VIEWING A Novel Look at Film GUIDE OF MICE AND MEN

A Novel Look at Film is a screen education program presented by the American Film Institute in collaboration with Montgomery County Public Schools. Sponsored by Sprint

OF MICE AND MEN A Novel Look at Film Viewing Guide

Novel by John Steinbeck (1937) Film by Gary Sinise (1992)

Table Of Contents

PRE-VIEWING MATERIALS: Preparing to See the Film 4 The Novel/Film Connection: An Interconnected Relationship 4 Of Mice and Men: Novel, Play and Film 7 Film Guide: Production Crew and Cast 7 Cinematic Terms 8 Steinbeck’s Relationships Translated from Novel to Screen 10 Questions on Relationships to Consider While Viewing the Film 10 List of Other Elements to Consider While Viewing the Film 11

POST-VIEWING MATERIALS: Understanding the Film/Novel Relationship 12 List of Questions for Reflection Immediately After the Film 12 Suggested Post-viewing Classroom Activities 12 The People Behind the Production 13 Questions and Activities for the Interview Videotape 15 Assessments 15 Acknowledgements 16

The American Film Institute, the nation’s preeminent arts organization dedicated to advancing and preserving the art of the moving image, is commit- ted to informing the general public about the artistic and cultural significance of the motion picture. In collaboration with the Montgomery County Public Schools, AFI has prepared this guide to assist teachers with presenting the 1992 film OF MICE AND MEN, directed by Gary Sinise, in conjunction with John Steinbeck’s 1937 novel. This film provides an excellent opportunity to educate students about the medium of film while reinforcing the literary significance of Steinbeck’s story. The guide is designed to provide examples of how to use film language to complement the study of the novel in the classroom.

A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN 3 PRE-VIEWING MATERIALS: Preparing to See the Film

The following materials are intended to assist teach- original novels to skyrocket. More copies of ers with the preparation of students for viewing Wuthering Heights, for example, were sold in 1939 Gary Sinise’s film after they have read the novel. than during the previous century, a direct result of Depending on the particular needs and interests of the film bringing the story to a mass audience for their students, teachers might choose any number the first time. of the following terms, issues and ideas when Although Hollywood and the films it produces have preparing their own lesson plans. changed dramatically since the 1930s, novels are still an important source for filmmakers. Several recent The Novel/Film Connection: An adaptations of Jane Austen novels—Persuasion, Interconnected Relationship Sense and Sensibility and Emma—have introduced a Since Of Mice And Men is presented as part of a new generation of moviegoers to stories written unit on relationships, emphasizing the important almost 200 years ago. Recent novels, including The relationship between novels and films would be a English Patient, Remains of the Day, L.A. good way to make the transition between the book Confidential and Forrest Gump, have also inspired and the film. Indeed, a strong relationship between critically-acclaimed motion pictures. novels and films has existed since the invention of The proliferation of films based on novels results in the motion picture. During the first decade of the the inevitable comparison of the two. Audiences twentieth century, when film first progressed familiar with novels bring a host of expectations beyond merely capturing movement to telling sto- with them when viewing their film versions. ries, novels were among the earliest sources for Frequent comments about films based on novels material. One of Hollywood’s early blockbusters, include: D.W. Griffith’s THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915), was based on a popular novel. Films based on nov- - “The film is true to the spirit of the book.” els became particularly common with sound pic- - “It’s incredible how they butchered the novel.” tures or talkies, which were first made in the late - “Thank goodness they changed the ending.” 1920s. By the end of the 1930s, the period often called Hollywood’s Golden Age, between 30 and 40 These statements are based on certain assumptions percent of the films produced were based on novels. by the viewer, particularly that a film is intended to be a snapshot of the book, like a photo reproduces Film producers were drawn to novels for a variety the image of a person. Statements like these also of reasons. A novel’s ready-made story, complete assume that the novel is the norm and the film with characters, conflicts and conclusion, allowed deviates from it at its peril. According to this para- filmmakers to extract as little or as much from the digm, the more the film strays from the novel, the book as they wanted. Novel-based films were con- more inferior it is to the original work. sidered prestigious; if done well, they were often critically received and became top contenders for Rather than considering a film a mere replica of a Academy Awards. In addition, films based on novels book, it is more constructive to emphasize the were perceived as potential moneymakers. Whether fundamental differences between the two. the book was an old classic or a new bestseller, its Analyzing these differences is not only essential to popularity was considered a good indicator of the avoid considering a film merely as a replacement film’s box office success. for the book, but it will also help students of film to understand and appreciate both novels and Literary classics including David Copperfield, A Tale films more fully. of Two Cities and Wuthering Heights were all made into films during the 1930s. Contemporary novels Both novels and feature films are stylized, contem- from the same period that addressed the social and porary examples of perhaps the oldest forms of cultural concerns of the day, including The Good human expression: storytelling. Because human Earth, The Grapes of Wrath and Rebecca, also consciousness embraces much more than the pres- inspired screen adaptations that were released ent moment, recounting events or stories requires shortly after the books’ original publication. In the capacity to evoke other times and places, real or most cases, these films caused the reading of the imagined. The sequencing of time, space and action

