How
effectively does Stanley Kubrick’s cinematic vision capture the power
of the written word in Anthony Burgess’ “A Clockwork Orange”?
Session: May 2015
Subject: English
School Centre Number: 00823
Candidate number: 0014
Word Count: 3899
Abstract
The
objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of cinematic
devices by analyzing those found in the adaptation of “A Clockwork
Orange”. Focusing on the question “How effectively does Stanley
Kubrick’s cinematic vision capture the power of the written word in
Anthony Burgess’ “A Clockwork Orange?” will enable me to assess how the
medium functions. The philosopher C. S. Peirce used the terms sign and
icon to explain the relationship between two things when one thing can
represent another . The term sign refers to the arbitrary relationship
between two things, for example, the word “flower” can be a sign of a
flower; also, a picture of a flower can be an icon of the flower which
shows a less arbitrary relationship between the two. Obviously, a
picture of a flower is much closer to a flower than the word “flower” .
As mediums of representation, film is made of icons, while prose is made
of signs . In other words, although film is similar to it’s literary
counterpart in that it serves to tell stories about characters, the
internal dynamics, or clockwork if you will, of film and literature are
noticeably diverse in a variety of ways, they simply possess two
different signifying codes. That being said, I must attempt to compare
them in order to truly understand Kubrick’s inspiration behind his
choice of devices and their nuance. One might argue comparing the
quality of Anthony Burgess’ novella against that of Stanley Kubrick’s
film is impossible in the same way that comparing a painting to a poem
is impossible. However, as demonstrated in this essay, it is possible to
evaluate Kubrick’s rendering of the power in Burgess’ language. I
believe the aspects covered in paper provide enough evidence to
reassuringly state that yes, Kubrick captured the power of Burgess’
words very effectively though his portrayal of ‘A Clockwork Orange’.
Word count: 300
Introduction
The
film ‘A Clockwork Orange’ is one of the most well-known and
controversial dystopian movies ever directed. It horrified and intrigued
audiences in Britain upon its release and was heavily criticized for
its alleged inspiration of a new era in gang violence. Both the film and
novella were crafted from the same story, however the film attracted
considerably more attention from the public eye than its counterpart. It
not only increased sales for the novella and brought on a renewed
interest in Beethoven records , it quickly became a cult classic and was
linked to several copycat murders. I am personally interested in this
topic because it requires me to further investigate Stanley Kubrick’s
style. He is one of my favorite directors as his adaptations focus on
and assess the essential nature of man in terms of morality and ethics. I
greatly enjoy seeing these once literary works transform into more
visual interpretations by Kubrick’s masterful hand. What’s more, ‘A
Clockwork Orange’ and equally graphic films at the time were critical
turning points in the reduction of censorship. Kubrick’s audacious, but
victorious, battle against long-standing censorship in media drew us
closer to achieving true freedom of speech.
As well as this, I
ensured that the topic allowed me to primarily expand my knowledge of
cinematic tools in order to thoroughly assess my research question; How
effectively does Stanley Kubrick’s cinematic vision capture the power of
the written word in Anthony Burgess’ “A Clockwork Orange”? Anyone who
is interested in film and the process of filmmaking (especially
pertaining to the art of adaptation) should find this subject
interesting. Kubrick’s work may be the focal point of my research, but
Kubrick’s transition of Burgess’ Nadsat (a fictional argot ) and its
effect on the viewer will be explored in some detail.
Understanding the relationship between mediums
In
film, the director communicates through images, or icons. Such images
have a more direct and immediate relationship to what’s being described,
which words seldom do. Take setting for example; an author might take
pages to create what a director can convey in a single image. The sound
in film also has the ability to greatly enhance the audience’s
understanding. One could argue that film’s grasp of reality can seem
much more direct and easily comprehensible than that of other mediums as
these tangible aspects of film make it easier for the viewer to follow
the action. However, in the case of adaptation, film struggles to
capture the viewer’s imagination in the same way literature can. By
presenting the story through a set of images and sounds, film controls
what the experience of the audience more so than literature. You see
prefabricated images through the perspective of the director, whereas in
literature the author can only give you the tools to create your own
interpretation. The beginning paragraph of the novella and the first few
minutes of the film provide a quick example of the points made. Burgess
describes the scene – “There was me, that is Alex and my three droogs,
that is Pete, Georgie, and Dim, Dim being really dim, and we sat in the
Korova Milkbar making up our rassoodocks what to do with the evening…”
(Pg. 5, lines 2-4). Kubrick’s interpretation of the Korova Milkbar can
be seen in beginning of the movie . One might have an alternative
interpretation of the setting and characters when reading the book, but
when watching the movie the setting is concrete with no room for the
viewer’s imagination.
