소설 『쿠깜』의 영화적 변용: 영화 “쿠깜”(1995)을 중심으로

Abstract

This article examines Thommayanti’s novel, Khu Kam, and its transformation into film with a focus on Sunset at Chaophraya (1995). Both examples of Khu Kam, the novel or the film, are melodramas that tell the story of two heroes, whose love was destined. Sunset at Chaophraya transforms the narrative and adapts the original text within a melodramatic plot of war and love, emphasizing the inner conflict between duty and emotions(heart) of the main characters. Formally, it enhances cinematic reality by inserting newspaper clips and actual war-related images along with a reverse sequence progression. It can be said that the film Sunset at Chaophraya closely adheres to the spirit of the original novel and faithfully reproduces the textual language of the original text onto images on the screen. However, in comparison to the novel which emphasizes the fateful love of the two protagonists amidst the war, the film emphasizes the tragedy of war itself. This is where the film differs from the novel, and the filmic transformation of the novel was implemented to realize this theme. While the film Sunset at Chaophraya remains faithful to the original novel, it also emphasizes that the tragic end of the main characters is brought by the war.