Abstract:

This dissertation introduces adaptation studies to the readers, and focuses on the language and essence difference between film and novel. Also it does specific analysis on “The Great Gatsby” (2013) on the base of those differences and its own characteristics, and pays more attention on its “loss” part when the film is compared to the original. Moreover, the author hopes that readers of this dissertation – especially those who have already read “The Great Gatsby” will be better equipped to recognize the singular achievements of this production. It is hoped they will experience a quite different and wonderful journey in the cinema, mindful of the ideas and context introduced to them here.

Key words: film adaptation; novel adaptation; The Great Gatsby; loss

摘要：

本文以2013《了不起的盖茨比》电影版为例，通过比较电影与小说本质上以及所用语言上的不同来分析小说电影化过程中的缺失，也从表面缺失，主题缺失等方面深层次的评价了该电影。本文着重电影的缺失部分，但也强调了电影一部分的表达方式可以超越小说达到的效果。本文旨在让进电影院欣赏这个电影的观众，尤其是读过原著的观众，更好的感受该电影的成功，享受一场视听盛宴。更重要的是能够提醒他们原著深刻的主题与电影无法刻画的小说的魅力。

关键词：小说电影化; 了不起的盖茨比; 缺失

1. Introduction
1.1 A brief introduction to Adaptation Studies
Film is based on literature. A film adaptation is the transfer of a written work, in whole or in part, to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work. People may hear of novel adaptation, theatrical adaptation, television adaptation and so on. It is proposed that “a common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film. Other works adapted into films include non-fiction (including journalism), autobiography, comic books, scriptures, plays, historical sources, and even other films. From the earliest days of cinema, in nineteenth-century Europe, adaptation from such diverse resources has been a ubiquitous practice of film-making.” (Leitch, 2007: 23)
But obviously, among these source types, novel has been the most popular. It has been estimated that, since the beginning of the film industry, more than 70% of all movie screenplays have been adaptations from some form of pre-existing literature, and that, Europe and the United States produce 1000 movies a year on average, so each novel adaptation joins an enormous catalogue of over 100 years-worth of such productions.