Introduction
Skraeling is based on an ancient cultural setting but can be adjusted to fit modern audiences. The narrative explores the life of Kannujaq, who encounters Siku, a brave young boy, among shy Tanut people. Kannujaq is drawn by the boy’s enthusiasm and plea to help save the Tanut from an enemy, who Kannujaq later learns to be sea monsters or men from a different tribe. Kannujaq also realizes that Angula, a self-made leader, is the cause of the conflicts between Tanut and the sea monsters as he had stolen their treasures (Spisak, 225). Angula attacks Kannujaq, whose fighting tools overshadow Angula’s killing him. Kannujaq later creates a plan with Siku’s mother Siaq, and they successfully save the Tanut from the sea creatures. Ancient film properties, including treasures and human corpses, will need adjustment in a modern film to avoid ethical concerns for viewership. Incorporating a racial theme will also draw the attention of various racial audiences. The text can be developed into a film scene by using and adjusting the storyline to maintain the theme.
Scene One
The first scene would center on Kannujaq sited among inuksuit or human-shaped rocks. A voice-over would follow narrating and differentiating Kannujaq’s grandfather’s stories from reality. The narrator would contrast the stories with the technological developments following industrial developments in America, China, Egypt, and France (Qitsualik 4). Africa will be illustrated as comprising raw materials such as gold in Ghana, which creates a basis for colonization by Whites to take these natural resources. The story would lead the audience to the colonial period, then focus back on Kannujaq and his dogs at the end.
Scene Two
The second scene would show Kannujaq walking in a rocky lonely place with his dogs. He will encounter the people of Tunit who he thinks will attack him but later realizes that they fear him and run in different directions. The individuals have odd hairstyles, almost non-humanlike (Qitsualik 6). As the people run, one boy will remain, and his attention will be drawn to Kannujaq’s dogs. Kannujaq will then approach with his hands raised to indicate that he is harmless. Kannujaq will exchange some utterances with the boy, and he will struggle to understand him. When they get comfortable with each other, the boy will hold Kannujaq’s hand, leading him downhill to a Tunit camp. From a distance, the two can see fire, and they continue to walk down to the shore to a stone dwelling. On the way, they pass a pile of dead bodies, and although Kannujaq is afraid, he gets curious to know what is happening (Qitsualik 7). As they approach the shore, the boy lets go of Kannujaq’s hand and run to the staggering Tunit. Some of the Tunit people were wailing for the dead lie down. The episode ends when Kannujaq notices that the people running toward the sea were not Tunit, but gigantic people, who were probably the enemy.
Scene Four
Kannujaq is seen studying the giants and realizes that they were not real giants but men who had masks. He notices one man with a bright shining face who seemed to be their master and later realizes that he is wearing a mask. The men have a boat shaped like a loon, and they are killing Tunits. Kannujaq turns back to find the boy, and he notices him crying over a youngster lying on the floor with dark blood oozing from his body. He feels pity for the boy who had tried asking him for help against the giant with a shining face (Qitsualik 9). The boy leads Kannujaq to his dwelling, where they begin to talk about the happenings. It is then that Kannujaq learns that the Sea Monsters had attached other Tunits because of Angula – a self-made leader who had lent special tools to others. Kannujaq also leans that the boy’s name is Siku and the boy believed that Angula had stolen some special tools from the shining giant leading to the war. Many Tunit wanted to leave the land, but Angula would not let them go.
Scene Five
In the next scene, Angula will appear angrily, pointing at Kannujaq for his presence among the Tunit. Angula will accuse Kannujaq of wanting to steal from them, but Siku will emerge from the background. Siku will then stand firm, looking at the scared crowd behind Angula, shouting that Angula was the reason for the killings (Qitsualik 8). Angula will then rush towards the boy and knock him down, leaving the whole crows agitated. Angula blames his temper on Kannujaq, stating that he caused him to push the boy. Kannujaq does not utter a word but throws down a knife he had gotten from Siku and quickly walks to find his dogs. The scene ends as everyone dispatches after Kannujaq’s exit.
Scene Six
In the next scene, Kannujaq is shown with his dogs walking away from the Tunit. He notices Angula with his team behind him walking quickly with swords. Angula is afraid but angered by the attack. He draws his bow and steps away from his dogs to avoid any arrows falling and injuring them. Angula’s team aims arrows at Kannujaq, but he dodges them and later realizes that his bow is more potent than their weapon as it was made from composite pieces. He thus draws a bow and aims at Angula, spearing his chest and killing him (Qitsualik 9). Angula’s cronies run away after realizing how strong Kannujaq’s bows are to avoid being killed like Angula.
