Final answer:
Changes in movie adaptations like The Gift of the Magi from story to film often include the addition of special effects, detailed costume and set design, and modifications to character's line delivery, to better suit the visual and auditory nature of film storytelling.
Step-by-step explanation:
When adapting the short story The Gift of the Magi to a movie format, details may be deleted or added to enhance the storytelling, match the medium's capabilities, or to fit within certain time constraints. Significant cuts or changes to the script are not uncommon. For instance, some special effects that are unique to film, such as lighting and sound design, might be added to create a more engaging atmosphere or to emphasize emotional moments that in literature would be conveyed through descriptive language. These effects can also influence the audience's perception of the story.
Costume choice and set design are also more pronounced in film than in literature. The choice of costumes might be made to reflect the period accurately or to provide visual symbolism that enhances the narrative. Similarly, set design helps to establish the setting and mood, which can be richly described on the page but needs to be visually represented in a movie.
As for the actors' delivery of lines, it can range from serious to comical, realistic to formal, depending on the director's interpretation of the story. Significant actions or gestures could be added to provide nuance to the characters' emotions and intentions, contributing to the film's meaning in ways that might be more directly stated by the author in written form.
Changes made from the story to film adaptation are often a result of translating a story from a text-based medium to a visual and auditory one, aiming to capture the essence of the original while taking advantage of the strengths of film as a medium.