Three Prompts on Film Adaptation

There are three parts with three different prompts (no introductions or conclusions)

PART A –  INTERTEXTUALITY (2 pages minimum)

BACKGROUND: Intertextuality refers to the interdependent ways in which texts stand in relation to one another (as well as to the culture at large) to produce meaning. They can influence each other, be derivative of, parody, reference, quote, contrast with, build on, draw from, or even inspire each other. Knowledge does not exist in a vacuum, and neither does literature, writes Richard Norquist.

In the Broadway musical Hamilton, author Lin-Manuel Miranda fuses musical elements from a wide array of influences, quoting liberally from hip hop, rap, musical theatre, the 1960s British Invasion, Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and many more. Additionally, historical documents like the Federalist Papers, Biblical scripture and personal correspondence find their way into the musicals lyrics. While Ron Chernows biography of Alexander Hamilton may serve as biographical source material, Miranda endeavors to craft an intertextual experience as a piece of theatre, wherein the many elements he cites allow him to examine American history from a modern point of view, riddled with references to other texts, artistic movements and political points of view.

PROMPT:
Using the song ALEXANDER HAMILTON (the opening song), research and examine the intertextual references, both explicit and implicit, in Lin-Manuel Mirandas writing. How does the author meld musical and historical information within this particular song? Why does he choose to reference the particular artists which inspire his lyrics and music? And, perhaps, most important, to what end does Miranda’s intertextual approach craft a message about the inheritors of Hamiltons America? Please cite sources.

PART B –  CREATIVE WRITING- HABITAT TRACKING AND SUBJECTIVITY (2 pages minimum)

BACKGROUND: Stories conceived in previous eras and adapted from various cultures (including Greek mythology, Shakespeare’s plays and Biblical tales) have been appropriated as the basis for movies with vastly different goals than the source material may have intended, breathing new life into ancient tales.

For example, director Kurasawa grafted Noh theatre concepts onto Shakespeares Macbeth for the film Throne Of Blood, using the tale to address Eastern concepts of greed and power in a vastly different manner than Shakespeares play intended, rooted as it was in the Great Chain Of Being. Spike Lees Chi-Raq redressed Lysistrata to examine modern day issues of race, violence and sexuality. In this way, older narratives migrate to new media as well as differing genres and cultures, ensuring that these stories thrive and survive.

PROMPT:
Using one Greek myth from DAulaires Book of Myths, write a new version of the story with an eye toward addressing a contemporary political, social or cultural issue within the tale.

Book of myths: https://www.slideshare.net/JefferyLong4/daulaires-book-of-greek-myths-60388534?fbclid=IwAR37ks3RFkS6reAXEHoeNFNF5-A9I3znY60dV2enF3VXmsEAFYKRticq_RE

Some rules:

1- Write your story as a first-person narrative, ensuring a subjective experience for the reader and crafting a clear point of view for the protagonist.

2- Set your version in a specific genre such as science fiction, fantasy, American history, horror or romantic comedy.

3- Follow the tenets of The Heros Journey in crafting this new tale. (https://blog.reedsy.com/heros-journey/)

4- Include every major character from the source material, though they may be reimagined and renamed.

5- Include one idea or character NOT found in the source material. (Add a character or idea)

6- Write a paragraph detailing how your story utilized the characters and adapted the ideas of this particular Greek myth to address a contemporary issue, giving new life to an old tale.

PART C-  BAZINS “EQUIVALENCY OF MEANING IN FORMS” AND THE ISSUE OF FIDELITY (2 pages minimum)

BACKGROUND: “Faithfulness to form, literary or otherwise, is illusory…The style of a literary work is its body but not its soul. And it is not impossible for the artistic soul to manifest itself through another incarnation. – Andre Bazin

According to Bazin, the adaptation process often necessitates changes in a narrative while maintaining an equivalence of meaning in its new form. Further, fidelity to source material is not a requirement in crafting a narrative to fit a different medium. Consequently, plot, structure, point of view, setting, genre and other elements are subject to alteration in any adaptation.

For instance, The Hunger Games opening chapter defined the play world and the audiences relationship to the film in a manner quite differently than Susan Collins first person narrative. Additionally, the film Adaptation (2002) crafted an entirely new narrative while attempting to investigate the core concepts found in The Orchid Thief.

PROMPT:
Using a film adaptation derived from a novel, short story or other source material of your choosing, detail how the film does or does not remain faithful to the original work.

Address the following issues:

1. Is this a literal, traditional or radical adaptation? In what way?
2. Does the film attempt to retain “an equivalence in meaning,” the core essence, of the original work? More specifically- what thematic and narrative elements migrate from the source material into the new medium and in what way does the new version adhere to the concept of fidelity, if at all?
3. Examine and detail the particulars of the mise-en-scene in the cinematic adaptation. Do the films visual and narrative constraints adhere to or expand upon the source material?
4. How does the film utilize the tools of adaptation process? Specifically, in what way does this film rely upon compression, expansion, correction, updating or superimposition in comparison to the source material?

Cite any research with a WORKS CITED page.