Monday, December 20, 2004
Books to Movies
This was what I thought of writing about before the DPS thing cropped up... anyway, so here it is...
Many movies we see are made from books - novels mainly, biographies, comics and so on... I have always felt that the book is a lot better medium than the film is, though a film doesn't demand the same investment of time and money that a book does. However, reading a good book always leaves a much deeper impression than watching a good movie does. And it is a much better way to spend one's time I feel. I have seen my share of movies based on books. Most left me feeling that the book was a better experience than the movie was. I guess its because a book allows u to understand and visualize every aspect of any scene rather than impose something on your mind like a film does. Maybe there's more - I am sure there is. Just can't put it into words I guess. Anyway, there come from time to time some movies which are almost as enjoyable as the book itself. Here are some I feel are as good as the books themselves.
The Godfather: A god-damn great book, and an equally great movie. The book made me an instant fan of Mario Puzo, and the movie got me to become a fan of Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino, and mainly Marlon Brando. I don't know if any change in the cast or the crew of the movie would have led to the same effect that the movie has now. I mean, even after so many years, it is still a much-admired classic. I don't need to praise the book and I am sure that whatever I can say would be sadly insufficient.
Jurassic Park: A great read which makes the readers really imagine the mighty dinosaurs as they once roamed the earth. The movie was just as I had imagined it should be, and not just me, all my friends also feel the same. One of the few sci-fi movies which seems likely to happen - and I think that's what makes a sci-fi movie good.
Lord of the Rings: All three movies. I think that LOTR's the best book I've read. The vision of Tolkein is just too awe-inspiring. And the movies all gave out the same aura that the books project. Each character in the movie is fleshed out in a very faithful manner, and I think it is a really difficult task to not have taken any cinematic liberties and yet maintain the same effect as the book does. I am sure everyone who has seen the movie and read the book is just impressed by the look and feel of Gollum in the movie - the hardest character to portray on screen.
Besides these, there are of course some other movies which are damn good, but somehow, they're not just the same as the book itself. Watch "The Client" or "The Pelican Brief" and then read them, and I am sure you'd be much more impressed by the books than by the movies, as good as they are. One movie I am waiting for is HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy, though I don't really know if the makers can pull it off... Here's hoping that they are able to make the movie as good as the books were...
Many movies we see are made from books - novels mainly, biographies, comics and so on... I have always felt that the book is a lot better medium than the film is, though a film doesn't demand the same investment of time and money that a book does. However, reading a good book always leaves a much deeper impression than watching a good movie does. And it is a much better way to spend one's time I feel. I have seen my share of movies based on books. Most left me feeling that the book was a better experience than the movie was. I guess its because a book allows u to understand and visualize every aspect of any scene rather than impose something on your mind like a film does. Maybe there's more - I am sure there is. Just can't put it into words I guess. Anyway, there come from time to time some movies which are almost as enjoyable as the book itself. Here are some I feel are as good as the books themselves.
The Godfather: A god-damn great book, and an equally great movie. The book made me an instant fan of Mario Puzo, and the movie got me to become a fan of Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino, and mainly Marlon Brando. I don't know if any change in the cast or the crew of the movie would have led to the same effect that the movie has now. I mean, even after so many years, it is still a much-admired classic. I don't need to praise the book and I am sure that whatever I can say would be sadly insufficient.
Jurassic Park: A great read which makes the readers really imagine the mighty dinosaurs as they once roamed the earth. The movie was just as I had imagined it should be, and not just me, all my friends also feel the same. One of the few sci-fi movies which seems likely to happen - and I think that's what makes a sci-fi movie good.
Lord of the Rings: All three movies. I think that LOTR's the best book I've read. The vision of Tolkein is just too awe-inspiring. And the movies all gave out the same aura that the books project. Each character in the movie is fleshed out in a very faithful manner, and I think it is a really difficult task to not have taken any cinematic liberties and yet maintain the same effect as the book does. I am sure everyone who has seen the movie and read the book is just impressed by the look and feel of Gollum in the movie - the hardest character to portray on screen.
Besides these, there are of course some other movies which are damn good, but somehow, they're not just the same as the book itself. Watch "The Client" or "The Pelican Brief" and then read them, and I am sure you'd be much more impressed by the books than by the movies, as good as they are. One movie I am waiting for is HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy, though I don't really know if the makers can pull it off... Here's hoping that they are able to make the movie as good as the books were...
