The Theory of Adaptation
SudhaVariar
Kottayam: SudhaVariar, 2001
pp.48 Rs.35/-
A slim volume in Malayalam with forty eight pages –The Theory of Adaptation– it won the state award for the best book on cinema for the year 2001. The author, Dr. SudhaVariar is well known to people of Kerala, especially Thiruvananthapuram as an author, critic and teacher of cinema. Her own doctorate is on the subject of “Film and Literature – A Comparative Study of the Works of VasilyShukshin and M.T. Vasudevan Nair”. This book deals with the adaptation of literary works to films. It is a serious and academic book on the subject and uses the methods of analysis and case studies to evolve a theory of adaptation. In the introductory chapter the author deals with the history of adaptation from literature to cinema all over the world. In the remaining chapters she discusses the adaptation of literary works to cinema in the field of Malayalam cinema. She takes up specific films which are adaptations from literary works for this anlaysis. She has taken the specific instances of a short story which is expanded into a film (Nirmalyam –M.T. Vasudevan Nair from the short story written by the same person titled “PallivalumKalchilambum”), a novel which is shortened into a film (DaivathinteVikrithikal – Lenin Rajendran, based on the novel of M. Mukundan with the same title), a novel which lays emphasis on human emotions, relationships and the psychological aspects of a human mind (K.P. Kumaran’s “Rukmini” based on Kamala Das’s novella “RukminikkoruPavakkutty”), a realistic story with special emphasis on relationships (AdoorGopalakrishnan’s “Vidheyan” based on Paul Zachariah’s “BhaskaraPattelarumNanum”), and various other works such as Aravindan’s “Chidambaram” based on C.V. Sriraman’s short story of the same name and “Kaliyattam” by Jayaraj based on Shakespeare’s “Othello”. One is attracted to the book because of the unusual insights offered in the course of analysis and the language used which is pithy, lucid and weighty Malayalam. Though it is a slim volume, these qualities give an academic and research-oriented quality to this book. It could very well be used as a text book for the film appreciation courses. Dr. Sudha has also attempted to give a theoretical base for the art of adaptation from literature to cinema. The theoretical hints are arrived at by using specific films and treating them like case studies. It won’t be out of place to come to the conclusion that this book can be used as a prologue to the formation of an Indian or Kerala Film Theory. As this is the first step towards initiating film study as a subject at the university level, this volume will come in very handy to the syllabus makers, students and teachers. The readers may not agree with the totality of the analysis of the individual films. However, there is no doubt that the author has studied the films carefully and made her analysis from the point of view of adaptation, credible. However, this reviewer would like to offer what may be considered as an extension to the theory of adaptation from one medium namely literature to another medium, namely, cinema. As these are two mediums with a different language, grammar, syntax and style, it is very important to use the literary work only as reference point and change the very structure and form when it is made into a film. Though the adaptations quoted have shown a great deal of innovativeness in the technique of adaptation, they all have in general remained very faithful in structure and form, to the literary works. While this is probably a good trait, it limits the scope of the films from a purely filmic point of view. As earlier pointed out,a film based on a literary work should use the literary work only as a reference point and then go on to create a film which, without any reference to the literary work can be an excellent one. As examples one can quote Aravindan’s “KanchanaSeetha”(using Sreekantan Nair’s play with the same title) or Kurasova’s “Ran” (based on Shakespeare’s King Lear), and his “Throne of Blood” (based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth). This point is raised just to show that adaptation reaches a new level of aesthetics when it excels not only as an adaptation, but as an independent work. Another point which occurred to this writer while reading this well written book is an extension of the theory of adaptation by a reversal of the process; instead of adaptation of literature to film, adaptation of film to literature. As the film begins with a script, which is a literary effort, we assume that the order of adaptation also should be the same – from literature to film. Now, film has grown so much and there are many film makers who write their own scripts, for example: AdoorGopalakrishnan, Aravindan, John Abraham etc. In such cases, the script is written from the point of view of camera angles, editing, misceenscen etc. The progression of the scenes are dependent on misceenscen and not just dialogue and action and continuity. It does not always follow the principles of beginning, development, climax and resolution. Many a time the film begins with the end of the story and goes back as a flash back. Again in film, progression is not linear; the fragmentation is inevitable. So, even if there is continuity it does not follow a linear pattern. There are other factors such as ambiguity and abstraction which are used frequently as a tool. Montage prompts the viewers to read meanings in between the shots. So if literary works were based on the films (I do not mean the film scripts as they are presented, in a text form, but film versions adapted to literary versions), I wonder what would happen. It may help the literary works having a greater visual and aural quality. It may also help see continuity through fragmentation and not straight narration. As literature has only one tool to perform its function, the written word, this would prove to be very difficult. But, for that same reason it may turn out to be a challenging effort. This may also help the film theorists to realise that film theory should not be so dependent on literary theory.
VASANTHI
SANKARANARAYANAN
Contributor
VASANTHI SANKARANARAYANAN:Eminent writer, critic and translator. Her doctoral work was on Malayalam Cinema: Society and Politics of Kerala. Has translated profusely from Malayalam to English and vice versa.