《本杰明.docx
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《本杰明.docx
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《本杰明
ChapterOneIntroduction
TheCuriousCaseofBenjaminButtonisashortstorywrittenbyF.ScottFitzgeraldandfirstpublishedinColliersMagazineduring1921.Itisanthologizedinhisbook,TalesoftheJazzAge.Ithasbeenadaptedintoafantasydramafilmin2008.ThefilmisdirectedbyDavidFincher,writtenbyEricRothandRobinSwicord,andstarsBradPittandCateBlanchett.ItreceivesthirteenAcademyAwardnominations.However,itwinsonlythreeOscars,namelyArtDirection,Makeup,andVisualEffects.
ItiswellknownthatFitzgeraldisfamousforhismasterpiecessuchasTheGreatGatsbyandTenderIstheNight.ScholarshavecomposedaconsiderableamountofresearchpapersontheanalysisofFitzgerald’smasterpiecesandhiswritingstyle.However,asashortstoryonamagazine,TheCuriousCaseofBenjaminButtondoesn’tattractmuchattentionuntilthelaunchofthemotionpicture.TheonewiththemostacademicvalueisTheReflectionsofBenjaminButtonbyphilosopherHenryAlexander.ThoughcriticsclaimthatthenovelsofF.ScottFitzgeraldareclassics,noonesaysthatabouttheirfilmadaptations,forheisamasterofinternalmonologue,abstractsymbolismandminimalistdialogue.Noneofthosetrickstranslateswellontothebigscreen,sothemoviesofhisbooksfeellesslikeastorythanafancypostcard.Fortunately,thingsaredifferentinTheCuriousCaseofBenjaminButton.ItsachievementinarthasbeenconfirmedbyboththeAcademyandtheaudience.Forthescreenplaydiffersgreatlyfromthebook,onlythetitle,Benjamin’sname,andmostaspectsoftheagingprocessdescribedinthebookareretainedinthescreenplay.
Thisthesiswillbedividedintothreeparts,focusingonthecomparisonbetweentheoriginalworkandthemovie.Boththedifferenceandthesimilaritywillbepresentedandanalyzed.TheinfluencethatrejuvenationandanachronismhaveonthecharacterofBenjaminButtonwillbeprobed.Meanwhile,thetwovitalelements,theWWIIandthesymbolicmeaningofhummingbirdsintheadaptationwillbeemphasized.Throughthis,readerscandrawacleardraftofBenjamin’scontortedlifeandthosedeterminantpointsthroughouthislife.
AsatypicalworkofFitzgerald,TheCuriousCaseofBenjaminButtondescribesthetragiclifeofanupper-classman;asasuccessfuldirectorofHollywood,DavidFinchermakesBenjamin’slifenoble,mysteriousandromantic.What’smore,asthescreenwriterofForrestGump,EricRothcreatesanepiclifeofBenjaminButton.Itmayexplainthereasonwhytheadaptationissosuccessful.Byexhibitingthecomparisonandcontrastofthetwoworks,thisthesisaimsatprovidingpracticalandmeritoriousapproachesforthescreenwritersafterwardstoreferto.
ChapterTwoGreatAchievementintheOriginalWork
FitzgeraldwritesthestoryTheCuriousCaseofBenjaminButtonin1921,theyearwhenpeopleintheUSareleadingalifeofluxuryanddissipation.Magazinesaredesignedtocaterthemajorityofthereadersbyprintingfantasticstories.TheCuriousCaseofBenjaminButtonisoneoftheshortstoriesofthistype.Withthechangingoftime,themoviemaker,thedirectorandthescreenwritermakeaconsiderableamountofalterationstowardstheoriginalwork.Thefollowingsaresomeprominenttraitsofthem.
2.1TheChangeoftheBasicElements
Thescreenwriterschangeahandfulofbasicelementsfromtheoriginalstory,whichmaketheadaptationmoreacceptabletothecontemporaryaudience.ThevariationoftheplacewherethestoryhappensisduetotheconsiderationofthearchitecturestyleandtheatmosphereamongthecitizensinNewOrleans.Thevariationofthetimeaccountsforthetruththatpeoplearemorefamiliarwiththehistoryofthetwentiethcentury.AsforthechangeofBenjamin’spatternofrejuvenation,thescreenwritersareontheconsiderationofmakingsurethatthestorycanbeacceptedlogicallybythemass.
2.1.1TheChangeofPlaceandTime
TheaudienceofthemoviegetsastrongimpressionwhentheyrealizethatthestorytakesplaceinNewOrleans.Thescreenplayistoldinflashbackfromjournalentries,lettersandmemoriesrecountedfromDaisy’shospitalroom,whereshelaysdyingasHurricaneKatrinanearsNewOrleansin2005.Actually,intheoriginalwork,BenjaminisborninBaltimore.Asthedirectorofthemovie,DavidFinchertriestoshootthemovieinBaltimoretofollowthedescriptionoftheoriginalwork.However,hefinallydecidestoshootitinNewOrleans,forhiswishingtocontributetothereconstructionofthecityaftertheHurricaneKatrinaandthecomparativelylowcostinthere.SomecriticsalsoremarkthatonlyNewOrleanscanrepresenttheJazzAge,therefore,itisthemostsuitablecitywhereFitzgerald’sstorymaytakeplace.
