Starting with the most fundamental of details necessary for this adaptation, I think the story of Wunderkind would be best suited as an animated film rather than a live action one. I think that, while possible with live action, much of the imagery would be difficult to fully represent in the manner/tone which McCullers intended when writing her story. As an example, let’s take this excerpt from around the middle of the piece.
“A Wunderkind– a Wunderkind– a Wunderkind. The syllables would come out rolling in the deep German way, roar against her ears and then fall to a murmur. Along with the faces circling, swelling out in distortion, diminishing to pale blobs– Mister Bilderbach, Mrs. Bilderbach, Hime, Mister Lafkowitz. Around and around in a circle revolving to the guttural Wunderkind. Mister Bilderbach looming large in the middle of the circle, his face urging– with the others around him.”
This imagery, which one would find quite difficult to adequately represent in a live action film, would be especially easy to represent through the medium of animation. And, given the lack of constraints in the imagery an animated film can bring to life, the many scenes of this nature in the story could be as refined an impactful as they’re meant to be.
And, just as the medium of animation is not constrained in what images it can bring to life, you’re also able to emulate the same sorts of camera angles and cinematic techniques that a live action film could do in order to have the best of both worlds.
As for the plot itself, I think it’d be best to keep it largely the same, not dramatically altering its flow, the progression of events, or its ending. However, by technicality, a character that does not appear in the original story will have to appear in this adaptation. That character, of course, is Heime.
Heime never makes a physical appearance other than in the photo Bienchen describes, but even then, it only goes as far as describing his clothes. In this adaptation, Heime would have to make a physical appearance (in any of the scenes which Bienchen remembers/flashes back to) which inevitably would show his face. I think it would be particularly interesting to intentionally obscure his face and general appearance in the animation just as the story did. You could do that by creating shots where his face is out of view, or through the use of shadows. Either way, Heime’s appearance will add something unique to this adaptation of the story that I think is worth exploring through this new medium.
Regarding the soundtrack, I think that the film shouldn’t have one. By that, I mean that other than the pieces we’re supposed to hear Heime, Bienchen, and Lafkowitz play, we shouldn’t hear any background music at all. This is all for the purpose of making the viewer’s focus hone in on what we hear each of the characters play in order to further emphasize the plight Bienchen finds herself in. It’ll also make the moments of silence, where the piano isn’t being played, all the more impactful.
For the dialogue, I think it should be kept strictly to the external dialogue that’s spoken out loud in the original story. While internal dialogue would be interesting, I think it would inevitably be a hinderance which detracts from what we could represent with the animation itself. It will also help to engross the viewer, as they’ll wonder exactly what’s going through the mind of Bienchen.
This excludes the flashbacks that Bienchen has at certain points in the story, where the viewer will get to see in her mind, but of course, this approach will help add further weight to those scenes.
With all that in mind, I think that this story is one that deserves a wonderful adaptation by a talented studio who could bring McCullers’ vision to life. I’ve seen my fair share of brilliant animated works in my time, and how they can be used to reach a huge audience (children and adults alike), and thus, by adapting this story in this way, you could have this work reach people that would’ve otherwise never seen it. And, there’s something wonderful about that.
*I did not use generative AI to conceptualize or
write this pitch.*
I love this pitch, I would definitely watch this movie. I think it is such an amazing idea to have this movie be animated as a live action would only take away from Bienchen’s plight. Also, Bienchen is a child so an animated movie would make sense to portray the feelings of her childlike mind. I imagine that since there is so much freedom with animation, in certain scenes where she is playing, there could be erratic music notes floating around her, whereas when Heime is playing, there could be effortless notes around him. I love when musically-focused movies are animated (like Soul) as this medium can convey so much about the feelings of music. I also really like your idea of not having any music in the movie apart from what the students and teachers are playing. This would provide so much weight to when Bienchen is messing up and when Heime is playing beautifully. Very cool idea!