The Eternal and the Transitory: One Fabula and Three Plots

The article examines the evolution of a single fabula, differently embodied in the scripts of three iconic films of European arthouse – A. Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”, M. Antonioni’s “Blow-up” and P. Greenaway’s “The Draughtsman’s Contract”. The first two scripts are directly related to the story by J. Cortázar “Las babas del diablo”, but the concept of the fabula reflected in all the above-mentioned works, undoubtedly, has a very ancient origin and goes back to both ancient myth (Oedipus) and real historical events (J. Caesar). Based on the scientific interpretation of fabula and plot by V. Shklovsky and B. Tomashevsky, the article explores the process of transformation of the logical structure and cause-and-effect relations of the fabula provided by reality by means of plot and event unfolding. It is the specificity of the plot organization of the scripts that “triggers” the process of deconstructing the plot, but still retains its most important logical foundations, ensuring its recognizability. The process of fabula transformation is inevitable in the work of artists of any direction. However, supporters of the bricolage technique most often perceive the fabula as an impersonal object for further processing. Consistently examining the positions of many researchers and critics regarding the evolution of the original fabula in the three mentioned scenarios – from the ideas of G. Polti to modern postmodern interpretations – the author demonstrates the growth of the semantic diversity of the plot organization of the scenarios that grew out of a single constructive message.