Theory of the film : (character and growth of a new art) (1952)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE ART FORM AND MATERIAL I t i s a n accepted practice that we adapt novels and plays for the film; sometimes because we think their stories 'filmic', sometimes because the popularity they have gained as novels or plays is to be exploited in the film market. Original film stories are very few and far between, a circumstance which undoubtedly points to the undeveloped state and imperfections of script-writing. There is little point in discussing the practical aspects of this question. Shall we demand original film stories when even all the adaptations taken together are insufficient to satisfy the demand? In practice the law of supply and demand decides the issue. If there were a greater supply of good original film stories, there would probably be less adaptations from other forms. We however are at the present moment interested in the laws of art and not the law of supply and demand. The method of adapting novels or plays may obey the latter law — but does it not contravene the laws of art? Must not such pandering to a practical demand necessarily be detrimental to the interests of art and the aesthetic culture of the public? 'Necessarily', is the key word here, because on it depends whether the problem is one of principle. For if such adaptations can be good in principle then it is for the film critics to decide in each case whether they are well or ill done and there is no theoretical problem. There is, however, an old — one could almost say classic — aesthetic viewpoint which rejects on principle all adaptations on the grounds that they are necessarily inartistic. Here is a problem that is of the greatest interest for the theory of art because, although the opponents of adaptations base themselves on an undoubtedly correct thesis, they are nevertheless 258