Chris wrote:
"A PROPOSAL IN RESPONSE TO DOHERTIAN "BOOK/MOVIE" ISSUES What
would you say to a differentiation between "adaptation"
ad
"translation"? A "translation" can be a direct, blow-by-blow,
reproduction in film terms of what occurs in the book.
"Adaptation," by contrast," can involve changes to make the
material work in its new circumstances. Sorta like the
difference between "Messiah" involving Handel's own
orchestrations and the version put together by Mozart. My
basic feeling: They're two differing approaches. One is not
*better* than the other, they're just contrasting methods of
dealing with material-to-be-filmed. Direct translations are
very nice -- WHEN THEY WORK. But, then, imaginative play with
the material is fine, too. I love both "Do Androids Dream of
Electric Sheep" and the Ridley Scott/David Peoples
"Blade Runner", f'rinstance ... and they have virtually
nothing to do with each other."
Has any PK Dick adaptation ever had much to do with the
source material?
Chris, I like your translation/adaptation distinction, but
I'd like to go one further. How about interpretation, as in
jazz? The source material, the notes on the page, is nothing
more than a starting point for a performer, who is supposed
to offer his/her own reading. There is no one, true version.
It's considered boring and extraneous if the performer adds
nothing new, does nothing more than copy a previous version
of the song. Much the same goes for rock -- why record a
version of an old song if you have nothing to add to
it?
True, these examples do not involve a shift from one medium
to another, like book to film, but I think it could be used
to distinguish between approaches. So translation could apply
to those filmmakers who try their hardest to offer the same
experience as the book, just adding pictures. Adaptation
would apply to those who try to honor the book, but see the
film as a collaboration with the writer. Interpretation would
describe those who only consider the book as a starting
point, to do with as they will, for instance, Blade Runner,
as you noted, Diva, Long Goodbye and Kiss Me Deadly.
Mark
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