Leitch's Ten Different Modes Communication Assignment

Leitch's Ten Different Modes
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Leitch's Ten Different Modes
Adaptation refers to the process of amending a text or musical composition for filming or broadcasting. The text not only survives the shift from one form to the other, but it is also possible for the text to thrive in ways that were not possible in the original form (Meikle, 2019, p. 1). For instance, by adapting a novel prevents its extinction since the audience can now relate to it. Adaptations is an effective way for a work to keep on capitalizing on new platforms and technology to reinvent itself again and again for new audiences. Leitch Thomas, in his book, Film adaptation, and its discontents, has outlined various terms that can be used to describe adaptations. This analysis will make use of the various terms outlined in the book to analyze two adaptions: Throne of Blood (1957) and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000).
Leitch (2007, p. 98) indicates that adjustment is a common form of adaptation. It occurs where an earlier work is made more appropriate for filming by using a variety of settings. One form of adjustment is expansion, which is applied when making adaptions from short stories. Both Throne of Blood (1957) and Coen’s O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) are derived from short stories, which makes it necessary to use expansion. Using this form of adjustment has enabled the producers in both movies to come up with a storyline that runs for more than an hour. Without expansion, it would be impossible for both movies to run for a relatively long time. Another form of adjustment is updating. According to Leitch (2007, p. 100), updating involves transposing “the setting of a canonical classic to the present.” The move is meant to show the universality of work while at the same time ensuring its relevance to the immediate audience. Updating is more appropriate for works that a contemporary audience cannot relate with. Both films are based on relatively older texts. For instance, Throne of Blood (1957) is based on Macbeth, which is believed to have been performed in 1606. Similarly, O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) is loosely based on Homer’s Odyssey which is an ancient Greek poem (Gray and Robinson, 2008, p. 452). Hence, both films are based on texts that modern-day individuals may not be familiar with. Moreover, some individuals may not relate to the scenes outlined in the original texts. As a result, adjustment via updating makes it possible for the film producers in both movies to change the locations of the films to modern-day settings.
Films tend to allude to many different cultural contexts in an attempt to become relevant to the immediate audience. Leitch (2007, p.121) indicates that it is almost impossible to have a film that does not refer to earlier texts. While Joel and Ethan Coen’s O Brother, Where Art Thou? is mainly an adaptation of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey, the title of the film is a reference to the 1941 movie Sullivan's Travels. The film is a satire regarding Hollywood’s top director of comedies, John L. Sullivan, who wants to make a socially relevant drama. However, he ends up learning that creating laughter is the greatest contribution he can make to society. The director, who is the protagonist wants to film O Brother, Where Art Thou? which is a fictional book about the Great Depression. The Coen Brothers have utilized the Great Depression as the backdrop for their tale. They have reinterpreted a classic myth in the context of a fabled American South. It is worth noting that the Coen Brothers had never read Homer’s Poem when they started working on the film. They had learned about the story through references and pop culture. As a result, they decided to enhance the film by borrowing elements from other sources.
Additionally, Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood (1957) makes use of other texts. For instance, while the film is mainly an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Kurosawa uses the stylistic elements of Nor drama. The Nor drama refers to a classical Japanese musical drama that has been in existence since the 14th Century. It is often based on tales derived from traditional literature and usually involves a supernatural becoming a human hero who narrates the story. In this case, making use of Nor in the film makes it relevant to the Japanese context. Since the film is adapted from Macbeth which may not be popular in Japan, it is critical for the movie to borrow heavily from Japanese elements that the viewers can relate with. Referring to Nor drama enables the film to borrow aspects that enable it to become “more Japanese.”
Furthermore, while Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood (1957) borrows heavily from both the Japanese culture and the European cultures. While the text is primarily based on Macbeth, which is a writing of Shakespeare, the film also alludes to the Japanese culture. According to Buchannan (2014, p. 74), Macbeth had been widely read in Japan since the 186...