YEŞİLÇAM CINEMA AND TALE FORM: AYŞECİK

Abstract

The narrative, which is one of the basic elements of cultural life, forms one of the ways of understanding people and societies. As a narrative fairy tale form born from the need of people to tell stories, has been maintained for centuries by making adjustments in the forms of different media via adaptations. Today, the tale continues in novels, films and television series. Tales that constitute one of the building stones of our narrative culture have sometimes been sources of theme and sometimes the sources of formal elements of our narratives; for this reason tales have become the means of the intertextuality. One leg of Yeşilçam cinema forms popular literature adaptations. The tale structure has been carried to the cinema via popular literaray adaptations; the structure based on the repetition of similar molds reiterated itself in Yeşilçam Sinema until the 1980s. There is a continuity between tales, which is a part of oral tradition, and Yeşilçam tradition, in terms of tale patterns, narrative characteristics, tale-telling practices and social functions. Traditional verbal culture, with language characteristics, subjects, typologies and dominant values, has continued to live in Yeşilçam cinema with his anonymous properties. The Russian folklorist Vladimir Propp suggests that there are invariable motifs and patterns in tales. In this study, it is aimed to determine what kind of structural link there is between narrative structure of tales and of popular domestic films. For this purpose, in order to determine which motifs and functions were repeated in the tradition of tales continuing in Yeşilçam films, Ayşecik novel and Ayşecik film, adapted from this novel, have been analysed in terms of the structural functions that Propp dealt with in The Morphology of Tales The narrative, which is one of the basic elements of cultural life, forms one of the ways of understanding people and societies. As a narrative form, tales born from the need of people to tell stories, have been maintained for centuries by making adjustments in different forms of media via adaptations. Folk literature has a close connection with the tales. Contemporary literature has also benefited from tales, expression techniques or narrative style. Among the sources of cinema tales have an important place in terms of both narration characteristics and the subjects covered. Today, the tale continues in novels, films and television series. Tales that constitute one of the building stones of our narrative culture have sometimes been sources of theme and sometimes the sources of formal elements of our narratives; for this reason tales have become the means of the intertextuality. Thus, the tale has become a medium for updating the tradition with its positive or negative aspects, transforming it into the means of maintaining or overthrowing it. One leg of Yeşilçam cinema forms popular literature adaptations. The tale structure has been carried to the cinema via popular literaray adaptations; the structure based on the repetition of similar molds reiterated itself in Yeşilçam Sinema until the 1980s. There is a continuity between tales, which is a part of oral tradition, and Yeşilçam tradition, in terms of tale patterns, narrative characteristics, tale-telling practices and social functions. Yeşilçam cinema is a narrative of a society that features verbal cultural characteristics. In Yeşilçam films, an auditory-based structure specific to verbal culture dominates. Traditional verbal culture, with language characteristics, subjects, typologies and dominant values, has continued to live in Yeşilçam cinema with his anonymous properties. Both tales and Yeşilçam cinemas are anonymous. Time and space elements of the tales are uncertain; there is uncertainty about the place, time and people in Yeşilçam cinema, too. Extraordinary events are included in the tales; Turkish cinema also has miraculous stories of extraordinary characters. There are usually good or bad people as in the tales in Turkish cinema. Positive people win and bad characters are punished in Yeşilçam films as in the tales. There is also an ethical proposition in Yeşilçam films as in the tales. The Russian folklorist Vladimir Propp suggests that there are invariable motifs and patterns in tales. In this study, it is aimed to determine what kind of structural link there is between narrative structure of tales and of popular domestic films. For this purpose, in order to determine which motifs and functions were repeated in the tradition of tales continuing in Yeşilçam films, Ayşecik novel and Ayşecik film, adapted from this novel, have been analysed in terms of the structural functions that Propp dealt with in The Morphology of Tales. Although different contents are designed for the reader or viewer in every works, in the popular literary products created in tale form and in Yeşilçam films that are designed according to these functions cause the reader or viewer familiar with the structure. Hence, the reading of popular literature and the widespread follow-up of Yeşilçam cinema can be attributed to the repetition of these mythical functions and to the mental tendency of tale reception. Repetition of the known patterns makes it possible to read without difficulty, without thinking and with amusement. A dramatic structure that allows identification through heroism can create unconscious predispositions. Thus, the traditions, behavior patterns, common values, tale world have survived for centuries in the cinema of Yeşilçam, which is leaning on the audience both economically and culturally. Tales are often in harmony with the real world institutions, institutional relationships and the core values of the system. Yeşilçam films, which are structured according to certain stereotypes and certain formulations are based on certain negotiations within the dominant cultural values and do not have historicity and criticism. Despite the poverty, the hope and recommended well-being produce

Özet

Kültürel yaşamın temel unsurlarından olan anlatı, insanı, toplumu anlama yollarından birini oluşturur. Bir anlatı biçimi olarak masal formu, insanların hikâye anlatma ihtiyacından doğmuş, faklı medya biçimlerinde uyarlamaları yapılarak yüzyıllardır varlığını sürdürmüştür. Günümüzde masallar, romanlarda, filmlerde, televizyon dizilerinde devam etmektedir. Bizim anlatı kültürümüzün yapı taşlarından birini oluşturan masallar, kimi zaman konu olarak, kimi zaman biçimsel unsurlar açısından anlatılarımıza kaynak oluşturmuş; bu nedenle de metinler arası geçişliliklerin vesilesi olmuştur. Yeşilçam sinemasının bir ayağını popüler edebiyat uyarlamaları oluşturur. Popüler edebiyat uyarlamaları kanalıyla masal yapısı sinemaya taşınmış; birbirine benzer kalıpların tekrarına dayalı yapı kendini yeniden üreterek 1980'lere dek Yeşilçam Sinemasında hüküm sürmüştür. Sözlü geleneğin bir parçası olan masal yapısı ile Yeşilçam geleneği arasında masal kalıpları, anlatı özellikleri, masal anlatma pratikleri , toplumsal işlevleri açısından bir süreklilik vardır. Geleneksel sözlü kültür; dil özellikleriyle, konularıyla, tiplemeleriyle, başat olarak aldığı değerleriyle, anonim özellikleriyle Yeşilçam sinemasında yaşamaya devam etmiştir. Rus halkbilimci Viladimir Propp, masallarda değişmez motifler, kalıplar olduğunu öne sürer. Masalın anlatı yapısı ile popüler yerli filmlerin anlatı yapısı arasında ne tür bir yapısal bağlantı olduğunu saptamanın amaçlandığı bu çalışmada, Yeşilçam filmlerinde sürüp giden masal geleneği içinde hangi motiflerin ve işlevlerin tekrarlandığını tespit etmek üzere, Propp'un Masalın Biçimbilimi'nde ele aldığı yapısal işlevler açısından Ayşecik romanı ve bu romandan uyarlanan Ayşecik filminin analizi yapılmıştır