Much Ado About Nothing ; Shakespeare.
play vs movie ;
Screenplays are typically for large-scale stories, set in many locations, where the images, sounds, and action all really help tell the story. Plays are generally small and intimate, told in and around a central location, with dialogue guiding the story.
Stage plays are dialogue-driven, while screenplays rely on images to tell the story and express character. As the writer, try to determine if your story can be told with mostly visuals, or if dialogue is the most important story-telling device.
Due to budget, space, and time limitations, plays are generally set in a handful of locations, but screenplays can be set all over the world – and even all over the universe. Where does your imagination take you?
With fewer actors in a play, there’s more time to reveal character. Movies may have many characters because they use images as a type of shorthand to reveal what makes them tick.
differences
In the film, it opens with a voice-over monologue from Beatrice, something not seen in act one of the play. This is a good introduction to the film because it is calmly captivating, warning women that all men are deceivers and cheaters – foreshadowing the later conflict. This scene also shows the closeness of the town, having them all gathered on the lawn enjoying the weather, and Beatrice entertaining them.
The character of Dogberry was portrayed differently in these two medias; in the original play he is slow-witted and tries to come off as differently than he is. In the film, he has the personality of being “loony” between pretending to ride in on a horse, and other antics. This silly way of acting takes away from the real humour that stems from Dogberry getting his words confused.
Another positive comparison between the play and 1993-film adaptation is the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice. There is much banter between these two characters, and the film was able to capture all of the unsaid emotions. From their first scene the audience could feel the tension between them, and knew that they were only trying to fight these emotions from themselves.