4 A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN —ordering them and giving them coherence and meaning—creates a narrative, the spine on which to hang a story. Literary narrative is basically a conventionalized abstraction, a linear sequence of words and ideas that evolves a story by being read. Film narrative is similarly conventionalized, moving freely through space and time to represent and portray action and resolution through images, sounds and spoken NOVEL FILM words. While film narrative is much more concrete, linguistic = words visual = images leaving so much less to the imagination, both forms of narrative speak to our senses and call on us to conceptual perceptual participate in an active world the artist has called raw material: raw material: recorded up for us. written words images and sounds To reiterate, a novel is a work of linguistic art that one author collaborative is comprised exclusively of words. The weaving together of words into carefully crafted sentences, paragraphs and chapters is at the heart of a novel’s When filmmakers turn a novel into a film, they ulti- power to tell a story by inspiring images within the mately create their own work of art inspired by the reader’s mind. Film, on the other hand, is essen- book but additionally influenced by visual forms. tially a visual art form composed of images Instead of creating a snapshot of the book, the film- enhanced with sound that are presented before an maker reshapes the words into a visual medium that audience on a screen. With less emphasis on writ- is completely different. The filmmaker does not ten language as the primary structural element, convert the novel at all, but creates instead a para- film eliminates many characteristics of a novel phrase of the novel in which characters and inci- which text more easily approximates: dreams, dents are approximated in visual terms. The novel memories and feelings, which in the novel are con- communicates with established narrative conven- jured up within the imagination of the reader. To tions such as plot, characterization, point of view, replace them, film relies on endless visual, physical setting, conflict and theme. The filmmaker can and spatial variations that are combined and juxta- choose which of these elements are important to his posed through the editing of those images into a or her visual interpretation of the narrative. Besides continuous moving picture. the filmmaker’s personal choices, factors such as budget and time can also influence the final forms A novel is a conceptual device that relies on the of the visual narrative. Just as the author of the reader’s ability to conceive what is being presented novel chose the words, character descriptions, set- through words that conjure up ideas in the reader’s ting and other elements that conveyed a message or imagination. A film, on the other hand, is a percep- theme, similarly, the filmmaker has many choices, tual medium that relies on the presentation of employing some of the same tools, that can result in images to the viewer that are perceived and under- the same theme or an entirely different one. It must stood once they are visible on the screen. be assumed, therefore, that changes are inevitable In the novel, the raw material is simply the words when a filmmaker transforms a linguistic medium themselves. In film, the raw materials and sounds into a visual one. are the images imprinted on celluloid that runs Like two intersecting lines, novel and film seem to through a projector. The camera becomes the eye meet at a point, then begin to diverge. At the inter- of the viewer, provides the point of view and section, book and shooting script may appear very shapes the subject matter through the images it similar. When these lines diverge, they do not presents. The omniscient voice of the novel is resemble each other. An art form that depends on replaced by the camera lens, through which the moving images, mass audience, industrial produc- novel’s language is filtered. tion and profit is bound to differ from an art form

A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN 5 that depends on language, a limited, literary audi- RECOMMENDATIONS OF ence and the individual creation of the author. The NOVEL/FILM READING filmed novel, in spite of certain resemblances, will Select a movie you have viewed that was also a novel or inevitably become a different artistic expression children’s story and describe in a brief, constructed response from the novel on which it is based. many of the differences in the two texts. Instead of searching for what aspects of the film are different from the book, it is more constructive to OR ask why those differences occurred and how they might illuminate the story’s transition from a lin- guistic to a visual medium. Doing so in the class- Select a favorite scene from a story you have read that has room will sharpen the student’s awareness of the not been made into a film. Explain in a brief, constructed novel and introduce the vocabulary of film and its response which present-day actors you would select to intrinsic characteristics. portray the main characters. Justify your choices.

