"What a film can offer that a book cannot is powerful images (as well as a creative use of sounds)" (Rea & Irving, 2015:25).However, when adapting texts there are already characters, plots, settings and a theme or main idea which apply to the source text (Rea & Irving, 2015:22). Stories can be adapted through these elements which are already present, but in the case of characters the most important thing is that they must be active (Rea & Irving, 2015:25). This is because these characters are then able to show their story, similar to telling in written words, through their interactions with the world of the film, whether this is through action, or dialogue with other characters (Lehman, 2006).
Finding how to do this with a source text can be done by finding the "dramatic through line" of the story, which is the story elements which are audio and visual so can be translated into the film medium (Rea & Irving, 2015:23). This is the greatest challenge of adapting a text into a different medium since "the film cannot speak directly to the viewer to tell him what he is seeing" (Lehman, 2006) -- the audience have more of a participatory role in interpreting film as more can be left to imagination, unlike the sometimes fixed meaning and descriptions of written words.
The main goal when adapting a text is to make a film which keeps the same emotions as the text but is an original and organic piece of work (Rea & Irving, 2015:25).
However, adaptations can move away from the source text by challenging it, and selecting only parts of it to include in the film, which can help make the final product original, while still remaining loyal to the source (Constandinides, 2010:49).
A brief history of film adaptation
Adaptation was originally started when Hollywood was still dominated by the studio system in the 1930s, since more than 600 films a year were being produced and source texts helped to meet this demand -- even nowadays, when less films are being produced in America, around half of the films are adaptations of novels or plays (Rea & Irving, 2015:21).
Adaptations have even started trends in filmmaking, creating their own "waves". For example, during the late 50s, film version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Bram Stoker's Dracula generated interest in the gothic genre, extending the source texts as sequels were created for both films (Duguid, s.d). This also occurred with texts written by Jane Austen in the late 80s and early 90s, "with every one of her novels adapted for either film or television - sometimes both - between 1983 and 1998" (Duguid, s.d).Film adaptations continue to be popular now, as shown by film franchises which are created from source texts such as Harry Potter (Duguid, s.d), but also the Marvel cinematic universe, which originates from the comic books.
Minority Report
Fig.1 Minority Report (2002)
Minority Report (2002) -- directed by Steven Spielberg -- was adapted from Philip K. Dick's short story published in 1956 as "The Minority Report" (PoetsIN, 2018). The story focuses on themes such as political paranoia, surveillance, the concept of utopia, and free will, all of which are present in the film, but are reimagined so they fit contemporary contexts (Constandinides, 2010:30).Much of the story's details were brought up to date in this way, the most obvious details being the technology. In the short story the technology fits that of the 1950s, which can be seen by sentences such as "Anderton rewound the tape" because the minority report is contained on a reel of tape (Dick, 2009). This was updated in the film, where technology such as "state-of-the-art digital storage; retinal scans and brain wave monitoring; incessant, individually tailored advertising; and virtual reality suites" was instead shown (PoetsIN, 2018).
These technologies didn't all exist when the film was made, but it was plausible that they could. This was heightened by the use of actual screens when filming the movie for the sequences featuring the gesture-based user interface (see fig.1), because although the actors could not see anything on the screens when the cameras were rolling, it still adds a physicality which makes it more believable to audiences (Kelly, 2010).
These screens also added a theme of transparency, which allows the characters (and thus the audience) to have an understanding of places off-screen, blurring the lines between reality and the images shown, making the audience aware that it is not possible to predetermine crime, but that this is done by operators in a center (Constandinides, 2010:50) -- a theme highlighted and focused on in the book, as the main character focuses on finding the minority report so it can become more transparent that he will not commit the crime, despite the operators' "majority report" (Dick, 2009).
However, these operators -- known as "precogs"-- are described as nowhere near human in the short story, but in the film they are portrayed as three humans, who have their abilities because their mother was a drug addict (PoetsIN, 2018). This further grounds the film in reality more firmly than the short story, but this could be because of how film is a visual medium.
Fig. 2 Minority Report (2002)
For example, the main character kidnaps one of these "precogs" and she is able to deliver her inner feelings by just a look (PoetsIN, 2018), which could not be as simple for the audience to understand or as relatable to them if she was some kind of mutant as described in the short story (see fig.2).However, to further heighten this idea of reality, Spielberg decided to give the film a noir style look (see fig.3), similar to that of classics such as Key Largo (1948) and The Asphalt Jungle (1950) (Cinephilia & Beyond, s.d). This heightens reality since this pays tribute to the time the short story was written in, as film noir was a film wave from the early 40s to the late 50s (Ross, 2016).
Fig. 3 Minority Report (2002)
In this way, the film still stays loyal to the source text -- it is plausible this is where the idea for the film originated -- but much of the idea has been updated and reworked so that the short story can fill the time span of a film and details are relatable and understandable to a modern audience (PoetsIN, 2018).Therefore, it can be seen that the film is an original work, but doesn't entirely deviate from the characters, themes and plot already embedded in the short story.
Tips for adaptations
- "Find the dramatic spine of your story.
- Be aware of the economy of time, place, and action.
- Be true to the essence or spirit of the story.
- Be willing to reinvent.
- Keep it simple.
- Make it your story." (Rea & Irving, 2015:25).
List of Illustrations
Figure 1. Minority Report (2002) Directed by Spielberg, S. [DVD] USA: Twentieth Century Fox/DreamWorks Pictures.
Figure 2. Minority Report (2002) Directed by Spielberg, S. [DVD] USA: Twentieth Century Fox/DreamWorks Pictures
Figure 3. Minority Report (2002) Directed by Spielberg, S. [DVD] USA: Twentieth Century Fox/DreamWorks Pictures
References
Cinephilia & Beyond (s.d) 'Minority Report': Steven Spielberg's Proof that You Don't Need to Sacrifice Substance to Produce Spectacle. At: https://cinephiliabeyond.org/minority-report-steven-spielbergs-proof-dont-need-sacrifice-substance-produce-spectacle/ (Accessed on 6 December 2018).
Dick, P. (2009) The Minority Report. London: Gollancz.
Duguid, M. (s.d) 'Literary Adaptation.' In: BFI Screenonline. [online] At: http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/444951/index.html (Accessed on 6 December 2018).
Constandinides, C. (2010) From Film Adaptation to Post-Celluloid Adaptation : Rethinking the Transition of Popular Narratives and Characters Across Old and New Media. London: The Continuum International Publishing Group.
Kelly, K. (2010) 'Minority Report UI designer John Underkoffler talks about the future of gestures.' In: End Gadget. [online] At: https://www.engadget.com/2010/05/07/minority-report-ui-designer-john-underkoffler-talks-about-the-fu/ (Accessed on 6 December 2018).
Lehman, D. (2006) The Adaptation of a Written Text to a Film Text. At: https://danielmlehman.wordpress.com/2006/12/10/the-adaptation-of-a-written-text-to-a-film-text/ (Accessed on 6 December 2018).
PoetsIN (2018) Have You Watched A Good Book Lately? -- Minority Report At: https://www.poetsin.com/blog/have-you-watched-a-good-book-lately-minority-report-from-short-story-to-movie/ (Accessed on 6 December 2018).
Rea, P. & Irving, D. (2015) Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video. (5th ed.) Oxon: Focal Press.
Ross, G. (2016) 'Art of darkness: the top 20 film noirs.' In: The Independent. [online] At: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/art-of-darkness-top-20-film-noirs-a7353866.html (Accessed on 6 December 2018).
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