Film Adaptation

1. WHO?

Johnny Depp. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikimedia 

Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2014.

John Christopher Depp II (Johnny Depp), actor and director, is an impeccable choice for the role of Siddhartha in this screenplay. Mr. Depp has proven his ability to play the lead role in a multitude of cinemas that follow the protagonist along their journey such as Pirates of the Caribbean.  He is known for winning many awards including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor which illustrate his exceptional theatrical performances.  Johnny Depp has the ability to depict the feelings and emotions of Siddhartha such as suffering and enlightenment as he journeys to find meaning.  This is evident in his leading performances in motion pictures such as The Lone Ranger, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.  Not only is Johnny Depp a magnificent choice for this role, but he attracts large audiences to films in which he stars.

Brad Pitt. Digital image. Brad Pitt. Phootoscelebrities,

18 July 2014. Web. 11 Oct. 2014.

William Bradley Pitt (Brad Pitt), actor and producer, is a valuable asset to any film and therefore should be starred in this cinema as Govinda, the companion of Siddhartha for critical portions of Siddhartha's journey.  Govinda has various important roles in this film including leaving Siddhartha's side to find his own enlightenment.  Pitt is well-known for starring in many history films including Troy and 12 Years a Slave.  Mr. Pitt and his scores of fans can attest to his ability to play this role by referring to his Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.   Brad Pitt is a foolproof actor for this role because he is able to support the leading actor with great ease and success as well as attract large audiences of all age and gender to the film's debut.

Mila Kunis Hair Styles. Digital image. OK Magazine.

N.p., 21 Nov. 2013. Web. 11 Oct. 2014.

Milena Markovna Kunis (Mila Kunis), American television and cinema actress, is a fitting choice for the role of Kamala in this screenplay based on her experience as a supporting female role.  Her roles in movies such as Ted display her ability to play the role of Kamala, a women who is able to use Siddhartha's won thoughts to enlighten him.  Ms. Kunis' experience includes a leading role in the television series That 70's Show, the comedy film Ted, as well as many other successful performances of such nature.  Mila Kunis will not only add a flavorful twist to the motion picture, but will also attract audiences of both males and females.

Jack Gleeson. Digital image. IMDb.

IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

Jack Gleeson, Irish actor, is a first-rate selection to play the role of Siddhartha's son.  Gleeson plays the role of Joffrey Baratheon in the television series Game of Thrones.  In this role he plays the arrogant and cruel king as he shows no sympathy, orders women beaten, and asks his siblings be killed.  Mr. Gleeson is the best choice for the role of Siddhartha's son because he can easily take the acting skills he learned shooting the Game of Thrones series and use them to properly portray Siddhartha's son as an arrogant and disrespectful child.  Gleeson has the ability to portray Siddharthas son in a manner no other actor would be able to do because of his experience playing the role of Joffrey in the Game of Thrones series.

Morgan Freeman. Digital image. IMDb.

IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

Morgan Freeman, actor and director, is an excellent choice for the role of Vasudeva in this screenplay.  Vasudeva is a wise man who is able to enlighten Siddhartha on the last portion of his journey for meaning within the world.  Mr. Freeman has the ability to best portray the enlightenment of Siddhartha as already known to millions of audiences around the globe after watching films such as Bruce Almighty and the Batman trilogy.  Morgan Freeman is the perfect choice to fill the role of Vasudeva because he has experience in playing supporting roles that help the protagonist find enlightenment.

Torvik, Sara. Robert Downey Jr. Digital 

image. Shalom Life. N.p., 19 Sept. 2014. 

Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

Robert John Downey Jr., actor and producer, is a splendid pick for the role of Kamaswami in this depiction of Hesse's novel, Siddhartha, because he has played many a role in which he is depicted as not forthcoming of advise and sometimes quite lazy.   In the Iron Man series, from which Mr. Downey gained most of his fame, he illustrates a protagonist that is sometimes disrespectful of authority figures and was born into a wealthy family.  While he is known for playing multiple roles in films in which he is the leading actor, Robert Downey Jr. is the proper choice for this role because he can easily take his strengths from such movies and use it to correctly portray Kamaswami with characteristics such as a wealthy man finding refuge in the city and disregarding the advise of others.

Mark Harmon. Digital image. IMDb.

IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

Thomas Mark Harmon (Mark Harmon), actor and producer, is a perfect choice for the role of Buddha in this screenplay because of his experience in acting and contributing philosophies in front of the camera.  On the infamous television series NCIS, Mark Harmon executes the role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former marine sniper currently a detective at the NCIS agency.  As a detective he relays to his team his philosophy on life, a list of rules, as they investigate naval crimes.  Mark Harmon has the ability to represent Buddha in this cinema because of his experience in leadership roles in front of a camera as well as his portrayal of philosophy for large audiences.




2. WHERE?

As the director of the motion picture Siddhartha: A Journey for Meaning, I would film each scene in the infamous New York City.  New York City is the perfect place to film a movie referring to one's search for meaning in a world that seems to have none because many people walk through the city each and every day going from placed to place without even stopping to talk in the beauty and meaning that can be found within the city streets of the "Big Apple."  In the streets of New York City can be found various objects and people that hold meaning.  For example, it is nearly impossible to walk through NYC and not pass a homeless man or woman begging for money, some of which are military veterans.  Enlightenment may seem hard to find in all of the chaos of such a buzzing city like NEw York City, but in reality when you take the time to behold the world laid in front of you it is nearly impossible to miss the meaning found within everything around you.

3. WOULD YOU MAKE ANY CHANGES?

As director of this film I am proposing two alternatives to display in the creation of this work.  My first recommendation is to remove the sexual encounters between Siddhartha and Kamala because I believe that a women does not need to give a man her body in order to teach him meaning.  I think using sexual acts to teach a man is a completely illogical way of thinking.  My second recommendation of change for this film is to add another central character to the journey of Siddhartha's enlightenment, Siddhartha's mother.  The relationship between Siddhartha and his father as well as that between Siddhartha and his son are important along Siddhartha's journey but I believe another relationship added to the plot between Siddhartha and his mother would increase Siddhartha's enlightenment of meaning in the world.  A mother has the ability to give compassionate insight to their children and I feel this would benefit Siddhartha along his journey.