SUMMARY: k Viewers bring many assumptions to novel- The Novel/Film Relationship inspired films, particularly that the film should be a photo album of the book. k Films have been made from novels throughout the history of movies. k Films based on novels ultimately transform a story based in a linguistic medium into a story k Novels have consistently provided filmmakers told in a visual medium that has its own distinc- with ready-made narratives that have often tive characteristics. resulted in prestigious, popular motion pictures. k Explaining why the choices are made when trans- k Films have been made from both literary classics forming a literary work into a visual medium can and contemporary novels since their beginnings, help students understand the strengths and and still are today. unique qualities of both.

6 A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN Of Mice and Men: Novel, Play and Film Film Guide: Production Of Mice and Men is an excellent example of a novel Crew and Cast that has been adapted to both the stage and screen. OF MICE AND MEN (1992) While Steinbeck was writing the novel during the PRODUCTION: Russ Smith and Gary Sinise; mid-1930s, he was also considering how to rework released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) it as a play. In a Stage Magazine article published in January 1938, he wrote, “Simply stated, Of Mice DIRECTION: Gary Sinise and Men was an attempt to write a novel that could SCREENPLAY: Horton Foote be played from the lines, or a play that could be read.” Years later, he called this type of writing the EDITOR: Robert L. Sinise “play-novelette” form. Steinbeck’s play, Of Mice and CINEMATOGRAPHY: Kenneth MacMillan Men, premiered in New York City in 1937 shortly after the book was published in the same year. Just PRODUCTION DESIGN: David Gropman two years later, a film of the story was produced ART DIRECTION: Dan Davis, Karen Schulz, starring Lon Chaney, Jr. as Lennie and Burgess and Cheryl T. Smith Meredith as George. CASTING: Amanda Mackey COSTUME DESIGN: Shay Cunliffe MUSIC: Mark Isham RUNNING TIME: 110 minutes Based on the novel and play Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (1937)

LENNIE John Malkovich GEORGE Gary Sinise CANDY Ray Walston CURLEY Casey Siemaszko CURLEY’S WIFE Sherilyn Fenn SLIM John Terry CARLSON Richard Riehle WHITT Alexis Arquette Gary Sinise’s 1992 film brings Steinbeck’s novel and CROOKS Joe Morton play together in a motion picture that tells the story THE BOSS Noble Willingham in strikingly visual terms. Sinise had always loved the book, which was one of his favorites from child- hood. A veteran of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, he also starred as Tom Joad in an acclaimed stage production of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. In crafting the film, Sinise uti- lized both theatrical and cinematic techniques to tell Steinbeck’s story. The film shows a respect for the novel but also departs from it. The result is a film from which students can gain much under- standing of how a literary classic can be translated successfully to the screen.

A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN 7 Cinematic Terms

A consideration of the many arts Crane shot: A shot accom- five to 16 feet, for example, would and crafts involved in film pro- plished by having the camera mean that everything closer than duction gives the motion picture a above the ground and moving five feet and farther than 16 feet much larger and more complex through the air in any direction. would be out of focus. OF MICE dimension. No longer can a film When George and Lennie first AND MEN is filled with shots in of a novel be considered a mere arrive at Tyler Ranch, a crane shot which depth of field is used to cre- visual record when so much talent follows them down the dusty road ate distinctive images. In down- is involved in such a creative and the camera seems to take town Salinas, the streets are pho- effort. Just as the various tasks in flight as they walk through the tographed showing both close-up film production can be broken gate. Other crane shots are used passers-by and far away storefronts down and analyzed individually, during the scenes of men working in sharp focus. The many aspects so can the individual elements of in the barley fields. of the streetscape are arranged in the film. Filmmaking, like any the frame in overlapping planes, an other art form, has its own lan- Crosscutting: Editing that effect that contributes to the film’s guage and vocabulary. Once that alternates shots of two or more rich sense of period. language is mastered, films can be lines of action occurring in differ- understood at a new level. ent places, usually simultaneously. Dissolve: A transition between Crosscutting is often used during two shots during which the first a key dramatic sequence to image gradually disappears while increase tension. In this film, the second image gradually Camera angle: The position crosscutting is used in two scenes appears. For a moment, the two of the camera in relation to the when George and Lennie are being images blend in superimposition. subject it shows: above it, looking pursued by angry ranch hands. To help make the transition down (a high angle); on the same Since these occur at the beginning between the fields and the ranch, a level (a straight-on angle); looking and end of the film, they also act dissolve is used between the field up (a low angle). OF MICE AND as a kind of framing device. shots and a shot of horses’ hooves MEN consists almost exclusively pulling wagons, which are carry- Deep Focus: A use of the cam- of straight-on angle shots. More ing workers back to the ranch after era lens and lighting so that both extreme camera angles are used a hard day’s work. close and distant planes are shown sparingly. The film’s most dra- in sharp focus. This technique Establishing shot: A shot matic high angle shot captures allows the filmmaker to emphasize that shows the relationship among Lennie’s realization that he has a character or object that appears important figures, objects, charac- killed Curley’s wife in a shot from far away. In OF MICE AND MEN, ters and setting at a distance. In high above which captures him the bus carrying George and OF MICE AND MEN, establishing crouched in terror over the Lennie to Salinas seems small as it shots introduce the viewer to woman’s dead body. travels through the California Main Street in Salinas, Tyler Close-up: A framing in which countryside, yet deep focus empha- Ranch and the barley fields where the scale of the object shown is sizes its significance in the frame. George and Lennie work. From relatively large. Most commonly, a Many characters are also pho- the establishing shot, the film then person’s head is seen from the tographed using this technique. cuts to more detailed shots (often neck up, or an object fills most of Crooks and Curley’s wife often called coverage) that bring the the screen to emphasize its impor- appear distant from the camera. audience closer to the characters. tance. OF MICE AND MEN is Deep focus helps remind the filled with important close-ups. viewer of their constant—but often Flashback: An alteration in the George riding alone in a freight neglected—presence at the ranch. story order in which the plot car, Lennie’s bloody face after moves back in time to show events Curley’s beating and Curley’s wife Depth of Field: The area or that have taken place earlier than dreaming of becoming a movie field between the closest and far- those already shown. OF MICE star are all shot in close-up to thest planes captured by the cam- AND MEN is actually structured heighten mood and convey a cer- era in which everything appears in entirely in flashback, though this is tain cinematic intensity. sharp focus. A depth of field from not clear at first. The film opens

