The Intermadial Transition of Pink Floyd’s Mother in The Wall by A. Parker (1982)

Abstract

The article considers the problem of transforming a piece of rock-poetry into an extra-meaning element in cinematography – using the example of the song Mother (R. Waters, 1979) by Pink Floyd, as a part of the film Pink Floyd: the Wall (dir. A. Parker, 1982). Along the song lyrics and the video footage, the article examines the film script, promoting the ‘songwriter – screenwriter’, ‘screenwriter – film director’, and ‘songwriter – film director’ interaction, resulting in a further perspective, introducing new characters, setting ties with other parts of the film. By combining the Mother lyrics and their visual implementation, the film unwinds the hidden polemics of the philosophical concepts of S. Freud, C. Jung and E. Fromm, only hinted in the lyrics. The technique of cross-cutting favours the non-verbal communication with the audience, pushing the boundaries of the film into a broader art object. The authors of the article reveal various forms of critical appreciation, born through inter-medial transition of the song lyrics into sound- and visual production.