In order for Kubrick to exploit the full
potential of Burgess’ ideas he had to first analyse the original text.
By doing so he was able to find ways of effectively conveying the
story’s more intangible aspects such as the thoughts and feelings of
Alex throughout his journey. As Burgess’ literary format allowed readers
to delve into a deeper mental insight on it’s characters through
narration, Kubrick had to use various cinematic tools to recreate the
experience. An example of this is when Alex is forced to watch the
brainwashing images of Drs. Brodsky and Branom’s Ludovico Technique. In
the text we are given insight into Alex’s thoughts; the repetition of
the word “throb” and the unusual jargon allow the reader to understand
exactly how Alex feels. The first indicator is “a like not feeling all
that well” (Pg. 82, line 15). The next is flu-like symptoms: sweating “a
malenky bit with the pain in my guts and a horrible thirst in my
gulliver going throb throb throb.” (Pg. 83, lines 5-9). Finally, the
pains he feels “in [his] belly and the headache and the thirst were
terrible.” (Pg. 84, lines 7-9). Using this insight, Kubrick was then
able to transfer Alex’s mental transition of though on screen. By
incorporating camera angles such as a close up of Alex’s first
suspicious, then petrified face in combination with the sounds of his
nervous laughter transitioned into an all out blood curdling scream
demonstrate how Burgess’ narrative insight guided Kubrick to fabricate
the construction of the scene.
Now that the relationship of the
two mediums has been clarified, I will continue to answer the research
question through analysis of particular scenes in both the novella and
its adaptation. By comparing and contrasting the devices used to create
these extracts, I will evaluate the creation and effect of both
Kubrick’s adaptation and Burgess’ original text.
First Comparison of Two Mediums
In
the original text, Alex attempts to purloin the valuables of an older
woman. As he breaks into the house, the owner confronts him and there is
a struggle. Alex winds up killing her with a bust of Beethoven and
attempts to escape, but his droogs deceive him and leave him to the law
enforcement. Although the actions that take place in the chapter are
already powerful, the real impact comes from Alex’s trivialization of
violence, encouraged by the social dysfunction of rampant, unrestrained
youth in his society. Burgess creates Alex’s narrative tone with
literary devices such as repetition, onomatopoeia, and imagery to
express this theme.
As Burgess has created a language without a
glossary, he uses repetition to help the reader comprehend each
fabricated word though persistent use and context. On the first page
Alex repeats the word ‘starry’ nine times, describing the woman he robs
as a ”starry ptitsa, very grey in the voloss and with a very liny like
litso”. The use of Nadsat in this context allows the reader to make out
that ‘starry’ means elderly. ‘Grey’, ‘liny’ and ‘old’ are all words
associated with age and their sandwiching Nadsat lingo further helps the
reader to interpret the dialect. The color grey is usually used to
describe the elderly’s hair so we are able to decipher the meaning of
voloss, and using the same method we can determine that litso means
mouth. Repetition is also used to convey Alex’s prejudice and contempt
towards the elderly. Oftentimes youth are afraid of decrepitude as it
reminds them of their mortality and this fear of an impermanent
existence is subconsciously turned into hatred. The repeated use of
negative terms like “starry” and “liny” serve to underline this
irrational sentiment. Furthermore, when Alex is struck over the head
with the woman’s walking stick he replies ‘Naughty, naughty naughty’.
This repetitive response is similar to that of disciplining a child. His
choice of expression indicates his amusement at the situation. It is
his disinhibited behavior and disrespect of the elderly that allows him
to commit this act of violence unburdened and the amusement he draws
from it ultimately trivializes the brutality of the act.
