When stories become screenplays, information (characters, scenes, setting, etc.) is added and deleted. For your midterm paper assignment, please read Brokeback Mountain; Story to Screenplay and view Ang Lee’s 2005 film Brokeback Mountain.

While reading and viewing, please take note of the differences in the literary mediums (changes and transformations from story to screenplay to film). Please point to specific passages and scenes, specific dialogue and relationships, and specific visual landscapes and scenery.

In your 750-1000 word response, you are required to analyze the following:

     1. What elements do the screenwriters add to the story to give it the additional emotional dimensions required for the transition from story to screenplay?

     2. How does director Ang Lee augment Proulx’s view on geographic determinism – the belief that regional landscapes, climate and topography dictate local cultural traditions and kinds of work?

     3. How does the cinematography of Brokeback Mountain and Wyoming (aka Alberta, Canada) add what Larry McMurtry calls lyrical pastoralism? In other words, how do the visual images of the landscape help shape the story and poeticize Ennis’ and Jack’s relationship and reunion?

Your midterm needs to be EMAILED to the Instructor by midnight on the Wednesday of Week 8!!! Please paste your midterm analysis into the body of the email!!!

Remember that the midterm constitutes 20% of your final grade! We will not meet as a class on that evening in order to allow sufficient time to complete this assignment. Good luck and enjoy the story to film experience!