8 A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN with George riding alone in a dark Long shot: A framing in which When George and Lennie arrive at train car. That image dissolves and the scale of the object shown is not Tyler Ranch, their first encounter the story proceeds, causing the distant but relatively small. A stand- with the Boss is while he is eating viewer to forget about it. When this ing human figure, for example, gen- breakfast. A POV shot shows his image returns at the end of the erally appears nearly the height of oatmeal—and the walnuts he film, it is clear that George is the screen. In OF MICE AND crushes with an iron nutcracker— remembering his friend Lennie and MEN, Candy is introduced in a from their point of view. Although the events that led to his death. long shot: shown from head to toe George and Lennie have not had surrounded by barking dogs. The breakfast, he offers them nothing Focus: When light, people, woman in the ripped red dress is and scolds them for not arriving places and objects are captured on also introduced in a long shot that the day before. The man with the film showing sharp outlines and shows her running through a barley food also has the power, and the distinct textures through the field straight toward the camera. POV shot immediately establishes manipulating of the camera lens. this dynamic between George, There are different types of focus, Medium shot: A shot that Lennie and their employer. which are used to achieve specific shows human figures from the Wide angle: The use of a wide- effects. In OF MICE AND MEN, waist up. The first encounter angle lens to create a shot that the field workers are shot in sharp between George, Lennie and the captures a wide range of elements focus, which emphasizes the con- Boss at Tyler Ranch is composed or objects on a single plane while trast between their red and blue entirely of medium shots. Lennie at the same time exaggerating the clothing and the golden barley and George are shown from the distance between foreground and fields. In nighttime shots, soft waist up in shots that emphasize background planes. While Curley focus is achieved through diffused the extreme difference in their practices boxing with his speed lighting emanating from a concen- sizes. Similarly, the Boss is shot bag, a wide angle shot shows him trated source such as a kerosene from the waist up sitting at a desk. in the center of the frame, the lamp, which creates softer outlines Pan (or panning shot): A farmhouse to the left (where his and more subtle color tones. camera movement with the cam- wife reluctantly shells peas on the era body turning to the right or porch) and an old car at the Frame: The rectangular box that left. On the screen, it produces a right. While the Boss yells at contains the image projected on mobile framing, which scans hori- Curley from the porch to “knock the screen. This perimeter is one zontally. In OF MICE AND MEN, off that racket,” the wide angle of the filmmaker’s most important this type of shot is often used to shot captures all three family tools. The frame is the window link George and Lennie, empha- members in the frame yet also into the world of a film. Within it, sizing their strong connection and suggests their isolation from each shot is composed and the interdependence. Panning shots one another. edges of the frame allow the film can also emphasize movement. maker to create a picture. Movies When the bus drives past George Zoom: A lens which allows the were first known as moving pic- and Lennie walking along the road focal length—the distance tures, and this description is still to Tyler Ranch, the camera follows between the camera and the useful when considering the it in a panning shot, making it object being filmed—to change important role the frame plays as appear to move even faster than it during a single shot. The camera a compositional device. Through actually is. can zoom in by going closer to an the camera’s eye, the viewer is pre- object or it can zoom out by sented with images that convey the Point of View (POV) shot: pulling back from an object. In story. Within the frame, the film- A shot taken with the camera OF MICE AND MEN, the zoom maker creates several different placed where the character’s eyes lens is most often used to zoom types of shots, which are generally would be to show what the charac- out from a character. The zoom in characterized by the relationship ter would actually see. This type of is reserved for crucial moments, between the size of the elements in shot is usually cut in before or after such as when Curley’s wife con- the frame to each other and to the a shot of the character looking at fesses to Lennie that “Curley is frame itself. whatever the POV shot contains. not a nice fella.”

