Books to Film
April 5th 2008 10:46
The book is better than the film.
That is the first thing that everyone agrees about film adaptations of books. The book is better than the film.
But what does that mean? Does that mean that they should have never made the film? Does it mean that they should only make the film if they can show every thing in the book? Or does it really mean that they cut out one of my favorite scenes and the film had no where near the impact of the book?
The last one is more likely.
I think that you have to accept the fact that the book is different to the film and that it will not be the same experience.
What I think that a large number of people forget is that because of film we have discovered some wonderful books.
Because of the Dune movie I have now discovered a wonderful book that I may never have read otherwise.
I have read "Of mice and men" and "Lord of the Flies" and "Heart of Darkness" and these are all amazing books that I discovered through movies.
I think that when we dismiss dramatization of books as being in some way inferior we loose sight of the fact that film is a wonderful way to discover some of the most amazing fictional worlds.
I have a simple rule. If a movie is coming out i will read the book that the film is based on after I have seen the film. That way I get the best of both worlds.
I get to have an exciting wonderful adventure for 2 or so hours and then after I have seen the film I get to spend a couple of weeks in the wonderful world that was created by the author and meet the amazing characters that I only glimpsed in the movie.
Now I have a friend who refuses to see movies based on books that he loves, mainly because he doesn't want some Hollywood representation to replace the characters that he imagined in his minds eye.
I see it differently. I think that our imagination can take what was presented by the film maker and make it better using it as a base from which to launch from. And where the film contradicts the movie. The book always wins. Luke Skywalker flies his X-Wing as part of Blue Squadron and it is not hard for me to imagine blue striped X - Wings instead of red ones.
So when you hear that they are making a movie of a comic book or book that you have always wanted to read. Go see the movie and then read the book afterwards for the best of both worlds.
And for those of you that despair every time that you see a favorite book get "destroyed" by Hollywood. Remember there will be so many more people buying and reading the book you love and this will give your favorite author money to write more wonderful books just like the one you fell in love with.
It is a small price to pay for the opportunities that it brings
That is the first thing that everyone agrees about film adaptations of books. The book is better than the film.
But what does that mean? Does that mean that they should have never made the film? Does it mean that they should only make the film if they can show every thing in the book? Or does it really mean that they cut out one of my favorite scenes and the film had no where near the impact of the book?
The last one is more likely.
I think that you have to accept the fact that the book is different to the film and that it will not be the same experience.
What I think that a large number of people forget is that because of film we have discovered some wonderful books.
Because of the Dune movie I have now discovered a wonderful book that I may never have read otherwise.
I have read "Of mice and men" and "Lord of the Flies" and "Heart of Darkness" and these are all amazing books that I discovered through movies.
I think that when we dismiss dramatization of books as being in some way inferior we loose sight of the fact that film is a wonderful way to discover some of the most amazing fictional worlds.
I have a simple rule. If a movie is coming out i will read the book that the film is based on after I have seen the film. That way I get the best of both worlds.
I get to have an exciting wonderful adventure for 2 or so hours and then after I have seen the film I get to spend a couple of weeks in the wonderful world that was created by the author and meet the amazing characters that I only glimpsed in the movie.
Now I have a friend who refuses to see movies based on books that he loves, mainly because he doesn't want some Hollywood representation to replace the characters that he imagined in his minds eye.
I see it differently. I think that our imagination can take what was presented by the film maker and make it better using it as a base from which to launch from. And where the film contradicts the movie. The book always wins. Luke Skywalker flies his X-Wing as part of Blue Squadron and it is not hard for me to imagine blue striped X - Wings instead of red ones.
So when you hear that they are making a movie of a comic book or book that you have always wanted to read. Go see the movie and then read the book afterwards for the best of both worlds.
And for those of you that despair every time that you see a favorite book get "destroyed" by Hollywood. Remember there will be so many more people buying and reading the book you love and this will give your favorite author money to write more wonderful books just like the one you fell in love with.
It is a small price to pay for the opportunities that it brings
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Comment by Philippa
GAY SCHMAY
The ugly truth
Have times changed?
Watching the movie I was beginning to get irritated because so much from the book had been removed from the movie. Some things werent explained which makes for a sometimes disjointed and confusing movie.
I think if film makers want to do an adaptation of a book they should publicise that the movie is only roughly based on it.
It must suck to be an author and spend so much of your time constructing a novel that will intrigue people & then to have someone do a movie version and completely butcher your materpiece.
Comment by Aldoth
It's All Geek To Me
If you read the book after seeing the movie everyone wins including you because the author who wrote a book that you love will now write another one