Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility and Ang Lee's film interpretation of the same name share many key similarities. Important transferred elements and cardinal functions are maintained when moving from novel to film, making the plot, atmosphere and characters familiar to the reader. However, the overall impact of the same underlying story is very different when told using these two independent media. While the book and film explore the lives and loves of the Dashwood sisters, the main narrative elements and characters of Austen's novel leave readers feeling that Sense is the better of the two options, as it emphasizes about the stability and happiness found in happy relationships. like that of Elinor and Edward, about the wild and dangerous nature of passionate love, like the one that leaves Marianne seriously ill and almost kills her. The film, on the other hand, uses characterization, representation and cinematic enunciation through visual elements to convey to viewers the idea that sensitivity is the more desirable quality of the two, going so far as to modify elements relationships of the two girls in order to present them in a more romantic and idyllic light. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay One of the most obvious reasons why the film and the novel differ in impact is that their overall portrayal of the Dashwoods' love interests, Edward and Colonel Brandon, is so different. There is much left to be desired about the reader's first impression of Edward in the novel, as he is described as "not handsome", with his manners requiring "privacy to make them agreeable" (14). Despite his constrained nature, Edward has moments where he is able to overcome his often crippling shyness and gives the Dashwoods "every indication of an open and loving heart" (14). Colonel Brandon also does not fare well in terms of first impressions, as Marianne and Elinor reject him as a suitor due to his "advanced age" and his "desperate condition as an old bachelor" (29). But his heart is also ultimately in the right place, as he demonstrates through repeated attention and concern for others in difficult situations, by deflecting attention from Elinor's love life at a dinner party, or by offering Edward a home after his family disgrace. The impact of this characterization is the reader's satisfaction in knowing that, even if none of the Dashwood sisters end up in a passionate or intensely romantic relationship, they will be happy and well cared for by settling down with two very kind and pragmatic men . The portrait of the two men provides further evidence of the importance of the novel in that sense is considered a superior option to sensibility. Despite their simple, unremarkable personalities, Edward and Brandon end up getting along with the Dashwood sisters, while Willoughby, a character with whom Marianne had a more passionate relationship, nearly killed her. Unlike the novel, the film adaptation adds more dimension and personality to the characters of Edward and Brandon. While the reader can only get a small glimpse of Edward's character through Dashwood's conversations about him, viewers of the film can see a newly imagined and fully fleshed out Edward; someone who is charming, witty and thoughtful. From scenes where he playfully sword fights with Margaret to those depicting long walks with Elinor around Norland,it's clear that the film wants us to think of him as an ideal romantic partner rather than just a nice man. Even the choice of actor Hugh Grant, who is classically handsome and naturally charming, to play Edward was a conscious decision made to influence the viewer's interpretation of his character. Like Edward, Colonel Brandon is given a similar reimagined character in order to play the role of a dashing suitor. He rescues and transports Marianne from the freezing cold, lovingly reads a book of sonnets to her, and is married to her in a grand ceremony near the end of the film - all scenes were entirely contrived by new adapters in an effort to show off his character in a different light. It's also worth noting that Brandon mirrors Willoughby's romantic gestures in the film - a decision that was likely made in an attempt to subconsciously establish Brandon as a possible suitor for Marianne early on before he became a more option. viable later. The highly fictionalized view of the two characters impacts the film's viewers to the extent that they are more emotionally attached and strongly believe in the importance of affection in relationships. Edward and Colonel Brandon are no longer just pragmatic choices for the Dashwood girls, as the novel emphasizes: in the eyes of the cinema, the two couples now fit into a very picturesque and classical version of what life should look like. 