Dialogue in No Country for Old Men and The Road : A Look at Dialogue in Adaptations

Abstract

In Cormac McCarthy’s writing dialogue and spoken words are often kept short and precise. Saying as little as possible, without revealing too much. In terms of dialogue, what then is said becomes essential for the reader in order to understand themes and characters in the novel. In this thesis the dialogue from the novels No Country for Old Men and The Road will be analysed and compared with the cinematic versions. How does dialogue adapt and change for the audience of a film compared to the reader of a novel? When so little is said in the novel, yet with a lot of meaning, how can dialogue be adapted to the cinematic screen without compromising the meaning behind?