The Skopos of a Remake: Michael Winner's The Big Sleep (1978)

摘要

In this article, I draw on Hans Vermeer's skopos theory, which although originally formulated for translation studies, nonetheless has particular interest in its concentration on the process, mode, and result of a text. Using Vermeer's theory as a framework, I offer a case study of Michael Winner’s remake of Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep (1978), focusing in particular on the range of paratexts and intertexts involved in its creation, referring not only to Chandler’s novel, the Howard Hawks version of 1946, but also to film noir and the star images of Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum. The analysis will show how textual issues—especially where remakes are concerned—are often complex, involving contradictory interpretations of concepts such as ‘fidelity’, ‘source’, and ‘target’ texts. Such interpretations depend on various factors, including viewer memories and industry imperatives.