ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the changes and transformation that take place in film adaptation, including spatial, cultural and media aspects. It investigates how narrative may be translated from one genre to another, how it can change and what new aspects it gains in a different medium. The chapter focuses on Shindō Kuroneko (1968), a little-known but significant work, and analyzes how the filmmaker used classical literary sources and theatrical styles to draw attention to the continuity and transferability of a story through ages and genres. It also focuses on the literary background of the story and looks at versions of a particular Japanese legend found throughout Japanese literary history and then how it changes spatially, culturally and stylistically when it is translated into the medium of film. The chapter describes the connectivity and compatibility of different art forms through its discussion of Kuroneko, and analyzes how Shindō used elements of classical Japanese literature.
