Uncanny Fidelity: Recognizing Shakespeare in Twenty-First-Century Film and Television

James Newlin's book Uncanny Fidelity challenges critical orthodoxies in adaptation studies by focusing on films and television series that unexpectedly evoke lost or troubling aspects of Shakespeares original playtexts. By examining adaptation as an instance of uncanny return, Newlin demonstrates how the study of Shakespeares afterlife can radically challenge what we consider to be authentically Shakespearean.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 19 December 2023
Publisher: The University of Alabama Press

In the realm of adaptation studies, the notion of categorizing an adapted text as "faithful" or "unfaithful" to its original source is often perceived as overly simplistic, conservative, and moralistic. In his book, Uncanny Fidelity: Recognizing Shakespeare in Twenty-First Century Film and Television, James Newlin challenges these prevailing critical orthodoxies. Instead, he proposes that by examining how a film or television series closely mirrors Shakespeare's drama, we can interrogate what we perceive as "Shakespeare" in the first place.

Drawing upon Sigmund Freud's concept of the uncanny, which refers to the unsettling sensation of familiarity, this book specifically focuses on films and television series that were not marketed as adaptations of Shakespeare. However, these works unexpectedly evoke lost, even troubling aspects of Shakespeare's original playtexts, their performance history, or their reception. By expanding the scope of fidelity readings beyond conventional concerns like plot and language, Newlin demonstrates how the study of Shakespeare's afterlife can shed light on both the historical context of his drama and its relevance for the contemporary political moment.

Engaging with contemporary debates in literary and psychoanalytic theory, the book offers provocative close readings of The Tempest, Othello, and The Winters Tale alongside recent films and television series, ranging from art-house movies like The Master and Manchester by the Sea to cult favorites like Brigsby Bear and Vice Principals. These works conjure widely overlooked qualities of Shakespeare's drama by recalling the casting practices or generic contexts of the early modern stage.

By challenging our preconceived notions of what constitutes "Shakespearean" and exploring the ways in which adaptations evoke and reinterpret his legacy, Uncanny Fidelity offers a fresh and thought-provoking perspective on the enduring influence of Shakespeare in the media and popular culture.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780817361150