Adaptation itself is debated among scholars and critics. It
is considered to be both a process and a product, “repetition without
replication,” and “both (re-)interpretation and then (re-)creation.” Works may
be adapted from one format to another - from a poem into a song or a novel into
a musical. An example is The Wreck of the
Edmund Fitzgerald by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot[1].
In this case, song lyrics were written about an actual historical event, but
the music used was a “mournful melody of an
old Irish folk song.”[2]
So, both the historical record of the event and the music it is set to were
adapted to create the song. Adaptations may also be from existing stories that
have been reinterpreted or recreated from a different point of view; think of
the musical Wicked (from the alleged
villain’s point of view) as opposed to The
Wizard of Oz[3].
In this case, both format and point
of view were adapted, as Wicked (the musical)
is based on a novel, the novel is based on a movie, and the movie is based on
yet another novel[4]. Further, historical
events may be fictionalized, as is seen with nearly every Clive Cussler novel[5].
This includes Sahara, which was then
adapted into a movie starring Matthew McConaughey in 2005[6].
Also, think of the blockbuster movie Braveheart,
which was based on the medieval Scotsman, William Wallace[7].
Adaptations can be relayed to audiences in different ways,
and there are three modes of engagement. Telling, showing, and interacting each
allow different levels of participation with works. Oral traditions, novels,
poetry, and the written word in general, allow for the audience to participate
within their own imaginations; consequently, visual images are created within
the viewers’ mind’s-eye. When a work is shown to an audience (in the form of
film, television, or photography), the aforementioned mental images have already
been created by the artist in advance. While this removes that portion of
participation from the viewer, it allows the mind to make associations with
previous works or experiences in that viewer’s existence. What does that image
remind me of that I have seen in my past? How does that tie into the present
viewing experience? With the interacting form of engagement, the viewer is most
actively involved. This includes role play scenarios (such as Civil War
reenactments), but the most common form comes with a joystick or game console.
Video games allow the player to most actively participate in the narrative,
though it may not remain true to the original story line if based on a literary
work. However, as long as the story’s theme remains intact, the form is able to
change in accordance with adaptation theorists criteria.
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