Burgess
also uses onomatopoeia to further convey Alex’s trivialization of
violence. ‘Squeeeeeeeeeeak’ ‘kraaaaark’ and ‘Waaaaah’ are part of his
babyish attempt to describe the events unfolding before him. The reader
can sense the amusement Alex draws from recounting the murderous
escapade in the enthusiasm required of such imitations. The
substantiality of the acts as serious as breaking-and-entering, assault
and eventual second-degree murder is diminished by the fact that Alex
finds humor in them. It seems that Alex receives some special form of
enjoyment past simple adolescent displays of dominance. Alex is unique
in his unyielding commitment to the ideals of violence, as well as the
aesthetic pleasure he takes in his crimes. Again onomatopoeia is used
when Alex attempts to deceive the woman into opening her door as a ‘
brrrrrrr brrrrr sounded down the hall inside”. He then describes calling
“through in a refined like goloss: ‘Help, madam, please. My friend has
just had a funny turn on the street...” Descriptive words such as
‘refined’ not only display his egocentrism, but furthermore his
narcissistic elevation of his own evil behavior to the status of art,
and the use of onomatopoeia underlines the childish nature of his tale.
Finally,
before we may fully comprehend Kubrick’s choices in creating his
adaptation, we must recognize Burgess’ diction in respect to imagery.
Alex applies a great deal of imagery to his escapades. This is evident
in Alex’s description of the scuffle. “I got up on my nogas, and there
was this nasty vindictive starry forella with her wattles ashake and
grunting as she like tried to lever herself up from the floor, so I gave
her a malenky fair kick in the litso, and she didn’t like that, crying:
‘Waaaaah,’ and you could viddy her veiny mottled litso going
purplewurple where I’d landed the old noga.” (Pg. 51, lines 33-39). In
this passage we are able to discern Alex’s immaturity through
expressions such as ‘nasty’, ‘vindictive’, and ‘purplewurple’. Alex
describes her as if she were the aggressor, the diction creating vivid
images in the reader’s mind of the scene of violence. The use of Nadsat
in this excerpt leaves the horror of the scene to the reader’s
imagination. His inability to assume responsibility for his actions
emphasizes his childishness. Baby talk such as ‘purplewurple’, ‘malenky
fair kick’ and ‘the old noga’ act as euphemisms and ‘soften’ the
assault, similar to a child playing down their role in a misdeed.
Additionally, there is a hint of nostalgic wistfulness behind the
diction that supports his indifference in her suffering.
Now
that we are well informed in regards to the original text, we may now
fully appreciate Kubrick’s choices of music, props, and camera angles.
By focusing specifically on these three cinematic tools we can determine
his method of communicating the same ‘trivialization’ with different
means. As cinematography is limited in its ability to communicate
abstract notions such as mental insight, a director must focus on
utilizing sense perception in order to manipulate his audience. Kubrick
first guides the audience’s faculty of sight through his choice of props
when creating the setting.
In the film adaptation, the
portrayal of the woman is altered to change the viewer’s perception of
her. Her home is full of eccentric, sensually driven artwork, her accent
takes on an over-the-top, ostentatious tone, and her outfit is equally
flamboyant . This setting is created for two reasons; to caricaturize
the victim to the point of dehumanization, and to bring out Alex’s
juvenile immaturity. By doing so Kubrick influences us to respond more
emotionally to Alex’s charisma than the woman’s discomfort. By
incapacitating the viewer’s ability to empathize, Kubrick allows us to
experience the events through Alex’s perspective, thus creating a
similar effect to that of Burgess’ narration. However, there is still a
major difference between the two mediums. Instead of limiting the
enjoyment of violence to the perpetrator as Burgess does through Alex’s
biased narrative, Kubrick bypasses the viewer’s preconceived aversion to
violence and includes them in the enjoyment with the help of camera
angles.
In the beginning of the scene, as the woman
ends her conversation with the patrolman, Alex enters and startles the
woman. He greets her with mock courtesy and the angle of the camera is
used to fixate our attention to a sculpture of an enlarged phallus . The
absurdity of the sculpture alone is enough to induce laughter, however,
anticipation builds as we wait for Alex to become aware of his
surroundings. This particular creation of humor is called ‘relief
theory’ . The humor of this scene relies on the reactions of the two
characters as they deal with contrasting astonishment. Alex’s juvenile
glee and casual air is met with polarity at the woman’s confused outrage
and assertive demeanor. The camera angle is used to hone in on the
reaction of the woman, this time as Alex begins fiddling with the
sculpture. By utilizing depth perception Kubrick creates humor by
exaggerating Alex’s sudden advantage over his victim though the
perception of their respective sizes . This type of humor is best
explained as ‘superiority theory’ , or more specifically ‘humor by
defiance’. By creating humor Kubrick is once again trivializing
violence, except this time the audience shares Alex’s emotional
response, yearning for confrontation.
