The Poems By Oskar Davičo and Živojin Žika Pavlović

Abstract

This paper examines the characteristics of the adaptation of Oskar Davičo’s novel Poem (serbian Pesma, 1952) into an TV series directed by Živojin Žika Pavlović (RTB, 1975). The analysis primarily highlights and contextualizes with a case study those theorizations that are recognized in the course of this adaptations, based on the rich and diverse theoretical literature in the areas of adaptation and transmediality. It next considers the relationships of these works and historical factography (including the use of documentary videos in the TV series – German movie journals, which introduce each episode, and the way that other documentary videos of occupied Belgrade were integrated and interweaved with the narrative of the TV series). This is followed by relations with other fictional works covering the themes of life and work of freedom fighters in Belgrade during World War II (The Written Offs, serbian Otpisani, 1974 and The Written Off Return, serbian Povratak otpisanih, 1978), and the specificities of media and style expressions of the novel and the TV series. Thus established analysis led to conclusions about the manner of acting upon a literary template (the basic/original work), wherein the manner of the exposition of the plot and the themes show the poetic and surrealistic style of Oskar Davičo (stream-of-consciousness novel; the dominant use of fast-paced and concise dialogs; the view of philosophical, moral and poetic issues and dilemmas and the highly stylized poetic style). On the other hand, the principle of adaptation (the combination and the manner in which the documentary material and fiction are integrated, the exposition order change, the choice of black and white film technique, the changes of certain places and circumstances of the plot, as well as the fictional biographies of characters) indicates the studious and skilful fitting of the original text into the style and poetics of the screen works of Živojin Pavlović. The TV series, in another medium compared to the original text, succeeded to convey and maintain the poetic rhythm and manner of expressing the literary work (by applying other means of expression – documentary material, monologs-confessions spoken towards the camera, quotations resembling choruses that frame every episode). In this way, Pavlović stayed consistent to the title Poem in both theme and style, building it in another medium an in accordance with his poetics.