The Transformation from Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia Novel into Movie by Gabor Csupo

Abstract

This research is an analysis of the adaptation work Bridge to Terabithia by Gábor Csupó (2007), which is an adapted work from the novel by Katherine Paterson (1977). This research uses Hutcheon's adaptation theory to find changes in intrinsic elements and ideology that lead to the motives behind the adaptation work. Barthes' semiotics is the theory used to reveal ideology in the novel and movie. After this ideology was revealed, Hutcheon's adaptation theory was used to determine the adapter's motives in making the movie adaptation. This research belongs to qualitative research whose primary data are taken from the novel and movie. Data from the novel are in the form of quotations, conversations and narratives expressed through characters, characterization, and plot. The data in the movie are in the form of several screenshots of scenes through transformation, character, characterization and plot. Secondary data in this research also needed to strengthen all arguments so that this research is valid. Secondary data are taken from books, journal articles, thesis and other references related to the topic. There are two goals in this research that are set to reach. The first one is to find the transformation in Paterson's Bridge and the movie by Csupo. The second is to find motives beyond adaptation. The comparative method is used to compare and determine the transformation between written text and audio visual. After the transformation is discovered, Barthes' semiotics is used to find ideology, namely by reading the signs in the data, both data in the novel and movie. After reading the signs on the data, the data are correlated with the contextual background of the problem and become a way out to find the motives behind the adaptation using Hutcheon's adaptation theory. The result of this research found the shift of ideology in the adaptation work. The ideology found in the novel is hegemonic masculinity, meanwhile, in the movie the ideology given is less hegemonic masculinity. Based on the ideology contained in the novel and movie adaptation, the motive given by the adapter is personal-political and economic lures. The adapter takes advantage of this motive to gain profit, especially in financial terms. By using ideologies related to issues that exist in society at that time, filmmakers gain more benefits.