TS3243 Essay: The Musical Film Adaptation

Essay Score: B or B+, can't remember. I should not have procrastinated.

Final grade: A-. This module was weird because I only got A like 5% of the time? And somehow secured A- still. So maybe the bell curve helped. In general, just talk a lot in class and you'll get the grade.

The Musical Film Adaptation

In an art form as diverse as filmmaking, any adaptation must be recognizable such that the audience is aware of what the film adaptation is adapting. Fidelity may come in many forms, from close reference to the mise-en-scene of the source text, to similar cinematography and editing, and even to the faithfulness of the narrative. However, whether the fidelity serves to replicate the source text, or to offer commentary on it, would depend on the overall message that the production hopes to convey to the audience. Therefore, the notion that the fidelity of the film does not always represent reverence is a valid one. However, fidelity is not a given in a film adaptation, and film adaptations which diverge from the original do not necessarily denote reverence, irreverence or a desire to contest the source text - as noted by Christine Geraghty, “the most important thing about an adaptation might precisely not be its adaptation status.” (Geraghty, 2008). Rather, the extent to which a film presents cinematic fidelity, and how it presents the fidelity, would reveal its underlying intentions for the new production.

One might identify the most striking feature of the musical as the use of songs to convey action and poetry. A musical is traditionally conceptualized as theatre, where the medium of live theatre allows for the suspension of belief and where breaking into song and dance is part of the created heightened reality of musical theatre. When a musical takes place in the form of a film, it grapples with the expectations of the audience in terms of the cinematography, mise-en-scene and the editing, while attempting to retain the authority of the stage musical’s identity (Knapp et al., 2018). The musical film is therefore a unique amalgamation of the ‘original’ and the adaptation as it straddles both a need for realist screen acting and the characteristic breaking into song as mandated by the genre. By analyzing the elements of West Side Story (1961) and Rent (2005) as well as their source text counterparts of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story on Broadway and RENT on Broadway respectively, the essay seeks to evaluate the relationship between the musical film adaptations and their source texts, before examining if the observed fidelity in each adaptation stems from reverence, irreverence or a contestation of the authority of the source text.

Fidelity reflects the reverence of an adaptation for its source text. In the case of the musical film adaptation, fidelity is present in how both films do not deviate from the original libretto of the musical theatre source text, even going as far as to adapt the narrative so that the musical number integrates into the conventions of film. One example is the song “Another Day” in RENT, where the final chorus of the song is sung with an ensemble cast. In the Broadway version, Mimi and Roger sing in Roger’s apartment while the ensemble looks over them from the AIDS (Autoimmune Disease Syndrome) support group terrace above. Due to the strategic placement of spotlights and the set design, there is an illusion of distance between the two groups even as their voices combine to form a combined narrative in the same space. However, the film adaptation is bound by spatial logic and had to solve the problem of having an ensemble part in the song while making the encounter between Mimi and Roger in his apartment make sense. Logically and logistically, there was no way the support group ensemble could have appeared looking over them, which necessitated some changes in the setting. Ultimately, the issue was solved by having Angel, Tom Collins and Mark Cohen appear at the ground floor of the apartment to join Mimi as they sing to Roger who is on his balcony while the camera switches between the perspectives of both sides. Hence, the film went as far as to alter the narrative slightly in order to keep the poetry of Larson’s original score, so as to preserve the musical poetry of the scene which is arguably the focal point of the musical, and the key element which the musical film adaptation is determined to keep uncompromised. Therefore, in the case of Rent, fidelity of the musical libretto in the adaptation reflected on its reverence to the source text.

