Unconscious Adaptation: Hard Candy as Little Red Riding Hood

摘要

Critics and reviewers were quick to articulate the visual comparison of David Slade’s red-hooded heroine, Hayley, in his contemporary psychological thriller Hard Candy (2005), with the folkloric heroine, Little Red Riding Hood, but so far scholars have neglected to look beyond the connection of the red hood to consider the thematic and narratological similarities that can be found in comparison with the folk tales. The choice of costume, described by the film's screenwriter, Brian Nelson, ‘as a piece of accidental poetry’ suggests that fairy tales occupy a complex space within adaptation studies. This article therefore seeks to establish the concept of unconscious adaptation and appropriation within the discipline as a way of promoting fairy tales as the ultimate intertexts.