The final element in
this amalgamation of cinematic devices is the implementation of music.
The scene is introduced with Gioacchino Rossini’s famous overture “The
Thieving Magpie”. As the scene progresses, it maintains congruity with
the overture as the tone of the music synchronizes with Alex’s actions.
Cheeky, energetic, and jubilant the music follows the action all the way
up to the climax with a thunderous crescendo. As Alex and the woman
seem to ‘dance’ to the music, this time the woman bludgeons him with a
Beethoven bust and Alex gets the better of her with cold-blooded
intentions. As he positions himself for the killing blow, the camera
angle is first top down on the woman’s terrified face to give the
perspective of Alex’s dominance , and then from the bottom up to give
the perspective of vulnerability of the woman . As the sculpture comes
down, the woman lets out a sickening, almost cat-like, yowl, and the
image is quickly shifted to one of the paintings on the wall . This
symbolizes the aesthetic pleasure Alex takes in his crimes.
Second Comparison of Two Mediums
In
the events preceding this chapter, Alex has foregone extensive
treatment of an unethical aversion therapy entitled “the Ludovico
technique”. This has been performed with the aim of nullifying Alex’s
violent nature. This chapter focuses on the unveiling of Alex’s progress
with the therapy to authoritative figures, such as the Minister of
Interior and the prison chaplain, in the form of a theatrical
demonstration. In this demonstration, Alex is subjected to a series of
trials carried out by actors in which he is provoked into attempting to
react, and subsequently unable to do so. The power of this scene is
established by the significance of its theme; ‘the inviolability of free
will’. This provides the central argument of ‘A Clockwork Orange’ as
within it Burgess postulates the dangers of restricting an individual’s
ability to make their own moral choice, even if that choice results in
depravity. After all, a human being’s legitimacy is predicated by its
ability to choose between the good and evil. By stripping Alex of the
power to choose his own moral course of action, the state has reduced
him to nothing more than a mechanized being, an idea reiterated by the
novel’s title. Within this chapter Burgess emphasizes the importance of
preserving free will in two distinct ways, the first being through the
character of the prison chaplain.
The character of the prison
chaplain is employed as the voice of reason. Burgess created this
character in order to personify his own argument and symbolize the
importance of unification in opposing any disregard of human rights. The
chaplain is adamantly against the demonstration and speaks out as one
of the doctors explains why Alex reacts the way he does, claiming that
while Alex “ceases to be a wrongdoer. He ceases to also be a creature
capable of moral choice.” (Pg. 99, line 27). The prison chaplain is an
employee of the state, so his speaking out against it is unexpected. The
minister of the interior scornfully dismisses the chaplain’s words, but
the moral question the chaplain raises complicates Alex’s “cure.” The
chaplain is the only one to realize the full implications of such a
technique being practiced by the state on its people. His argument
reflects that of Burgess; to indulge in any violation of the basic
rights of an individual, no matter how wicked, is to compromise the
rights set for all mankind. However eloquently he may present his point,
the chaplain is overruled by the Minister, and as no one else supports
his views, the righteous words fall on deaf ears.
The second
emphasis of the unethicality of the act comes from Burgess’ portrayal of
Alex’s naivety. During the demonstration Alex is only able to describe
what happens to him and unable to contemplate the implications of being
manipulated by the state in such a way. Burgess leaves disturbing
comments such as Dr. Brodsky’s disregard for “higher ethics” and the
Minister of Interior’s political agenda of “cutting down crime” for the
reader to interpret on his own. This childish ignorance stresses the
extent of the wrongdoing by the state, all the more evil when done to
someone so oblivious to the ulterior motive. Burgess creates the tone of
innocence with a mixture of simile, irony, and metaphor which can be
seen as Alex is being beaten. The actor twists his ear “like it was a
radio dial” which brings “tears to [his] glazzies” and “hawhawhaws” from
the onlookers. The use of the simile likens the demonstration to a
schoolyard scuffle, rather than a display of scientific advancement. He
is forced into complete submission kneeling in front of his assailant,
pushing “[his] red yahzick out a mile and a half to lick [the
assailant’s] grahzny vonny boots.” This hyperbole aggrandizes the
humiliation to the same effect his use of simile aggrandizes the pain.
