Evolution and Future Trend of Film Adaptation Art Under the Background of Digital Media

Dewei Chen

doi:10.30560/hssr.v8n2p25

Dewei Chen Doctor of Film Imaging major from the Film Department of Cheongju University, Republic of Korea

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30560/hssr.v8n2p25

Keywords: film adaptation, film theory, literary-centered doctrine, digital media, discreteness, formalism

Abstract

The study of film adaptation has become an important branch of film theory, but as an independent discipline, it lacks a complete historical review. This paper attempts to explore the development context and transformation reasons of film adaptation theory, and explore the future trend under the background of digital media. The study of literary film adaptation can be divided into six periods and three stages. The first stage is the embryonic stage. Influenced by the independent appeal of film art, theorists reveal the uniqueness of film media by comparing it with other arts, laying the foundation for adaptation research. The second stage is the mature stage, when theorists recognize the limitations of the film medium and the study of literary adaptations enters the "literature-centered" doctrine. The third stage is the transition period, in which the introduction of modern and postmodern theories questioned and deconstructed the "literary centralism", and the study of adaptation faded away in the trend of multiple theories and deconstruction. With the change of understanding of literature and film media, the study of adaptation presents a law of oscillating development between the two kinds of arts. Under the current digital media, film shows strong discreteness, constructiveness and interactivity, which echoes the trend of deconstructing "literature-centric" doctrine. At the same time, it also reminds adaptation studies to be alert to the trap of formalism and pay attention to the positive significance of literature to the development of film art.

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