She’s the Man vs. Twelfth Night
She’s The Man is a modernized film version of Shakespeare’s 1600’s Twelfth Night play. The two follow a similar basic plot; a girl disguises herself to a boy. The disguise evolves to bring out a love triangle. Most of the characters in the fictions are the same. The fact that the characters and basic plot are the same brings about an ideal modern adaptation of the Shakespearian play. Andy Fickman perfectly creates a link between the play and film while still remaining funny and relevant. He is much considerate of the setting, language and character’s costumes and traits. This enables him to appropriately pull out the comedy and love in the 1600’s play though with a modern touch.
The 2006 film is set in America with a vast part of it in a school (Fickman, 2006). This is not only a typical setting but also an ideal setting for teenage romantic comedies. This is largely attributed to the fact that teenage life in the 21st century is linked to education. The director also features the homes of the characters in the film perhaps to reinforce the ideology of family dependence. The bond created by schooling and family relationships brings in more fun in the film. Unlike the Shakespearean play that is set in abundantly in a coastal region with most of the characters on duty, the adaptation creates a more relaxed environment (Shakespeare, 2004).
The film has a rather unique and catchy language that attracts the attention of a 21st century viewer. This adds a lot to the movie’s popularity. While Shakespeare’s title Twelfth Night appeals more to an older audience, Fickman uses a possibly juxtaposed title, She’s a Man. Even at a mere glance, a reader is likely to start questioning the title. The pronoun ‘she’ has completely no relationship with the noun ‘man’. The old title gives a general idea while the new one implies comedy from a mere statement. As thus, the two titles appeal to different audiences. Overall, the language used is different perhaps due to vast variations time and place settings. The use of language in the play by Shakespeare conveys the variance of emotions, attitudes and feelings in different circumstances. She is the man is conveys the typical language that we use in our daily conversations. It is much easier to comprehend the personalities of the characters in the latter.The costumes worn by the characters in the film She’s The Man are quite different from those worn in Shakespearian play. These modes of dressing are stereotypical in almost all romantic comedies inked to teens. The uniforms for instance well-ink with the 21st century school setting. Casual dressing such as long sleeves tops blended with short sleeved shirts dominate the entire film. This helps the audience to relate and identify well with the characters as it is a popular fashion trend for boys in their teen ages. The character of Viola which portrays both masculine and feminine characteristics is enhanced by costume changes throughout the film. This emphases the abrupt change from a female to a male and then back to a female. The masculine traits are however more reinforced as shorts are more of a male clothing.
Both the costumes and the music in the background are features of the popular culture. The sound at the beginning of the movie at the initial stages engages the audience from the very beginning. The use of slang not only creates comedy but also reinforces the modern aspect. The high key lighting portrayed in the entire film enables the viewers to relate to the characters and narrative much easily.She is the Man is among the greatest film adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays despite the fact that many people often underrate. There would hardly be a better adaptation considering that the world has greatly evolved from the 1600’s trends. It is a great source of inspiration for the current and the future generations especially the female gender. It gives invaluable lessons and confidence that can hardly be gained in the classrooms. The greatest motivation in the film is fighting or the ideal person that one wants to become amidst numerous stereotypical setbacks. Though predictable, the film is very educative and entertaining.