Script Adaptations
Why do you think stories such as Dracula and Frankenstein have been adapted so often for other media such as film, games, and the stage? What other stories can you think of that have been adapted as frequently? What makes them such suitable texts for adaptation?
There is an inherent desire to become something greater than the sum of our parts. Frankenstein's monster is quite literally a classic example of this. He is bigger. He is stronger. Traditional cultures and aboriginal groups throughout the world have worshipped natural wonders such as lightening, thunder, the wind, large and powerful animals, and other phenomena. These evoked God-like aura and mystery, projected through anthropomorphic and zoomorphic identity. I have a coffee table book at home called 'Extreme Earth' outlining the amazing and catastrophic effects of nature at its most wild and untamed. Neophyte yogis of India, unable to focus on personal or impersonal aspects of God, were directed to meditate on the universal form of nature (Virat Rupa) in order to understand something greater than themselves. People of the modern world continue to idolize and worship exceptional traits of beauty, strength, wealth, fame, and knowledge.
It is often said that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially in the hands of a fool. The story of Frankenstein and his monster was written at a time of great scientific advancement. Heliocentric theory from scripture had been replaced by geocentric perception, resulting in separation of church and state. Alchemy was all the rage, and a period of enlightenment in full swing, encouraging a concept of man playing God in a civilization unshackling itself from the rigidity of church doctrine and Papal edict.
The story germinating in the mind of a pondering Mary Shelly had already been born into the psyche of intellectual society during the industrial revolution, in tandem with technological advancement. This ongoing scientific progress (?) continues to the present day, offering ever-fresh opportunity for re-invention of Frankenstein, and to a lesser degree Dracula, and their hordes of strange cohorts, mutating from one incarnation to another with each successive phase of scientific discovery.
The Frankenstein monster has evolved from stitched up organ transplant to sophisticated DNA clone. The frightening thing in his case is that rather than the monster becoming defunct or aged, he edges closer to reality, as we await the arrival of the first cloned humans and wonder, will they greet us with open arms on equal terms, or use those superior arms to strangle the creator? It brings back memories to me of the Sydney University anatomy museum (open to the public via appointment) and its grotesque display of body parts suspended in formaldehyde: cancerous lungs, gangrenous limbs, tumorous brains, with the only organ lacking for a prospective Frankenstein being a complete human head.
Adaptation of character requires one of two things; either a modern world in which the monster may realistically inhabit, or a monster altered to fit the modern world. Thus Frankenstein has evolved in character to fit the various modes of entertainment, from the novel, to the stage and screen. The stories of Shakespeare are an example of adaptation made suitable due to his genius in portraying common human traits to dramatic effect. Often adaptations portray a moral tale involving the tampering with nature, sometimes simplified to a battle between good and evil, with blurred distinction between the two. I recall a cartoon from a 1970's Playboy magazine, depicting a group of youthful superheroes at a cocktail party. They were at a loss as to what to do with all their power, when Captain America piped up and said, "I know, let's wreak vengence upon the forces of evil!" Pure evil is hardly believable, nor is pure goodness, but all of us can find within at least a hint of both, sometimes culminating in empathy for a villain or dislike for a hero.
The message, theme, or moral is veiled within the layered script of a good movie or book, by use of technique or artistry. As stated by Barry Pearson, (The Essence of Theme, Part 1) "Visuals are the best way of delivering information and taking the audience on a journey through time and space." He further states, "Music is the best way of evoking raw emotion." A priceless quality of a good fiction writer is the ability to foresee the future progression of science and humanity, thereby gaining the ascendancy over his or her peers. Mary Shelly did that.
My favorite Sci Fi author Phillip K. Dick was eons ahead of the pack during his all too short lifetime. His works translated into movies (not doing justice to the books) such as Total Recall, Blade Runner, Minority Report, Paycheck, and others, are testament to the mind of a genuine speculative fiction writer able to pre-empt science and humanity by decades. Barry Pearson mentions, "Most writers have a yen to dig down to deeper understandings. To deliver ideas that constitute food for the soul. To enlighten. To inspire." High ideals indeed for which any genuine practitioner of their craft will aspire for, and I believe the demarcation point between transient fads and trends, and the enduring legacy of real art.
