Adaptation Theory A Brief Introduction

1) Adaptations: typology 1)Medium (intermediality) a)Literary text → literary text (no change of medium) b)Literary text → film, play, musical, etc. (change of medium) c)Theme park, video game, etc. (change of medium, interactivity)

1) Adaptations: typology 2)Faithfulness a)Literal b)Faithful c)Loose

1) Adaptations: typology 3)Narrative a)Prequel b)Parallelquel c)Sequel

1) Adaptations: typology – Adaptation chain

2) Adaptations: original vs. inferior remake Adaptation is always “inferior” to the “original” because it is not original “Part of this pleasure [gained from adaptations], I want to argue, comes simply from repetition with variation, from the comfort of ritual combined with the piquancy of surprise.” (Hutcheon 4) Outstanding works in one medium can only be inferior in another Mediocre literary works – good “raw material” for (film)adaptation Fundamental question in analysis: how does the adaptation INTERPRET the source text? (invented scenes)

3) Film adaptations: basic assumptions Intertextual relationship between adapted text and adaptation Change of medium (verbal to visual language) → necessary changes, problem areas –Narration –Point of view –Style –Allusions Essential elements of film narratives: –Mise en scène (frame – similar to paintings, static arrangement of objects; fluid choreography – similar to theatre) – e.g. shots, angles, light and dark, colour, lenses, filters, camera movement, editing –Narrative (realistic/formalistic), dialogues, acting, music