A NOVEL-TO-CINEMA ADAPTATION AT THE BOUNDARIES OF POSTMODERN AESTHETICS: AĞIR ROMAN

Authors : Ahmet Evis

Pages : 428-446

Doi:10.59257/turkbilig.1609623

View : 98 | Download : 69

Publication Date : 2025-06-26

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Metin Kaçan’s novel Ağır Roman, published in 1990, examines the subculture of its era through demographic variables and emerges as one of the most prominent works of the underground genre in Turkish literature. Adapted into a film with the same title in 1997, directed by Mustafa Altıoklar, the work was met with considerable interest. The author skillfully portrays individuals consumed by their era within their worlds, realistically incorporating lower-class people living very different lives in the metropolis into the narrative. He characterises those who are unable to integrate into society, marginalised, rebellious, and involved in illegal activities, with an anti-modernist attitude. In this regard, both the novel and the film, providing content close to postmodern aesthetics, emphasise a break from reality, a pluralistic view, and elevate ordinariness against elitist attitudes. This study examines Ağır Roman, adapted from novel to film, comparatively within the framework of its postmodern elements and the mentioned disciplines. The analysis reveals that the demographic structure of those living in a narrow environment in both novel and film is constructed mainly in line with postmodern understanding. Discrepancies between the film and the novel, resulting from the process of adaptation, have a significant impact on the fictional narrative.
Keywords : Metin Kaçan, Ağır Roman, postmodernizm, altkültür, sinema

ORIGINAL ARTICLE URL