| Abstract [eng] |
Rewriting the Uncanny: Tony Scott's Cinematic Adaptation of Whitley Strieber's Novel “The Hunger” The present MA paper examines the adaptation of the 1981 Gothic horror novel The Hunger, written by Whitley Strieber, to a 1983 film of the same title, directed by Tony Scott. Seeing that one of the aims is to study how the elements responsible for evocation of fear were transported and adapted in the move to the cinematic text, the analysis is based on Sigmund Freud’s interpretation of the uncanny and Linda Hutcheon’s and Julie Sander’s perceptions of adaptation theory. The analysis is also complemented with Amelia DeFalco’s considerations on the position of ageing individuals in contemporary narratives and culture. In employing these theories I consider the intricate ways in which the adaptation of The Hunger uses Gothic horror conventions, notably the tropes of a haunted house and the double, to present fears of ageing and death as reflected through the figure of the vampire. The paper also examines what the changes inflicted in the move to another medium imply on a broader socio-cultural level. Even though both the film and the novel share the same storyline, the analysis reveals that each deals with notably different ideological concerns, the adaptation functioning as a reflection of the contemporary society. |
