Remaking the Past: How Screenwriters Reimagine, Modernize, and Remake Period Pieces
Period Pieces have long graced our screens and audiences continue to love them. They offer a portal into the days of yore and a voyeuristic snapshot of life during those times. They transport audiences into other worlds and immerse them with characters who may or may not be too different from those in life today.
They are set in a historical era to illustrate the social codes, morality, and language of the times as a distinct contrast from the present day. They educate as well as entertain.
Remaking classic texts requires a number of considerations relating to the fidelity of accurately recreating the past to modern audiences.
Do screenwriters want to recreate the past as accurately as possible, distill and translate the essence of the social issues of the day like Julian Fellowes’ Downton Abbey for modern audiences, or use the source material as a sandpit for artistic experiementation like Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo+Juliet or Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights? Each approach has its creative merit.
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