There is an inherent desire to become something greater than the sum of our parts. Frankenstein's monster is quite literally a classic example of this. He is bigger. He is stronger. Traditional cultures and aboriginal groups throughout the world have worshipped natural wonders such as lightening, thunder, the wind, large and powerful animals, and other phenomena. These evoked God-like aura and mystery, projected through anthropomorphic and zoomorphic identity. I have a coffee table book at home called 'Extreme Earth' outlining the amazing and catastrophic effects of nature at its most wild and untamed. Neophyte yogis of India, unable to focus on personal or impersonal aspects of God, were directed to meditate on the universal form of nature (Virat Rupa) in order to understand something greater than themselves. People of the modern world continue to idolize and worship exceptional traits of beauty, strength, wealth, fame, and knowledge.
It is often said that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially in the hands of a fool. The story of Frankenstein and his monster was written at a time of great scientific advancement. Heliocentric theory from scripture had been replaced by geocentric perception, resulting in separation of church and state. Alchemy was all the rage, and a period of enlightenment in full swing, encouraging a concept of man playing God in a civilization unshackling itself from the rigidity of church doctrine and Papal edict.
The story germinating in the mind of a pondering Mary Shelly had already been born into the psyche of intellectual society during the industrial revolution, in tandem with technological advancement. This ongoing scientific progress (?) continues to the present day, offering ever-fresh opportunity for re-invention of Frankenstein, and to a lesser degree Dracula, and their hordes of strange cohorts, mutating from one incarnation to another with each successive phase of scientific discovery.
The Frankenstein monster has evolved from stitched up organ transplant to sophisticated DNA clone. The frightening thing in his case is that rather than the monster becoming defunct or aged, he edges closer to reality, as we await the arrival of the first cloned humans and wonder, will they greet us with open arms on equal terms, or use those superior arms to strangle the creator? It brings back memories to me of the Sydney University anatomy museum (open to the public via appointment) and its grotesque display of body parts suspended in formaldehyde: cancerous lungs, gangrenous limbs, tumorous brains, with the only organ lacking for a prospective Frankenstein being a complete human head.
Adaptation of character requires one of two things; either a modern world in which the monster may realistically inhabit, or a monster altered to fit the modern world. Thus Frankenstein has evolved in character to fit the various modes of entertainment, from the novel, to the stage and screen. The stories of Shakespeare are an example of adaptation made suitable due to his genius in portraying common human traits to dramatic effect. Often adaptations portray a moral tale involving the tampering with nature, sometimes simplified to a battle between good and evil, with blurred distinction between the two. I recall a cartoon from a 1970's Playboy magazine, depicting a group of youthful superheroes at a cocktail party. They were at a loss as to what to do with all their power, when Captain America piped up and said, "I know, let's wreak vengence upon the forces of evil!" Pure evil is hardly believable, nor is pure goodness, but all of us can find within at least a hint of both, sometimes culminating in empathy for a villain or dislike for a hero.
The message, theme, or moral is veiled within the layered script of a good movie or book, by use of technique or artistry. As stated by Barry Pearson, (The Essence of Theme, Part 1) "Visuals are the best way of delivering information and taking the audience on a journey through time and space." He further states, "Music is the best way of evoking raw emotion." A priceless quality of a good fiction writer is the ability to foresee the future progression of science and humanity, thereby gaining the ascendancy over his or her peers. Mary Shelly did that.
My favorite Sci Fi author Phillip K. Dick was eons ahead of the pack during his all too short lifetime. His works translated into movies (not doing justice to the books) such as Total Recall, Blade Runner, Minority Report, Paycheck, and others, are testament to the mind of a genuine speculative fiction writer able to pre-empt science and humanity by decades. Barry Pearson mentions, "Most writers have a yen to dig down to deeper understandings. To deliver ideas that constitute food for the soul. To enlighten. To inspire." High ideals indeed for which any genuine practitioner of their craft will aspire for, and I believe the demarcation point between transient fads and trends, and the enduring legacy of real art.
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