While the musical film adaptations demonstrate commitment to fidelity as far as the Broadway musical source texts are concerned, the different medium of artistic expression does provide room for creative liberties to be taken. In that process, the cinematography and editing of the films may diverge from the theatrical set design. In Rent (2005), the opening scene borrows from the lyrics “you light up a mean blaze - with posters - and screenplays” to create an extended visual metaphor of residents setting eviction notices on fire to throw down their balconies. The grandeur of the spectacle with bright orange flames juxtaposed against the ordinary looking apartments at night, and creates a sense of community between the residents participating in the demonstration. This spectacle is absent from the Broadway musical, where the focus is on the friendship between Mark and Roger rather than the entire town. As a result, the cinematography in the film adaptation of Rent created a whole new meaning to the source text. Meanwhile, the opening scene of West Side Story (1961) followed a similar street fight and dance choreography with reference to the Broadway musical, but it differs dramatically from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet which began with a narrated prologue. Instead, the musical versions replace the poetry of the prologue with an orchestral score and contrasting styles of dance between the two gangs, which conveys the rivalry between the two households which is a commonality across all three productions. Consequently, creative choices do not necessarily negate a film’s reverence for the source text.

On the other hand, the extent to which fidelity is presented in film adaptations may be a way to contest the source texts and to push its own narrative. In the case of the musical film adaptation of West Side Story, there is a conscious attempt to signal that it adapts from the musical of the same name rather than Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, as implied by the choice of title. The choices are further reinforced by how both the film and musical adaptations make major narrative changes that recontextualize the Shakespearean play. For example, both versions of West Side Story take place in 1950s New York City, which is a significant departure from the play’s original setting in Verona. The renaming of the characters from Romeo and Juliet to Tony and Maria also further differentiates West Side Story from Romeo and Juliet, since it effectively removes even the derived title itself from the production. Therefore, as an adaptation, fidelity in the mise-en-scene becomes the only clue that the audience receives in realizing that West Side Story is ultimately an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. This resulted in the remake of the balcony scene, where Tony climbs into the fire escape to be with Maria as opposed to the Shakespearean version where Romeo speaks to Juliet from below the mansion in order to preserve the element of the couple’s secret meeting. Through the use of visuals that references the source text, the audience is reminded of the film’s status as an adaptation while simultaneously viewing a different vision of Romeo and Juliet which contests the authority of the original play. Furthermore, through the reimagined ending where Tony dies by a gunshot and Maria survives, the musical theatre and film adaptations reaffirm their departure from the source text in which both Romeo and Juliet die by suicide. In every case, any fidelity in the West Side Story film adaptation to the source text serves primarily to assert its identity and firmly associate itself with the Broadway musical rather than the play. In that light, the 1961 film is therefore a contestation of the authority of Romeo and Juliet since it prioritizes the adaptation of West Side Story the musical over the play. Therefore, while fidelity or the lack thereof may contest the authority of other source texts by siding with one over the other, it does not automatically imply that the adaptation displays irreverence to either source.

Ultimately, focusing on the fidelity of an adaptation to its source text creates expectations for the adaptation to retain elements of the ‘original’ as described by critics and relates the success of an adaptation to its faithful representation of its source text. The musical film adaptation is held to especially high expectations due to its audience who have seen the Broadway show or heard the cast album, and the musical film adaptation is closely watched for its casting and narrative choices as well as the creative liberties that it may take with the adaptation. Therefore, just as fidelity does not always imply reverence, infidelity does not necessarily imply irreverence or contestation. Rather, it serves as an artistic choice which may take the source text in new directions.

Bibliography

Bernstein, L., & Sondheim, S. (1957). West Side Story. New York City; Broadway Theatre, 53rd Street.

Geraghty, C. (2008). Now a major motion picture: Film adaptations of literature and drama. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Knapp, R., Morris, M., & Wolf, S. E. (2018). The Filmed Musical. In Media and performance in the musical: An Oxford Handbook of the American Musical (Vol. 2, pp. 27–30). essay, Oxford University Press.

Larson, J. (2008). Rent: Filmed live on Broadway. Sony Pictures.

Shakespeare, W. (2021). Romeo and Juliet. Harrap's.

Sony Pictures. (2005). Rent. United States of America.

United Artists. (1961). West Side Story. United States of America.