A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN 9 Steinbeck’s Relationships How does George explain his relationship with Translated from Novel to Screen Lennie to others? His explanation to the Boss at The numerous relationships in OF MICE AND MEN Tyler Ranch, for example, is very different from provide the story’s fundamental framework. While what he tells Slim. What do these conversations viewing the film, focusing on three types of relation- convey about George’s attitude toward Lennie and ships may reveal some differences in the two media. their relationship? While the relationship between George and Lennie is George’s feelings about his connection to Lennie at the heart of the novel, their interactions with other vary throughout the story. How are his anguish, characters reinforce the plot’s depth and complexity. frustration and affection for Lennie expressed in In addition, the relationship of the setting to these visual terms? Shot composition? Lighting? The characters and their actions should be observed. expressions and reactions of the actors? Finally, the relationship of the cinematic elements to character and theme should be a key focus. How does Lennie express his feelings about his rela- tionship with George in visual terms? Gestures? RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIEWING THE FILM Facial expressions? Conversations? Divide the class into groups before they view the film. The following questions cover three elements of the film: While watching the film, think about how the film- character, setting and cinematic relationships. Give each maker shows the relationship between the following group a different relationship on which to focus their characters: viewing of the film or each group may divide the questions equally among its members. George and Slim Curley and his wife Curley’s wife and George Curley’s wife and Lennie Candy and his old dog Lennie and his puppy Which other characters in the film do not seem to have relationships with anyone? What does this tell us about them? Look for parental relationships in this story. Curley and his father are the only blood relatives. Which relationships suggest the nurturing guidance or responsibility of a dominant parent and his depend- ent child? How are characters portrayed in both positive and negative ways? Are there good and bad characters, or are they a combination? For example, Crooks is referred to with a term with strongly negative con- notations. Why is he referred to this way? George calls Curley’s wife a “rat trap” when he first encoun- Questions on Character Relationships ters her—a judgment made after seeing her for just to Consider While Viewing the Film a few minutes. Why does he say this, and is he right How is the relationship between George and Lennie about her? expressed in the film through camera placement or shot selection? Through clothing, setting or spatial Except for Curley’s wife, men overwhelmingly dom- relationships? What types of shots reinforce their inate this film. What is it like for her to exist in this strong connection? environment? How does she react to it?

10 A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN Questions on the Relationship crane shots, for example. Why does the director between Setting and Other Elements choose to move the camera at these times, and how to Consider While Viewing the Film: does this help tell the story? Characterize the setting. What words and ideas What do the setting and other visual cues tell you would you use to describe it? How do various types about the time period? How do clothes, cars and of shots convey the film’s physical qualities other visual elements indicate that the film takes (e.g. landscapes, buildings, interiors)? place in the 1930s? The relationship of the story to its setting: Why does Try to time how long each scene is. One minute? Five the story take place in its particular time and place? minutes? Are some scenes longer than others? Why? The relationship of characters to setting. How do characters react to it and express their feelings Try to determine when one scene ends and another about their surroundings? begins. How does this give the film a certain rhythm? Note the importance of editing in the pac- Could the settings alone—without characters in ing of scenes and the film as a whole. them—convey anything about the people who live there and their relationships? How? Why do you think the actors were chosen? Type? Style? Look? Age? Questions on Cinematic How are the animals filmed? Why are they impor- Relationships to Consider tant to the story? While Viewing the Film Identify basic shots while you watch the film: long Which scenes are accompanied by music and shots, medium shots and close-ups. which are not? What is the effect of the scenes without music? How does music enhance or alter Notice when the camera moves—during panning or the other scenes?

