Pathway: The Adaptation Process by Nida Sheriff

Why are you sad?

Tilda Swinton in 1920's getup. Not used in film. Vita Sackville-West?

Last scenes.

Last scenes.

Last scenes

Costume decisions. Leather jacket?

Story breakdown including the 20th century birth of Orlando's daughter and present day.

Begins with "Death", ends with "Birth"

The future begins now.

The present moment. How much of the 20th century needs to be shown?

Immortality

Orlando returns to the Oak Tree

Sally Potter's musings on whether or not Virginia Woolf would approve of the modernisation of the story. She also mentions the overriding themes of the film being much more than simply gender and how Orlando's life comes full circle through love and ultimately loss.

Woolf's ideas about women. In the novel, Orlando thrives when left alone in her house to write and recollect and reflect on memories. In the film, however, Orlando has a daughter (instead of a son) who remains present and who makes an impact on her life. It should be mentioned that the child actor playing Orlando's daughter is in fact Tilda Swinton's own daughter.

A slightly more refined approach to Potter's divisive treatment of the narrative.

The book divided into themed "areas" of time and space.

"Keep the momentum going" - Potter has mentioned the first half of the book is "stronger" than the second female half and she hopes to make the second half as dynamic to keep the momentum going of Orlando's discoveries.

End of Virginia Woolf's novel. When does the book end? When does the novel end? Why?

Themes of time and sexual identity and love

In the last line, Potter mentions Orlando entering the present moment.

Orlando speaks to the camera. Breaking the fourth wall and giving the viewer deeper insight into Orlando's musings as a man or woman.

An obvious attempt by Sally Potter to bring the theme of gender to the forefront. This scene was not used in the final film where Orlando seems to make an almost effortless transition from living life as a man to living life as a woman.

The scene of Orlando's transition.

In the rough draft there is no relationship between Orlando and the Turkish dignitary which obviously was decided upon later in the process, perhaps to strengthen the themes of gender roles and expectations.

Several scenes that were not kept/left out of the finished film. Why? Sally Potter seems to have divided the chapters in the book representing chronological periods in Sackvilles/Orlando's life into periods of learning and social commentary.

Sally Potter thinks about music - Elizabethan music and music to reflect the bleak winter of the book.