'love. This difference in representation further adds to the importance of the film in showing sensitivity as the better option of the two, as it recommends passion in romance over practicality. Besides the depiction of male characters in the film and novel, another big difference between the two is in their visual and narrative representation of each sister's relationship. Many of Edward and Elinor's interactions in the film are staged so that the couple are locked in tight, close-up shots with pillars or doors often framing them. A good example of this occurs early in the film in a sequence where Edward walks through a corridor of doors to find Elinor, also framed by a door, silently crying over her family's misfortune at being forced to leave Norland. Although the moment they share as Edward attempts to console Elinor is sweet, it feels like they are restricting their speech and withholding their true feelings from each other - a feeling that is echoed by the aforementioned restrictive setup of scene and camera shots. Marianne and Colonel Brandon, meanwhile, participate in a passionate, idealized romance – especially in comparison to the reserved nature of Edward and Elinor's relationship. Their growing mutual affection is complemented by dramatic scenes of Brandon saving Marianne in the pouring rain, reading to her against the backdrop of an idyllic pastoral scene, and a final grand wedding between the two where Edward and Elinor play second fiddle. the bride and groom as part of the wedding party. The impact of the use of these highly contrasting cinematic visual elements is strongly felt by the viewer, who is left with the idea that a classic romance like that of Marianne and Brandon is far preferable to a cautious romance like that of 'Elinor and Edward. Even though both couples are happy, the film clearly uses cinematic enunciation to portray Marianne and Brandon as the more fulfilled couple, which ultimately means that sensitivity creates purer and better relationships than sense. Compared to the film, Austen's novel goes in the opposite direction. direction during the representation of the two couples. In theIn the book's final chapters, Elinor and Edward's relationship comes to the forefront as readers wonder when and how their love will come true, if at all. Their patience throughout the novel is rewarded as readers get to see a more fleshed-out ending to the couple's long love story and even get a glimpse into their idyllic married life. In contrast to this tightly wrapped ending, there is the relationship between Marianne and Brandon, which unfolds in the last page or so of the novel. Their relationship almost seems like an afterthought for the narrator who, after noting the "great confederation against" Marianne, asks "what could she do?" regarding doing anything other than marrying Brandon (267). The voice behind this question sounds casual and almost mocking, as if Marianne had no choice but to be matched with Brandon because of her expressed interest in her, and that her marriage to him is not so much the product of their mutual affection than the external pressure of other characters. The narrator's tone in describing the quickly formed relationship between Marianne and Brandon and the depiction of Elinor and Edward's idyllic marriage leaves the viewer with the idea that continuing one's life with common sense is a much better option than taking action impulsively based on her feelings, as Elinor seems to do. ended up with the best partner. This directly contrasts with the film, which depicts Marianne and Brandon as the most fulfilled couple, and ultimately shows the difference in meaning between the two mediums, where the film and novel each work to depict sensitivity and meaning, respectively, as the best of both. The differences in the portrayal of Elinor's reserved character are another element that affects the impact and meaning of the novel and film. Each time Elinor is upset in the novel, the reader is directly informed of her inner turmoil through Austen's use of free indirect speech. Through this third-person narration, the reader knows Elinor's true feelings while the other characters in the book itself are unaware of her suffering. Seeing her hide her emotions so as not to burden those around her with her own grief, the reader is touched and left with the idea that Elinor has strong control over what she feels and how she acts, particularly through relation to perpetual crying. Marianne. This ability to exercise such great discipline, and ultimately to act as the rock of the family, is all the more significant because it recommends to readers the usefulness of sense in the face of the paralyzing effects of sensitivity, as Marianne shows. Because free indirect speech is an intransmissible element of the novel which must be the subject of an adaptation itself, viewers are informed of Elinor's struggles through the actor's performance. In this case, actress Emma Thompson chooses to express mild distress through facial expressions after learning bad news before quickly closing herself off from other characters and putting on a steely facade. Although this attempts to portray Elinor's reserved nature in a similar way to the book, the communication and ultimate impact through the two mediums could not have more different effects. By discovering Elinor's true emotions through free indirect speech, readers see her as a quiet but strong type who always stays together for the greater good of her family. In the film, however, Elinor's brief emotional state and subsequent exclusion from others makes her feel like it is she who needs a change of heart rather than Marianne, as revealed in the film. novel. For what? Because if Marianne is emotional by nature,.