A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN 11 POST-VIEWING MATERIALS: Understanding the Film/Novel Relationship—A List of Questions for Reflection Immediately After the Film

Directions: In brief, constructed responses answer three of the following questions based on your viewing of the film. How did seeing this film on a large theater screen affect your experience? How was it different than seeing it on a television screen? At what points during the film did you feel happy? Hopeful? Excited? Tense? Bored? Sad? Uncomfortable? List the film elements that con- tributed to these particular feelings. Select a specific moment or scene in the film and describe how the music influenced your feelings. Describe how some film techniques made you iden- tify with any particular character. Why? Suggested Post-viewing If you were the filmmaker, how might you have Classroom Activities made the film differently? What elements would Screenwriter Horton Foote has added several scenes you have changed? What elements would you leave to the film which are not present in the novel to the same? clarify certain parts of the story or to give certain characters more depth. Choose a character you Choose a scene from the film and consider how you would like to know more about and write a scene to would change one film technique (e.g. shot selec- add to the film. It can be in the form of a simple tion, lighting, music). Describe how the change story or narrative. Try including dialogue. would affect the scene. Imagine some of the places that are mentioned in the film but not shown: the “little place” with the rabbit hutch that George describes for Lennie; the Riverside Dance Palace where Curley meets his wife; the interior of the ranch house where Curley’s wife listens to her records (and where Curley smashes them). As the production designer for these scenes, create drawings of what they might look like. Sketch a storyboard of how you might arrange actors within these settings and how you might shoot a scene that takes place there. Choose a scene from the film and recreate its shots through simple sketches after reviewing the scene in class. Once the sketches are created, put them together the way they are edited in the film, and then re-edit the scene by rearranging the long shots, medium shots, and close-ups. Pick scenes from the novel that contain dialogue to read aloud in class. Some students can be the actors. Others might direct by asking their colleagues to read a line differently, with a certain emphasis, more quietly and so forth. Others could be assigned to hold the camera. How hard is it to read lines with a camera less than three feet away?

12 A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN The People Behind the Production To prepare for viewing the interview of Gary Sinise and other people behind the production of the film, read the following overview of the individual jobs involved in making a film.

Because it combines the novel with without the help of numerous generally overlooked by the the fundamentals of filmmaking, other artists and technicians. In moviegoing public, yet is essential Gary Sinise’s OF MICE AND MEN fact, the notion of the director as to the completion of any film. If can also be used to introduce stu- author is misleading, because it there is no script, there is no dents to the basic language of film. assumes the director does every- movie. While a novel is the creation of one thing—just like an author writes Production Designer: Before person, a film is a collaboration an entire book—which is not the one inch of film is shot, the pro- among many creative individuals. case. A director works at the center duction designer is the first artist In order to understand film as an of film production, but is inextri- to translate the script into visual art form, it is important to con- cably linked with dozens of other form. He or she creates a series of sider the jobs of the numerous people to get the job done. For OF storyboards that serve as the film’s individuals who work together to MICE AND MEN, Gary Sinise first draft. A storyboard is a series make the film a reality. served as both producer and direc- of sketches, paintings or watercol- tor, which is common with low- Producer: The person or group ors arranged on large panels to budget, independent productions. responsible for financing a film show the visual progression of the Although he wore two very impor- and managing the production story from one scene to the next. tant hats during this production, from start to finish. The producer The production designer deter- he depended on many others to develops the project from the ini- mines the palette of colors to be help make the film. tial idea, makes sure the script is used and often provides important finalized, arranges the financing, suggestions about the composition Screenwriter: Although John hires the personnel to make the of individual shots. Creating this Steinbeck created a play based on film and oversees its distribution sketch of the film on storyboards his own novel, he did not write the to theaters. The producer also also ensures the visual continuity screenplay. Screenwriter Horton coordinates the filmmaking of the film from start to finish. Foote, who has adapted both nov- process to ensure that everyone Storyboards serve as the director’s els (To Kill a Mockingbird) and involved in the project is working visual guide throughout the pro- plays (The Trip to Bountiful) to the on schedule and on budget. OF duction. In OF MICE AND MEN, screen, combined elements from MICE AND MEN was produced production designer David both Steinbeck’s novel and play by Russ Smith and Gary Sinise, Gropman created a palette of pri- into a single screenplay or shoot- who worked together to secure mary colors—yellow California ing script. While the dialogue in a financing and to organize the pro- hills and blue denim clothing of film may seem natural to the duction. Ironically, the producer’s the ranch hands—highlighted by viewer, it is carefully crafted by a role is often invisible to the movie- occasional but significant splashes writer. The screenwriter does far going public, who tends to focus of red: a bandana, a hat band, a more than provide dialogue for the on actors and directors. Yet, with- ripped red dress. actors. He or she also shapes the out the producer at the helm, films sequence of events in a film to Art Director: The art director do not get made. ensure that one scene leads logi- is responsible for the film’s set- Director: The individual prima- cally to the next and the film tells tings: the buildings, landscapes rily responsible for overseeing the its story in a logical and interesting and interiors that provide the shooting and assembly of a film. way. When using a novel or play as physical context for the characters. He or she is most directly respon- a starting point, the screenwriter Art direction and production sible for the picture’s final appear- inevitably rearranges, adds or design is often and easily confused. ance. The director is sometimes eliminates scenes to make sure the While the production designer referred to as the author or auteur final order or sequence of scenes determines the big picture—the of a film because of his or her makes sense when presented on overall appearance, color palette essential involvement with its cre- the screen. The screenwriter also and basic visual composition of ation. While the director might be includes descriptions of settings the film—the art director provides compared to a novel’s author as a and often suggests movements or the individual pieces within this film’s primary visionary, he or she gestures for the actors. Like the framework, which includes every- would not be able to make the film producer, the screenwriter’s role is thing but the actors themselves. In

