ABSTRACT
The words and works of Joseph Conrad have frequently been cited by those seeking to demonstrate the influence of the novel on the medium of film. Conrad's objections to photography and cinematography seem to stem chiefly from the supposition that such technologies achieve a high degree of authenticity in their representations. Certainly in Conrad's later life it is possible to detect some thawing in his outlook towards cinema, particularly when – characteristically mindful of his income – he began to recognise the potential financial benefits of cinema's investment in literary sources. Conrad's Victory seems a particularly appropriate novel to examine for evidence of cinematic traces. In common with a number of other Conrad novels, Victory deals with the self-image of its lead characters. Where Victory differs – where it marks itself as a 'post-impressionist' rather than an impressionist novel – is in the particular stress it places on the self as a 'textualized' concept.
