Screenplay

As part of our coursework, we read Richard Krevolin’s book, How to Adapt Anything into a Screenplay. Within the book, Krevolin details many of the important steps one needs to take in order to successfully adapt an original text for film. One of the most essential stages involves answering 7 questions about the text, referred to as the “Big 7.” These stand as starting points to help outline and ultimately visualize our adaptation. As I attempt to “adapt” The Alchemist, I will answer these questions. 

The Alchemist “Big 7”

1.    Who is your main character? Santiago

2.    What does your main character want/need/desire? Santiago has always wanted to travel and see the world, hence why he became a Shepherd. After an intriguing dream and an even more intriguing encounter with a mysterious King, Santiago realizes that he needs to fulfill his Personal Legend by going to the pyramids in Egypt to find the treasure hidden there. In this sense, he desires wealth. Along the way, he meets many interesting people, including Fatima, the woman who enables Santiago to experience love. Though he ultimately does continue his quest for wealth, there is a part of Santiago that deeply wants to return to Fatima so that he can marry her.

3.    Who/what keeps him from achieving what he wants? This is a tricky question, since, within this tale, there is an underlying theme that everything happens for a reason. Occurrences, which seem to be hindrances, are actually omens that guide Santiago to his ultimate destination. However, Santiago’s journey is constantly prolonged and extremely delayed as he encounters new people and gets drawn into their lives and cultures. While many of these people are actually benefactors, they do still slow his progress.  Of all the people that Santiago encounters there is only one who is purely villainous. When initially setting out for the pyramids, Santiago stops at a bar in Africa where he meets a young Arab man who offers to help him cross the desert, for a price. Being very trusting, Santiago immediately gives the man the money. Unfortunately, while a beautiful sword distracts and entrances Santiago, the man runs off with Santiago’s money and disappears forever. This is the first event to initiate the “domino effect” in the story, forcing Santiago to postpone his departure while he earns enough money to continue his journey. Fatima, while certainly not a villain, does almost keep Santiago from achieving his goal. Santiago is extremely tempted as he is in love with Fatima—so much so that he almost decides to stay with her. However, Fatima actually helps him realize that their love is strong enough for him to leave and return to her one day. Toward the end of the story, when Santiago is right on the verge of getting to the pyramids, he and the Alchemist are believed to be spies and are held prisoner in a military camp where, in order to save their lives, Santiago has to prove himself to the chief and again sacrifice all of his money. Additionally, Santiago is a hindrance to himself at times. He is sometimes too trusting and emotional and he continually questions his desires—whether or not he really wants to continue his quest, or if he was happy enough with the life he left behind.

4.    How in the end does s/he achieve what s/he wants in an unexpected unusual way? After being taken prisoner in the military camp, Santiago uses Alchemy to turn himself into the wind, in order to prove himself and be freed. After he and the Alchemist make their way to a Coptic Monastery, the Alchemist gives him money to replace what Santiago had had to give to the general at the military camp and also asks the monk to hold onto some money for the boy, in case he ever needs it. At this point, Santiago has to continue the journey on his own. He makes his way to the pyramids where he sees a scarab beetle (the Egyptian symbol of God). Accepting it as an omen, he begins to dig for gold but finds nothing. As he persists, he encounters refugees from the tribal wars, who demand to know what he is hiding. Santiago explains that he is not hiding anything; he is simply looking for gold. However, not believing him, the men search his bags and find the small piece of gold that the Alchemist had given him. Thinking that Santiago is secretly hiding more gold underground, the men beat him and make the boy keep digging. Despite his continued efforts, he still finds nothing. Ultimately, realizing that he has nothing, the men leave Santiago. However, the leader comes back briefly to tell Santiago that Santiago will not die, but he will live to learn that he shouldn’t be so stupid. He explains that he too had had a dream once—that he should travel to the fields of Spain and look for a ruined church where shepherds and their sheep slept, and dig at the roots of a sycamore tree in order to find buried treasure. Of course, this was the same place where Santiago’s quest had begun, where he had had his first dream. It was his home. Laughing, Santiago finally realizes where his treasure is, and he goes back to his homeland in Spain and finds the incredible wealth of precious stones, gold masks with features, and stone statues embedded with jewels. After cherishing the moment, Santiago speaks the final words of the novel, “I’m coming, Fatima.”

5.    What are you trying to say by ending the story this way? (What is your theme, do you have unifying film devices?) Life is about the journey, not the destination. It doesn’t matter that Santiago ended up where he started—the destination was irrelevant. What was important was that he got to see the world, meet new people, and, above all, grow and evolve.

6.    How do you want to tell your story? (who should tell it if anyone?)—Standard, chronological order, omniscient narrative, told in the third person.

7.    How do your main character and any supporting characters change over course of story? Santiago undergoes a complete transformation throughout the course of his journey. In the beginning, Santiago is only concerned with finding the treasure and becoming wealthy. However, by the end of his quest, he discovers meaning in life as well as love. Love and his relationship with Fatima become a major priority for Santiago. In addition, Santiago learns to pay attention to and appreciate everything around him, even the minutest elements of the world. He learns to accept help and recognize that everyone in the world has something special to offer. Overall, Santiago’s life is no longer just about getting through each day, but about making each day matter and living life to the very fullest.