A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN 13 OF MICE AND MEN, art directors and costume designer have finished the assembly of several shorter Dan Davis, Karen Schulz and Cheryl their work on the film’s physical shots in rapid succession, height- T. Smith recreated 1930s downtown elements, the director of photogra- ens the pace and reinforces the Salinas, complete with Main Street phy, or DP, is responsible for cap- action or emotion taking place on storefronts and automobiles from turing their handiwork on celluloid. the screen. This process is known the period. They also determined The DP is an expert in photo- as editing. the locations for each significant graphic processes, lighting and the Actors: For the audience, actors place in the film, from the Tyler camera’s technical capabilities. are the most visible and tangible Ranch to the sheltered grove where When the director wants a shot to part of the production. While they George and Lennie meet by the achieve certain visual or atmos- are obviously essential to any film, river. Tyler Ranch, where most of pheric qualities, the DP achieves it they are pieces in a much larger the film takes place, makes Lennie through his or her choice of light- puzzle. Behind every actor is a immediately uncomfortable. While ing, film stock and careful manipu- director guiding his or her per- this is certainly due in part to his lation of the camera. In this film, formance, a cinematographer cre- stormy initial encounters with the cinematographer Kenneth ating the perfect light and film characters that live there, the ranch’s MacMillan photographed the exposure, a screenwriter providing physical characteristics are far from Salinas Valley of California, captur- plot and dialogue, an art director inviting. The bunkhouse is cheaply ing its golden hills and dusty sun- designing the physical environ- built with a dusty wood floor and shine in shots that lovingly recreate ment and a costume designer pro- knotted planks that let in daylight. the area’s striking yet harsh beauty. viding the proper attire. Even the farmhouse, with its peeling During shooting, the director and Considering an actor’s role within paint and broken screen door, con- cinematographer work closely to this larger context also suggests veys a sense of neglect that rein- shape each shot, using the story- that his or her job is much more forces the film’s undercurrents of boards created by the production difficult than just appearing on the loneliness and isolation. Although designer as a guide. This craft is set and reciting lines. these details are subtle, they suggest referred to as cinematography. how the story can be complemented Music: Music has been an integral by the film’s physical elements. This Editor: Shortly after shooting part of movies since their invention craft is referred to as art direction. begins, the editor begins to organize in the 1890s. Even the simplest the footage—known as the daily silent films were accompanied by a Costume Designer: Costumes rushes—and arranges individual piano or organ player. The silent convey a great deal about the film’s shots into one continuous sequence. movie palaces of the 1920s were time period and the characters who Even in a single scene, dozens of dif- equipped with elaborate organs and wear them, their economic status, ferent shots have to be chosen and orchestra pits to accommodate large occupation and attitude toward assembled from hundreds of feet groups of live musicians. When themselves. Costume designer Shay of film. The editor’s choices about sound was integrated into the film- Cunliffe outfitted George, Lennie which shots to use and the order making process, music, sound and the Tyler Ranch hands in worn in which to place them have a pro- effects and dialogue became essen- denim work clothes, yet distin- found effect on the appearance of tial tools for enhancing a film’s guished each man from the other the final film. OF MICE AND visual qualities. Writing movie through different hats, a mix of MEN’S editor Robert L. Sinise music has been a full-time profes- plaid and solid shirts, and other used a juxtaposition of shots and sion since the 1930s and is still a small but significant details. Slim’s a number of cuts to give each critical component in filmmaking. gray sweat-stained hat, Curley’s scene its own rhythm. In scenes Composer Mark Isham created a black leather glove and the cotton that reveal the film’s Salinas Valley score for OF MICE AND MEN A-line dresses worn by Curley’s wife setting, fewer, lengthier shots sug- reminiscent of the music of Aaron are among the carefully selected ele- gest the landscape’s vast, monu- Copeland in its distinctly American ments that are woven together in mental qualities. To quicken the melodies comprised largely of this essential aspect of the film. action in other scenes—men strings and woodwinds. In some Cinematographer: After the working in the fields or playing sequences, banjos lend the film a production designer, art director horseshoes—quicker cutting, or regional folk quality.

