Everybody likes to watch a good movie from time to time. Some movies have gone far and beyond to meet our expectations, in terms of quality of acting
Everybody likes to watch a good movie from time to time. Some movies have gone far and beyond to meet our expectations, in terms of quality of acting, or the score, or directing, or videography or everything combined.
Some movies are great because they put into pictures something which was prior to that only text. Movie adaptations of books can go horribly wrong, as we have seen multiple times during the past 40 years, but some exceed everybody’s expectations and actually do a great job. Here are the best movies which were inspired by books, or were adaptations from books.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Peter Jackson and his crew of actors, make-up artists, musicians, stunt crew, local equestrian club members, everybody involved in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, made something beyond amazing when they adapted Tolkien’s work into a set of three movies.
Whichever movie you watch, but particularly the third one, The Return of the King, will leave you breathless. The third movie alone won 11 Academy Awards. The fans were also pleased, with only the most avid ones criticizing Jackson’s approach.
Fight Club
The eponymous book by Chuck Palahniuk is an amazing piece of writing which has a much more angry tone compared to the movie. The director, David Fincher, made alterations to the way the story was portrayed, making it a much more directed arrow towards modern-day society and masculinity. Both the book and the movie are pieces of art, which should be read and watched, in whichever order you prefer.
The Exorcist
Most people know of this movie or have heard about it. It is based on the eponymous book by William Peter Blatty, and the movie was directed by William Friedkin. The movie improves upon the book, adding even more atmosphere to it. It is, of course, helped by the wonderful music, a masterpiece of its own, Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells.
The Silence of the Lambs
The novel, Manhunter, was written by Thomas Harris but the movie was directed by Jonathan Demme. The movie improves upon the book, adding Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. Both have left their mark on the movie, and consequently, pop culture. Anthony Hopkins was particularly entertaining and scary in his role of Hannibal Lecter. It is a must-see movie, one not easily forgotten.
Metropolis
This is a masterpiece, released way back then in 1927. Its visual effects and cinematography are still stunning. It is a science fantasy movie, based or rather, promoted by the eponymous book.
It is interesting because the book was partly written to promote the movie, by Thea von Harbou. Her husband, Fritz Lang, directed the movie. Some parts of the book were changed during the adaptation process, to shift the movie a bit more towards fantasy rather than science fiction. It is so popular that most people have no clue that a book even exists.
American Psycho
The novel, written by Bret Easton Ellis, is a masterpiece about people living in the 1980s, their greed, and how the complete lack of empathy almost devastated parts of the United States. The movie, starring Christian Bale, reflects on the same story, but does it with more dark humor, making the characters even more entertaining, while still nailing the criticism part.
These are some of the best movies which were adapted from books. There certainly are more success stories, but none as magnificent as these.