From Novels To Movies:A Comparative Study Of <Lu Fan Yan Shi> And <Coming Home>

Zhang Yimou’s film <Coming home> is adapted from a novel of Yan Geling’s: <Lu Fan Yan Shi>.Since the film is only about Lu Yanshi’s prison-break and home-return by the end of the Cultural Revolution,there is no foreshadowing of the previous,thus a lot of changes have been made to the characters,plots and other aspects.This paper first analyzes the novel <Lu Fan Yan Shi> from three aspects: historical background,theme structure,and the relationship between the characters,then makes a comparison between the novel and film in four aspects: the historical background,the main structure,the relationship between the characters and the plot emendation.This paper is consists of four parts:Chapter one introduces the life and works of Yan Geling and the director,Zhang Yimou.The second chapter first analyzes the writing background of the novel,then the immense historical background.of the novel,from six periods: the period of the Republic of China,the AntiJapanese War,the liberation war,the initial period of new China,the Great Leap Forward period,the "Cultural Revolution" period and the reform and opening up period.Then the author analyzes the theme structure of Lu Yan’s four pursuits of freedom and love.The first time is studying abroad and making a Italian girlfriend,the second having a mistress in Chongqing,the third return to his family,escaped from prison for Wan Yu,and the fourth time trying to bring back Wan Yu’s memory of him as she suffers Alzheimer.At last,the author analyzes the complicated relationship of the characters from three time periods: before,during and after prison.The third chapter makes a comparison between the novel and the film.The first section compares the historical background of the novel and the film,which was reserved as well as weakened.The second section compares the theme structure of the novel and the film,which mainly focuses on the pursuing of love.The third section compares the characters’ relationship in the novel and the film from two periods: the time of the prison break,and after release from the prison.The fourth section analyzes the additions and deletions and other changes on the film.The fourth chapter is the conclusion.