squares. Anyone can find places, but the finding of people is a gift from God. This rhetoric is more easily expressed in language but difficult to covey in film hence this is why Ivory chooses the method he uses to convey the same message using a different media.
Ivory's interpretation of George and Lucy's kiss is quite different from the visual provided by Forster. Ivory portrays George as being quite brusque with Lucy, almost forceful. Forster does describe Lucy as being caught off her guard but my visual was something a little more tender than Ivory's interpretation. From the audience's reaction they too visualized something different from Ivory's interpretation. On the other hand it would seem to be fitting with George's expression of his passion for Lucy.
When we meet Lucy's brother, Freddie Honeychurch back in Summer Street Ivory does a wonderful job in interpreting Forster's description. Ivory presents Freddie in such a way that he bears similarities to Mr. Emerson and George. Lucy's brother also refuses to accept the polite edict of Edwardianism and says exactly what he thinks.
Ivory's scene of the men bathing at the pond seemed over the top, and leads one to think that Ivory is making a 1985 interpretation of Edwardianism, but when one reads Forster's language of this scene Ivory remains true to Forster's vision. This is a scene that lends itself to being visual. Both Ivory and Forster remain true to life with this scene. To bathe as a group would be a throwback to Roman and Greek times when public bathing was for the purpose of socializing. In addition, considering the staunch repression of sexuality due to the Victorian period it's natural in my mind as the men drop their clothes they also drop their inhibitions. The men, fully nude, enjoy themselves as boys by splashing, wrestling and chasing each other. This seems to me no different than the antics of high school boys in the gym shower. Ivory doesn't spare us full frontal nudity but in my mind he doesn't use it as a cheap opportunity to bring nudity into the video. Ivory's portrayal is created correctly. There is no one around and if one was an invisible observer, this is what one would have seen. The women's reaction upon accidentally finding the men, Lucy's taking a couple of peeks and giggling, and George emitting a jungle yell not bothering to cover up is all revealed by Forster and not an interpretation on the part of Ivory. This is quite fitting and true of George's nature and emotional character. This scene is a necessary construction Forster to demonstrate the oppressive nature of Edwardianism and how the emerging generation represented by Lucy, George and Freddie refuse to lead such a repressed lifestyle.
Ivory provides us with a visual interpretation of Forster's novel A Room with a View and remains true to most of the novel. When Ivory does take liberties to apply interpretation to Forster's text he uses visual media as a tool to convey ideas that are more difficult to convey through the use of language. One has to think if Forster was alive to be consulted by Ivory would the film interpretation parallel the novel or were Forster's visions substantially different from Ivory's.
Forster, E.M. (1908). A Room with a View. In S. Appelbaum (Ed.). New York: Dover Publications.
Ivory, James. Director. (1985). A Room with a View. Merchant Ivory Productions.
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