Stage to Screen adaptation within Sword and Sandal Films

By Anicea Ortiz
== Stage to screen adaptation ==
Stage to screen adaptation is a term used to portray movies that have been adapted from stage plays. Since the beginning of film making stage plays have been known to transform into movies.
== Thematic and technical aspects in the Sword and Sandal Genre ==
Stage to screen adaptation in Sword and Sandal genre can be seen in movies such as Quo Vadis, Ben Hur, and Something funny happened to me at the forum. These films derive directly from stage plays. During a stage production, the set is designed to fit a small stage used to portray Rome and its grand epic scale. Using film making, producers can show the audience how vast Rome was on a larger scale as opposed to a small set on a stage. With film, producers can also recreate simple scenes to portray immaculate scenes. In the film Quo Vadis, producers could use large set pieces such as the arena and roman citizens to represent the vast scale of Rome's entertainment. In contrast stage production would have difficulty to show such immaculate scenes to fit a small stage as opposed to a broad set designs for film. Another Sword and Sandal genre that has been adapted from stage to screen is Ben Hur. Stage play production can be limited with a small stage with many important scenes to cover such as the galleys, and most iconic scene the chariot race between Judah Ben Hur and Messala. With film Production, producers can give the audience live processes and detailed experiences that Judah Ben Hur faces throughout the film.
Along with stage and film set design and scales, Acting is an important attribute for Stage to screen adaptation. For example the film "Something funny happed to me on the way to the forum", the actors acting style is derived directly from stage acting as opposed to film acting. The actors give over dramatic reactions and acting styles. The costumes were over dramatic as well, color coding costumes to characters, such as purple colors represented wealth, and yellow colors in the film represented beauty, and the white colors of the character Philia was meant to represent purity.
In contrast, with the Ben Hur film the actors acting style was more serious, and subtle as opposed to stage acting. The costumes were clearly invested to be realistic. The costumes were subtle colored robes, and the roman armor was detailed to fit the film, even Judah Ben Hur as a slave his ragged clothes and make-up were carefully thought through. 
== $$$ ==