By adapting chapter 1 of One Hundred Years of Solitude I hope to show that a film can be just as or better than the novel it is based on. One Hundred Years of Solitude is an excellent choice for a film because more and more, films are becoming postmodern and One Hundred Years of Solitude is a prime example of postmodernism. Also, this film would serve as a great tool to show the history of Latin America, as it is a microcosm of it..
*Note: After using Jose Aureliano Buendia for the first time, I will be using an abbreviation of ‘JAB’.
Opportunity or Chapter 1 of One Hundred Years of Solitude
(The sun rises as a man middle-aged walks through a town with his hands hand cuffed. He has one man on either side of him. Each man is wearing the same uniform and have a gun on each of there backs. The men in uniform bring the man to a stained colored wall. The stains are from blood and the man is left there. As the man looks ahead he sees 7 men with guns getting ready to shoot him. One man brings a blind fold. As he ties the blind on to the eyes of the prisoner time reverses itself.)
(Jose Arcadio Buendia is walking down the streets of Macondo. We see the houses of the inhabitants of the villagers and the scenery of the town. Suddenly a young boy walks out of a house and the two continue walking.)
Aureliano Buendia: Father, what is happening?
Jose Arcadio Buendia: The gypsies have returned to our town.
Aureliano Buendia: Gypsies?
JAB: Yes, Gypsies. They bring different tools that are necessary for the progression of our town. The last time they came they brought a magnet. It was magic! This tool could move house hold appliances. The leader of this band is named Melquiades and he has become a good friend of mine.
(The two continue to walk as they encounter Melquiades and his troupe of gypsies)
Melquiades: COME ONE, COME ALL SEE THE INVENTION THAT HAS ELIMINATED DISTANCE!
JAB: Oh, how nice to see you Melquiades, what invention have you brought this time.
Melquiades: A telescope. Pay me 5 reales and you will be aloud to see this invention.
(Urgently JAB and Aureliano Buendia pay, and walk into a huge red tent.)
Gypsy #1: (talking to JAB) Look through this telescope and everything will be magnified.
JAB: Amazing, simply amazing. Science will soon rule the world. This instrument could be used as a weapon. Quick Aureliano, run home, grab the magnet and take three coins from your mother’s chest under the bed. But do not alert your mother to your happenings.
(Aureliano runs home and the screen turns black. JAB is seen in a room sprawled out on a desk with parchments, books, quill and paper, writing calculations. Much time passes, as it is shown with JAB’s beard. He finally emerges from his room.)
JAB: THE WORLD IS ROUND!
Ursula (his wife): Do not fill our children’s heads with such meaningless fodder. YOU are aloud to go crazy but do not bring this whole family down with you.
(The town prepares for the return of the gypsies, Melquiades appears from the horizon, looking greatly aged, partly by diseases that had plagued his face from the many places he had been around the world.)
JAB: Melquiades, what have you brought this time?
Melquiades: You shall see, but first we must construct you a laboratory.
(Melquiades whistles as many other gypsies exit the camp with tools and supplies for the laboratory. Within a few days the laboratory is completed.)
JAB: Now that we are done, what have you brought from the lands you have traveled from?
Melquiades: I have brought equations that make different things turn to gold.
(Melquiades leaves the tools with JAB and leaves the village. JAB tries these equations but nothing happens and nothing turns to gold.)
JAB: Damn!
(The gypsies return with loud instruments and Melquiades has gotten over his diseases and looks as young as ever).
Melquiades: Wondrous things are happening all over the world; just over the river one can find these eccentricities.
JAB: I must encounter what is outside of this village, I must recruit a group of men to help me in my journey.
(JAB goes home to home recruiting men on his journey he finally finds enough people and is ready to leave Macando).
JAB: (to Ursula) Goodbye wife! Wish me luck!
Ursula: Bye!
(The band of explorers go off on there adventures. JAB goes to right of Macando where he encounters many challenges but finally finding water. Turning around, he goes the other way finding even more water. Discouraged he goes the other two ways he has yet to travel to, finding water. JAB returns home.)
JAB: MACANDO IS DAMNED TO HAVE WATER ON ALL FOUR SIDES OF IT! Progress will never come. We shall live here in solitude for the remainder of our days.
Ursula: What is so wrong about that?
JAB: We will never become modernized and science, the true calling of my life will never come here.
Ursula: Why don’t you spend some time with your children, you hardly see them anymore.
(JAB began to teach his children many lessons of life and subjects such as geography, mathematics, and sciences. One day their lesson was interrupted by a loud BOOOOOOOOOM!)
Aureliano Buendia: What has happened father?
(JAB quickly grabs his children and runs into the square, he runs into a gypsy who grins at him with gold teeth. He ran everywhere to search for Melquiades.)
JAB: (to Gypsy #1) Where is Melquiades?
JAB: (to Gypsy #2) Where is Melquiades?
JAB: (to Gypsy #3) Where is Melquiades?
(JAB continued to ask gypsies until he encountered the tent where Melquiades was setting up his tent.)
Gypsy #5: Melquiades has perished in our travels around the world.
(Gasped with horror he refused to believe it. Just then a gypsy brought JAB a box, he opened it, and gasped.)
JAB: (quickly forgetting about Melquiades) It’s the largest diamond in the world!
Gypsy #6: No it is ice, and five more reales to touch it again.
JAB: (quickly paying the price) THIS IS THE GREATEST INVENTION OF OUR TIME!
WORD COUNT: 1472
