Publication
Title
Adaptation as in-depth dialogue. The Cortazar-Antonioni case reconsidered
Author
Abstract
This paper analyses a borderline case of adaptation and its potential implications for adaptation studies at large: Antonioni's cinematographic reading and rendering of a short story by Julio Cortazar, Las babas del diablo (1959), as presented in his 1966 film, Blow-Up. We argue that adaptation in this case operates on a 'deep' level, that of the ramified web of connected texts, a level where fundamental questions are raised about mimesis, particularly concerning the fragile condition and ephemeral existence into which a story inevitably projects its imaginary characters. Close reading further allows for establishing that Antonioni hermeneutically meets Cortazar's short story in the well-orchestrated impression of substantiality dissolving into its opposite. An interpretive link is also presented with the tradition of Latin-American fiction developed in the wake of Borges' metafictional writings, specifically concerning bidirectional influence, as illustrated in 'Pierre Menard, autor del Quijote'. Along the way, critical attention is given to current notions in adaptation theory and hermeneutics, including the interaction between both fields.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Romance studies / University of Wales. - Aberystwyth, 1982, currens
Publication
Aberystwyth : 2017
ISSN
0263-9904 [print]
1745-8153 [online]
DOI
10.1080/02639904.2017.1413849
Volume/pages
35 :42 (2017) , p. 260-270
ISI
000424104500005
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
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UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 06.03.2018
Last edited 09.10.2023
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