F. M. Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”: a Literary Text in the Iranian Cinematic Discourse

This article is devoted to the analysis of the film adaptation of F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment” in the Iranian film “Crime” directed by M. A. Sajjadi. The research is based on the concept of R. Jacobson’s intersemiotic translation and the film adaptation theory, with the aim to study how a literary work is transformed into visual art with regard to the cultural context, national characteristics and creative intent of the director. The film “Crime” is an example of a domestication strategy in which the setting is moved to modern Tehran and the characters are adapted to Iranian culture. The main character Siyavush is the on-screen embodiment of Rodion Raskolnikov, who exemplifies internal struggle and resolves moral conflicts, but his motivation for his crime and the path to transformation are greatly simplified. The film also alters the original symbolism: the Christian idea of redemption is replaced by the theme of love, which reflects the cultural characteristics of Iran. The study demonstrates that adaptation is inevitably accompanied by a reduction, expansion and reinterpretation of the original, which makes it possible to create a new independent text. Despite significant changes, the film preserves Dostoevsky’s key ideas about moral responsibility and the search for meaning in life. Thus, “Crime” becomes a bridge between Russian classical literature and modern Iranian cinema, demonstrating the universality of Dostoevsky’s ideas in various cultural contexts.