My thesis deals with the problem of adaptation from literature to film through three German examples. I explore this question in the following novels and films: Professor Unrat by Heinrich Mann, Die Blechtrommel by Günter Grass, and Das Parfum: Die Geschichte eines Mörders by Patrick Süskind; Der Blaue Engel by Josef von Sternberg, Die Blechtrommel by Volker Schlöndorff, and Das Parfum: Die Geschichte eines Mörders by Tom Tykwer. In my introduction I discuss the evolution of film as an art form, from moving pictures through silent film to modern cinema. Here I also compare the filmic medium with theater and literature in order to determine its multifaceted quality as a work of art.

All three films take a different perspective on the sexual issues presented in the novels. In Der Blaue Engel, the main focus shifts from social critique to the sensual beauty played by Marlene Dietrich. In Die Blechtrommel, Oskar's mother takes on the role of a femme fatale. In Das Parfum, the main character's sexual drive is less important than his characterization as lonely individual. Each of my three main chapters deals with one of the above examples, examining in depth how diverse aspects of the novels are "translated" into film.