14 A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN Questions and Activities for the Sinise Interview RECOMMENDATION: Teachers should show students the videotaped interview of Gary Sinise after students have viewed and discussed the film.

Questions and Activities for the Interview Videotape How did Gary Sinise become interested in producing a film version of OF MICE AND MEN? List the steps he took to produce the film. What did screenwriter Horton Foote consider before writing the screenplay?

What is a “buddy movie”?

With what change from the novel does Gary Sinise choose to start the film? Why?

What are the characteristics of Gary Sinise’s directing style?

How did production designer David Gropman prepare for his role in the film? Assessments Cite some problems the production designer faced. It is recommended that teachers and students who have participated in the “A Novel Look at Film” What problems did Gary Sinise face with casting his program complete the first assessment. actors? How did he solve those problems? Compose a letter to James Hindman, Co-Director According to Gary Sinise, what made it easy to adapt and Chief Operating Officer of AFI, to thank the the novel to film? organization for coordinating the project. In the let- ter, describe your film-going experience and how What adjustments to the plot did Gary Sinise make? your understanding of the novel or the theme of How did Gary Sinise choose to portray Crooks? relationships was affected. How did Gary Sinise choose to portray Curley’s wife? Answer three essential questions for the Relationships Unit after reading the novel; then What scenes were added that were not in the novel? answer them again after viewing the film and the Why were they added? Sinise interview. List the differences, if any, in those responses. What change in the ending does Sinise give the film? Why? Gary Sinise had a dream to make the novel Of Mice and Men into a film. He had to consider many fac- What is the affect, in the last shot at the river, of tors and face many choices before his dream became George being bigger than Lenny in the frame? reality. Write a well-organized essay about the rela- In a brief, constructed response, explain Sinise’s mes- tionship of a novel to a film. Support your ideas with sage about relationships. appropriate details, examples from the interview with Gary Sinise and your study of the novel and the film. RECOMMENDED ACTIVITY Choose language carefully to express your ideas In small groups, create a list of questions you would like to clearly to a student who has not been involved with ask Gary Sinise or other members of the production crew. the “A Novel Look at Film” project.

A NOVEL LOOK AT FILM • OF MICE AND MEN 15 AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE JEAN PICKER FIRSTENBERG Director and CEO JAMES HINDMAN Co-Director and COO RAYMOND BARRY Director, AFI Silver Theatre DAVID A. COLE Executive Consultant, AFI Silver Theatre STEVE MONTAL Director, Educational and Special Program Development Guide prepared by CHRISTINA WILSON and MATTHEW BORATENSKI Guide designed by AURAS Video produced by MERLE GOLDBERG Video edited by SUE HIRSHON Photos taken by ANDREW COOPER copyright 1992 MGM The American Film Institute would like to thank the following organizations for their invaluable assistance with this project: METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER, INC. MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SPRINT REGAL CINEMAS

OF MICE AND MEN HORTON FOOTE Screenwriter GARY SINISE Director, Producer, and Actor DAVID GROPMAN Production Designer

MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS DR. JERRY WEAST Superintendent JUDIE MUNTNER Associate Superintendent of Instruction and Program Development DALE FULTON Director, Department of Curriculum and Instruction ERICK LANG Director, High School Academic Initiatives ESTELENE BORATENSKI MATTHEW BORATENSKI DEBORAH WILCHEK VICKI ADAMSON

SPRINT DAVID P. THOMAS Executive Director, Sprint Foundation MICHAEL FLEMING Group Manager, Sprint Field Corporate Relations

The American Film Institute, the nation’s preeminent arts organization dedicated to advancing and preserving the art of the moving image, is committed to informing the general public about the artistic and cultural significance of the motion picture. In collaboration with the Montgomery County Public Schools, AFI has prepared this guide to assist teachers with presenting the 1992 film OF MICE AND MEN, directed by Gary Sinise, in conjunction with John Steinbeck’s 1937 novel. This film provides an excellent opportunity to educate students about the medium of film while reinforcing the literary significance of Steinbeck’s story. The guide is designed to provide examples of how to use film language to complement the study of the novel in the classroom.