- 著者
-
Shimizu Junko
- 出版者
- 専修大学LL研究室
- 雑誌
- 専修大学外国語教育論集 (ISSN:13403303)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- no.41, pp.39-53, 2013-03-15
Isaac Bashevis Singer (1904-1991), a Polish-born American author and Nobel laureate, could not veil his displeasure at Barbra Streisand's film adaptation of his short story "Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy."[1] Singer is dissatisfied for four main reasons: (1) the film's adaptation into a musical, (2) Streisand's rejection of Singer's film script, (3) Streisand's monopolizing the screen, and (4) Streisand's altered ending losing the essence of the story. Singer's principal motif is traditional life in the vanished world of Eastern European Jews therefore Singer regards the adapted film as unfaithful to the original story. In Singer's words, "Miss Streisand is always present, while poor Yentl is absent," and "the whole splashy production has nothing but a commercial value" ("I.B. Singer Talks to I.B. Singer about the Movie Yentl."Isaac Bashevis Singer: Conversations. 224-25). In this paper, I inquire into the question of the film's fidelity to the source text in reference to the fidelity/infidelity analyses in several works of film criticism. In regard to the issue of fidelity, to what degree should a film be faithful to its source text and to what extent is fidelity a measure of cinematic success or merit? Some concrete examples of suitable and unsuitable adaptations of literature into film will be also introduced and analyzed.[1] Plot of "Yentl the yeshiva Boy"Yentl, an intelligent Jewish girl living in the shtetl of Yanev, decides to study Torah at a yeshiva. As Jewish law strictly prohibits women from studying Talmud, Yentl dresses as a man and takes her late uncle's name, Anshel. In the yeshiva at Bechev, Yentl/Anshel becomes friends with Avigdor, and Yentl/Anshel secretly falls in love with him. However, Yentl/Anshel must marry Hadass, who is Avigdor's ex-fiancee--Hadass' parents called off the marriage because of the suicide of Avigdor's brother. As Avigdor still loves Hadass and wants to be near her, he asks Yentl/Anshel to marry Hadass. Over time, Hadass develops feelings of love for Yentl/Anshel Yentl/Anshel feels guilty of his/her transgression against and deception of Hadass, Avigdor, and the people around. Yentl/Anshel finally disrobes in front of Avigdor to let him know her true gender and identity. Rejecting Avigdor's proposal of marriage, Yentl sets out to find some place else where she can study Talmud. Nobody except Avigdor in the village knows the true reason for his/her disappearance. Avigdor and Hadass get married as planned and have a son named Anshel.