The main topic of this research project is the film adaptation of Samuel Beckett's play Comedie (1966), directed by Marin Karmitz in collaboration with Beckett. The research methodology employed is both theoretical and practical, yielding a written thesis, and a video/audio installation piece. Interdisciplinary in scope, the research encompasses aspects of film and theatre studies, . literary studies, fine art, music and philosophy, and seeks to fill a significant gap in Beckett scholarship by carrying out the first major study of the film adaptation of Comedie, as well as producing an original artwork in response to it. The theoretical side of the project utilises a diverse range of critical, literary and philosophical material to construct a thorough analysis and interpretation of a range of interconnected themes and concepts to be found within Comedie, within the stage- play from which it derives, and within several other relevant works of cinema. The practical element of the project is concerned with further developing and exploring many of the concepts expounded in the theoretical research, through the creation, manipulation and juxtaposition of video and audio material. The research employs a pragmatic and eclectic approach to critical theory and practice, and does not seek to impose any single critical or ideological framework onto its subject, initiating instead a degree-zero analysis in which an engagement with the subject gives rise to a philosophical approach that is broadly post-foundational. Such an approach means that relativism, paradox and aporia become overarching themes throughout the project, concomitant with a simultaneous recognition and rejection of binary logic. In this way, the research does not propose any all- encompassing theories about the work it addresses, but probes the multiple and often paradoxical meanings that arise from its engagement with space, film structure, the film screen, musical form, and the human voice, head and face.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:553053 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Foster, David |
| Publisher | University of Reading |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Page generated in 0.0017 seconds