There is something unnatural in the way the state displays its dominance
over the weaker. Unable to understand what is transpiring Alex demands
“where do I come into all this? Am I like just some animal or dog?” One
audience member retorts “You made your own choice and all this is
consequence of your choice.” The irony stems from the insinuation that
Alex would consciously choose to lose his right to choice, that his
choices are what result in his loss of choice.
In this scene’s
adaptation, Kubrick creates visual metaphors to communicate these same
ideas through camera angles, positioning of the actors and lighting. The
mood is set with a dark blue tint and a sharp spotlight fastened to
Alex and his assailant . This lighting creates a cold sterile
environment rife with tension. As Alex is assaulted, he is thrown to the
floor and crushed underneath the shoe of the ‘performer’ . Through
clever camera work, Kubrick recreates the perspective of the Alex being
stepped on . This perspective of vulnerability ironically resembles that
of the cat-lady’s final moments. As Alex is forced to lick the shoe,
the camera transfers to the Minister’s smug expression. The Minister’s
expression combined with Alex’s repeated licking of the shoe creates
the visual metaphor of Alex’s individualism being crushed by the state.
As the female actor mocks Alex’s sexual appetite, the lighting suddenly
changes from the harsh blue to a much warmer, softer tone . This
‘heavenly’ lighting provides a contrast to the previously darker tint to
epitomize the sensuality of the female form, a luxury Alex can no
longer indulge in. His most base desires have been weaponized against
him. When the demonstration ends, the chaplain comes forward and Alex is
placed in between him and the Minister. As the chaplain reprimands the
state, the Minister shifts uncomfortably looking guiltily at the floor .
Sitting in-between the two authoritative figures, the shot serves to
portray the ‘shoulder angel-esque’ quality of the situation. As Alex
listens to the chaplain lighting is used to symbolize his favor . Alex
knows that if the chaplain’s statement is recognized he will go back to
prison, therefore he resents the lesser of the two evils. The shadow
cast on the left side of his face is replaced with full illumination
when he understands the Minister’s disregard .. The use of lighting in
this shot is somewhat ironical as light is primarily used to represent
knowledge and understanding, however in this case it serves to capture
Alex’s blinding ignorance .
The most apparent sound devices
contributing to this scene are acoustics and music. Similar to the
novella, the pastor has a booming voice, however the acoustics of the
stage emphasize this further by creating an echo. This sound device is
unique to this scene only and distinguishing it from the others. This is
(following the style of the novella) to signify the scene’s importance
to the theme of the story. Furthermore, it has a remarkable effect on
the pastor’s voice. The power it gives his vocals seems almost
omnipotent, as if a higher power is communicating through him, thus
adding to the gravity of the scene. The song heard in the background is
“Overture to the Sun” by Terry Tucker and lies in the genre of
‘psychedelic folk’. Folk music is traditionally used to commemorate
historical or personal events. This particular genre most commonly
occurs during weddings, and religious festivals. The “grotesque act of
self-abasement” happening on stage is far from a festivity, so the music
serves to exaggerate the action by way of juxtaposition.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, it is my understanding that the question ‘How effectively
does Stanley Kubrick’s cinematic vision capture the power of the written
word in Anthony Burgess’ “A Clockwork Orange”?’ has been answered with a
resounding yes. Kubrick not only managed to transfer the virtuosity of
the novella on to the big screen, he aided the novella’s establishment
as a timeless classic, increasing awareness and sales of the novella.
This increase in notoriety came at a price however, as shortly after its
release a series of copy-cat crimes involving assault, murder, and a
the brutal gang rape of a Dutch girl by British youths while they sang
‘Singing in the Rain’ were linked to the film. This lead to the film
being pulled from theatres by Kubrick, and Burgess claiming that
Kubrick’s film misinterpreted his original work explaining “The book I
am best known for, or only known for, is a novel I am prepared to
repudiate: [..] it became known as the raw material for a film which
seemed to glorify sex and violence. The film made it easy for readers of
the book to misunderstand what it was about [...] I should not have
written the book because of this danger of misinterpretation.” Even if
Kubrick misinterpreted the novella, it does not mean by any
circumstances that he also failed in portraying the power of the
novella. As far as the glorification of sex and violence, it is no fault
of Kubrick’s that the movie acted as inspiration for heinous crimes.
