It's All About the Medium

W;t.. what can I say?! I have read, watched, and studied this play so many times that you would think that after all of that I would finally get tired of it, that the tragic end would not have an effect anymore... Whelp, unfortunately I still can't help but cry as Vivian realizes the intensity of her situation, while seeing Jason's apathy in comparison to Suzie's kindness, and in the end "comma death."

It is always fascinating for me to look at a piece of after multiple times and comparing what I first noticed with new elements and just seeing new things every time.. Gah I love it! I guess for me this time around, i loved seeing the parallels with what we had studied of Donne as well as the flashback scenes... I'll explain more :)

1) Genre: A drama. Oh how very important, changes everything. When something is meant to be acted out, you read it completely differently. I imagine actors, a stage, etc... Fictional characters turn into real people. And I think that that is the most important aspect of this genre.. REAL people, REAL interactions, REAL struggles.

2) Script Vs. Screen: As we watched the film, I was following along in the play looking for differences. Although there were many similarities, the film did cut out parts, disregarded certain stage directions, and was able to add effects that stage portrayals (which the play was written for) do not have the ability to do because of the limited view the audience has (... not having multiple camera angles)

3)Flashbacks: i absolutely loved the flashbacks because of the different use of characterization they created. How Vivian saw the younger version of herself, and then became her. They added a whole new meaning to it, Vivian wasn't merely just observing her past, like in Dicken's Christmas Carol, rather she was completely reliving the moments.

4)Transitions and Music: The play was very calm and quite, but there was music during transitions of scenes as well as times of intensity. The part that I remember most clearly is the beginning when Vivian finds out that she has stage 4 ovarian cancer. The sound goes from quiet, to soft violins play, to finally crescendo-ing to a fortissimo which increased the intensity of the moment only to end in the screen blackening and silence. I thought that the music carried the audience throughout the entire play.

5)Sound Effects: Sound effects were definitely interesting because on a script, you can't hear Vivian throwing up and you can't hear the silence that takes up the space, but the movie I felt that it was so effective because it increased the intensity in a simple way. It showed what was real and really brought the audience in the moment, could even make some sick themselves.

6)Juxtaposition: I love how there are foils such as Justin and Vivian, juxtapositions between Suzie and Vivian, Vivian and her younger self, Vivian and the doctor, etc. In the script you can only see so many, but while acted it out-based on the actor's performance- one can see more comparisons.

7)Diction: I notice while comparing the script to the film, the differences between what was written and what the characters had said because what sounds good on paper doesn't flow as well in real life and so changes need to be necessary to make the moments more real, the create real emotion rather than just reading what sounds good on paper.

8)Irony: The whole play was filled with irony, the drug killing Vivian rather than the cancer, Suzie's deeper understanding of the metaphysical (without knowing it) rather than Vivian's. The movie made the irony even more satirical because of the tone Vivian displays and the emotions we can see on through her body language.

9)Acting- Energy: I thought it was interesting comparing the energy that the script portrays in contrast to the energy displayed in the film. The script portrayed things in a very exaggerated way because of the necessity of the stage portrayal. The film on the other hand portrayed scenes in a more calm and somber manner which I though was cool.

10) Dialogue and Inter-monologue: I thought it was interesting that throughout the film we didn't get to hear any of Vivian's intermonologue. While she still narrated, the intermonolgue was instead replaced with body language.

Hopefully this makes sense!!

Writing a Working Thesis!

Number One: Transitions and Music
In the film version of the play, W;t, emotional connections are made with the audience through the usage of music in regards to the transitions between scenes.

Number Two: Acting and Energy
Although in the written play script of W;t scenes are shown with very loud and expressive means, the same emotions can be felt through the subtle means portrayed in the film reenactment.

Number Three: Flashback and Characterization
Flashbacks have been used throughout literature in a variety way. Most commonly these flashbacks have been used to elicit and portray change in characters, as seen with Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol and the play, W;t. Although, both works of literature go through a journey of change through flashbacks, it is the emotion and change felt by the audience during the film version of Wit's portrayal of flashbacks by placing Vivian in place of her younger-self that not only makes it unique from Dicken's usage of the flashback but also creates a new form of characterization.