Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
M.A. in Cinema, School of Cinema and Theatre, University of Art, Tehran, Iran.
2
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
3
Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/jlc.2025.504782.1710
Abstract
Focalization is one of the fundamental elements of narrative that meaningfully orients the audience’s perception in various arts such as literature, painting, and cinema. In the process of adapting artistic works, shifts in focalization can lead to significant changes in the structure and meaning of the adapted piece. Abbas Kiarostami’s film Shirin, in its adaptation of Nezami’s narrative poem Khosrow and Shirin, undergoes a transformation in focalization. The central question of this study is how the shift in focalization in Shirin, compared to Nezami’s original poem, alters the narrative structure and content, and how these changes influence the transformation of the original’s literary genre. This research employs a descriptive-analytical method within the theoretical framework of Boris Uspensky’s model of focalization. The findings reveal that in Shirin, focalization expands across four levels: the “camera-as-focalizer,” the “actress-as-focalizer,” “Shirin-as-present-focalizer,” and “Shirin-as-past-focalizer.” This expansion is accompanied by changes in narrative discourse, the elimination or transformation of certain characters and storylines, and a shift in literary genre from lyrical to romantic. By focusing on the role of focalization in cinematic adaptation, this study opens new perspectives for narrative analysis in intermedial studies and, considering the centrality of focalization in Shirin, offers a novel approach for scholars and enthusiasts in this field.
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