Intheadaptation,whenHurricaneKatrinadestroysthecity,the81-year-oldheroine,Daisy,isonherdeathbedwithherdaughterCarolineinaNewOrleanshospital.Tomatchup,thebaby-likeBenjamin,whohasexperiencedacuriouslifeof84yearsdiesin2002.Thus,BenjaminhastobeborninNovember11,1918whenpeopleinNewOrleansarecelebratingtheendofWorldWarI.Nonetheless,intheoriginalwork,Benjaminisborninanordinarysummerdayin1860.Therefore,Benjaminintheshortstoryhasthehonorofbeingalieutenant-colonelinSpanish-AmericanWarwhileBenjamininthemovieonlygetscaughtupinWorldWarIIasacrewmemberofatugboatwhichhasbeentemporarilyenlistedbytheUSNavy.
2.1.2TheChangeofBenjamin
PeoplewhohavebeenexposedtobothofthetwotextscangetaclearconceptofBenjamin’srejuvenationinappearance.Astohismind,itisadifferentcase.Intheoriginalwork,Benjaminisbornanoldman,bothphysicallyandmentally.Onthefirstsightofhisfather,Mr.RogerButton,Benjamincanspeakandevencomplain.Hehasbeensenttokindergartentwice.Inthefirsttime,
Whenhewasfivehewassenttokindergarten,whereheinitiatedintotheartofpastinggreenpaperonorangepaper,ofweavingcoloredmapsandmanufacturingeternalcardboardnecklaces.Hewasinclinedtodrowseofftosleepinthemiddleofthesetasks,ahabitwhichbothirritatedandfrightenedhisyoungteacher.
Andinthesecondtimewhentherearejustseveralyearsbeforehisdeath,he“foundthatplayingwithlittlestripsofcoloredpaper,makingmatsandchainsandcuriousandbeautifuldesigns,wasthemostfascinatinggameintheworld.”
Whenanthologizingtheoriginalworkintohisbook,Fitzgeraldhimselfclassifiesitas“Fantasies”whichmeansnotveryserious,justaneye-ballcatchystoryinmagazines.Thatistosaythesesortsofstoriesmaylacklogisticorganization.ReadersfeeloddwhenfindingBenjaminsometimeshasmemoriesofthepast;sometimesdoesnot.AsFitzgeraldunravelsit,Benjamin’sstoryservesasthepretextforsomeamusing,fairlysuperficialobservationsaboutchildrearing,undergraduatebehaviorandcourtshipinthelate19thandearly20thcenturies.Inthemovie,Benjamin,whoisbornanold-man-likebabyandcandonothingbutcry,keepsexperiencingandlearningandgettingmentallymature.Inhislateyears,ofwhichperiodBenjaminlookslikea12-year-oldboy,hehasseniledementiaashesometimesforgetsthathehasjusthadmealandmeanwhilecannotrememberDaisyandmuchofhispast.Nopre-teengetsseniledementiaasoldpeople.Benjaminsuffersalotfromitinhislasttwelveyears.
Asacontemporarymoviedirector,DavidFincherfocusesmoreonindividualhumanities.HetrieshisbesttodescribeBenjaminasanordinary,normalpersonexceptforbecomingyoungerinappearance,whichservesasacharacter-shapinginfluenceandconsequentlyresultsinhisuniquelifeexperience.Toalargedegree,thataccountsforBenjamin’snotagingbackwardmentally.
2.2SomeOrdinaryContents
Inordertoadaptthesixty-four-pageshortstoryintoamotionpictureoftwohoursandahalf,thescreenwritershavetoaddsomeelementswhichdon’texistintheoriginalone.Forinstance,whatarenotinthebookarethatBenjaminisenlightenedbytheelderlypeopletorealizetheessenceoflife,andismadebyDaisytoknowthemiracleoflove.ThroughthevividdescriptionofthoseelderlypeopleandhiswifeDaisy,audiencewilleasilygrasptheessenceofBenjamin’scharacteristicsandhowthesetraitscomeintobeing.
2.2.1Benjamin’sEarlyTime
BenjaminstaysathomeandspendssometimewithhisgrandfatherinhisearlyyearsinFitzgerald’sstory.Inthemovie,BenjaminisabandonedbyhisfatherThomasButtonontheporchofanursinghome,therefore,Benjaminmeetsalotofelderlypeoplethere,whosebehaviorsandwordscontributetothefoundationofBenjamin’scharacter.CommonchildrenseldomhavethesameexperienceasBenjamindoesintheirchildhoods.Inthenursinghomepeoplecomeandgo,anddeathisacommonvisitor.Ifsomeonepassaway,therewillbeasilenceinthehouse.Itisawonderfulplaceforone’sgrowingup.Benjaminiswithpeoplewhohavealreadyshedalltheinconsequenceofearlierlife,onlywonderingabouttheweather,thetemperatureofabath,orthelightattheendoftheday.ItisexactlythosepeoplewhodramaticallyinfluencetheformationofBenjamin’straits—tolerance,honestyandcordiality.
Inthenursinghome,besidesGeneralWinslow,whoisretiredfromtheUSarmyandraisesthenationalflageverymorningat5:
30nomatterwhattheweatherconditionis,andMrs.SybilWagner,whoonceanoperasinger,singsWagnereverymorning,thereisMrs.Maple.ThoughBenjaminisnotsureabouthernameandremembersherleast,shemakesthegreatestimpressiononhim.WhileteachingBenjamintoplaythepiano,Mrs.Maplesays,“It’snotabouthowwellyouplay,itishowyoufeelabo
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