The crimes were committed by violent youths that would have acted out
with or without material to imitate. I disagree with Burgess on
Kubrick’s supposed glorification of violence; I believe that Kubrick’s
taste when creating violent scenes was very artistic and mature. To
glorify violence one must convey the subject as a normality combined
with a sense of heroism. Instead, Kubrick merely followed the novella’s
portrayal of Alex, which suggests that violence is a part of Alex’s
fundamental structure; it’s how he expresses his ideas and funnels his
passion. If anyone glorified violence it was Burgess, he after all
created the character of Alex.
Word count: 3899
Appendix
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Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange", based on Anthony Burgess' dystopian novel of the same name, is often regarded as one of the most vivid and enduring adaptations in cinematic history. The film's unique presentation of the source material raises the question of how effectively Kubrick's cinematic vision captures the power of Burgess' written word.
The stylistic decisions of Kubrick serve as an important instrument in the translation of Burgess’ novel. To this end, Kubrick employs cinematic techniques that align with the complex language used in the book. For instance, the use of Nadsat, a Russo-English argot created by Burgess, is integral to the book's tone and setting. The way Kubrick maintains this dialect in the film demonstrates a commitment to preserve the author's original linguistic intentions. Arguably, this serves as a validation of the power of Burgess’ written word, as the distinctive argot is as critical to the film as it is to the novel. However, this faithfulness to the source text has been criticised by some. Eagleton, a renowned literary critic, argued that the film’s use of Nadsat isolates audiences who are unfamiliar with the novel. He maintained that Kubrick’s decision to keep the language as it was in the book dilutes the cinematic experience for some viewers. This is a valid perspective, although it is also arguable that Kubrick’s decision was brave and stayed true to the source text, something that many adaptations fail to do.
Moreover, one must consider the role of visual narrative in Kubrick's film. Cinema, being a primarily visual medium, has the power to convey what is left unsaid or merely implied in the written word. Kubrick capitalises on this advantage by using visual metaphors to augment the themes of Burgess' novel. For instance, the recurring milk motif throughout the film, which has been interpreted by critics like Foucault as a symbol of infantilised violence, mirrors Burgess' own use of metaphors in his writing. However, the visual representation of such motifs amplifies their impact in a way that the written word alone might not achieve. Nevertheless, there is a counter-argument to this view. Adorno suggested that Kubrick’s use of visual metaphors to interpret Burgess’ text can be seen as an imposition of the director’s own vision, thereby diluting the purity of the author’s intentions. It could be argued that the ‘show, don’t tell’ principle of filmmaking, though effective, may have distorted the original intent of the novel. In essence, Adorno argued that the cinematic presentation may have overshadowed the power of the written word in this instance.
Another key aspect of this discussion is the film’s characterisation. Kubrick’s portrayal of the protagonist, Alex DeLarge, is both faithful to and divergent from Burgess' original creation. On one hand, Alex's charismatic yet deeply flawed personality is accurately captured by Malcolm McDowell's captivating performance, aligning with the readers' perception of the character in the novel. In this regard, Kubrick's cinematic vision underscores the power of Burgess' written word, bringing the character to life on screen. However, Jameson contended that the film adaptation presents a much more sympathetic view of Alex than the novel. He argued that Burgess' novel paints a more damning picture of Alex's character, highlighting the irredeemability of his violent nature, which is somewhat softened in the film. Thus, there's an argument to be made that Kubrick's interpretation of Alex diminishes the original characterization, thereby lessening the impact of Burgess' written word.
To summarise, Stanley Kubrick’s cinematic vision captures the power of Anthony Burgess’ written word in "A Clockwork Orange" with varying degrees of success. While Kubrick's film is a stylistic triumph that showcases the director's ability to translate complex language and motifs from page to screen, there are valid criticisms regarding how the adaptation changes elements of characterisation and theme. Despite the criticism, Kubrick's dedication to preserving much of the novel's essence in his film is commendable and contributes to the ongoing dialogue on the complex relationship between literature and cinema.