Scene Seven
Kannujaq then becomes concerned about Tunit and goes back to find Siku. The Tunit people express their happiness in Kannujaq’s ac of Killing Angula by offering him food. Siku later introduces Kannujaq to his mother, Siaq. Kannujaq learns from Siaq that, indeed, Angula had stolen some special treasures, including leather, wolf fur, and wood from the sea giants. Siaq served Angula as a slave, and he learned how Angula had stolen these treasures and even killed the Shilling One’s colleagues and only rescued him (Qitsualik 12). As a slave, one of the roles of Siaq was to take care of the wounded Shining One until he got better. Angula then gifted Siaq to the Shining One, and later, Siaq spilled the truth about Angula leading the Shining One to flee.
Scene Eight
Siaq’s story allows Kannujaq to plan a strategy to eliminate the sea monsters to save the Tunit. They prepare poisoned mushrooms and leave their houses as they wait for the sea monsters. The men arrive and are trapped by the bait, which kills them except for the Shining One. Later, Kannujaq learns that this man was Siku’s father and was conceived when the Shinning One had married Siaq as a gift from Angula. The last scene will show Siku and Siaq preparing to leave Tunit, a decision proposed by Kannujaq, which they readily accept.
Difficulties in Adapting the Text
The proposed film uses antique props, including treasures such as wolf fur, wool, and leather, which may create adaptation challenges. For instance, getting wolf fur may create ethical issues with the animal rights protection agencies. Woodcutting may also create concerns from the environmental conservation agencies. Equally, the items may also not fit the current film as treasures and may need replacements for things commonly considered valuable, including money and gold. The difficulties may emerge from a need to merge the narrative context with the current film audience expectations and intense competition, which may require props that fit the target generation. The story also includes scenes of a pile of dead bodies, which may be challenging to create in contemporary film. Such scenes may create ethical issues leading to the censoring of viewership to particular audiences, such as adults who may have a background in filmmaking (Moraes et al. 1). These restrictions may require adjustments to allow broad viewing of the film for a competitive edge.
Proposed Changes
The main changes will mainly address film properties and ethical considerations. A contemporary film covering a similar story will use money, gold, or silver instead of wolf fur, leather, or wood for treasures. Some scenes may also be eliminated or adjusted to meet a current theme, for example, the part of narration about the outside world beyond Kannujaq’s imagination, actual footage from the industrial revolution, and modern-day technology. The scene with piles of dead bodies may be eliminated. The illustration of gigantic men may be replaced with more realistic descriptions such as masked men or army soldiers. Some stories may also need adjustments to complement their meanings; for instance, the origin of the sea monsters is not clear. The people would be described as men from a wealthy island in the sea to explain their possession of treasures. The installments will cover scene seven which illustrates Angula’s possessions.
Characters
The characters must vary in race and culture to draw the attention of a broad audience. For instance, the Tanit and sea monsters would be represented by different ethnicities to illustrate wealth possession, and nativity. The director would include a famous film directors such as Ryan Coogler, who directed Black Panther movie (“Black Panther”). The reason is that the storyline closely matches that of Black Panther and will need a similar quality to attract a wider audience.
Existing Adaptations to Offer a Sense of Tone
Racism is a globally debated aspect, which attracts various views among people. Incorporating a race theme will match the storyline and draw the attention of potential viewers to see how race has been depicted in the story. The audience will be attracted to learn the role of the races in a movie and the success stories, such as the fruitful ending when the Tunit finally stopped a torturous leadership under Angula, a greedy leader who steals treasures from the Whites and uses them to buy his powers. The story also illustrates hope where the Tunit seems fearful and shy at the beginning but integrates efforts following Siku, Kannujaq, and Siaq’s creative plan.
Rachel Qitsualik Tinsley’s Skraeling narrative can be creatively developed into a film centering on Kannujaq’s movements from the Inuksuit to Tunit, where he saves Siku and Siaq’s people from the callous leadership of Angula. The film will focus on Siku’s primary role in leading Kannujaq to Tunit, where he kills Angula and later leads the Tunit people against the sea monsters. However, Skraeling’s context may create ethical and real concerns, necessitating substituting film items such as treasures with money. The main characters will include mixed races of Black and White communities to develop a theme of racism which can draw broad viewership for a competitive advantage.
References
“Black Panther.”IMDb. 2018. Web.
Moraes, Caroline, Finola Kerrigan, and Roisin McCann. “Positive Shock: A Consumer Ethical Judgement Perspective.” Journal of Business Ethics 2019: pp. 1-17.
Qitsualik, Rachel -Tinsley. “Skraelings” Spisak. “Skraelings by Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley.” Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, vol. 68, no.4, 2014: pp. 225-225.