By Rania Tsoli,
Literature and cinema are two of the greatest forms of art, with one having existed for centuries upon centuries, and the other dominating the modern art and entertainment scene. It is not at all rare for the two worlds to fuse, with movies inspired by famous literary works being released more and more often; movies that usually end up being pretty successful in terms of ticket sales, might one add. But how does a movie based on a book turn into a tempting intricacy that we simply have to watch? How can we finally know the answer to a debate as old as time – the debate on the magic hidden in a book’s inky pages put against the magnificent colors and sounds a film has to offer, and on which of the two stands victorious?
The ongoing trend of popular books and works of literature being turned into films has been going strong since the 20th century, with the Harry Potter franchise being one of the strongest examples one can offer, but the peak of movie adaptations of popular books was in the 2000s and 2010s, with movies based on young adult novels taking the lead. Back then, book series like Twilight and The Hunger Games were growing more and more popular amongst teens and young adults; as a result, movie producers jumped at the opportunity and got straight to work. Books like the ones mentioned above were growing rapidly increasing fanbases over the course of very few years, because of characteristic elements like love triangles, the supernatural, revolutions, and traces of hard-to-swallow, dark parts of society lingering in the pages.
Young readers were attracted to said elements like a moth to a flame, and the cinematography industry obviously desired to find the same – if not greater – success. Taking one of those books and turning it into a movie seemed like the right path to greatness; only these movies have not always been met with a warm welcome by fans of the books. Truth be told, there are some elements and virtues which simply can not be conveyed on the big screen as beautifully as in a book; let us take a closer look at them, in order to be able to fully grasp the greatness of books, before examining the other end of this debate’s spectrum.
Generally, people get excited when they hear that a book they like is being turned into a movie, seeing as the anticipation they feel while waiting for the movie to be released usually goes hand in hand with re-reading the book, imagining who the actors will be and seeing if they approve of the casting choices, and wondering if the film will stick to the plot of the book or go down a different route and not stay entirely true to the book’s contents. However, it is fairly common for a bookworm to be disappointed after watching the film. This disapproval and eventual rejection of the film’s portrayal of the book’s plot is usually rooted in one’s desire to stick to how they pictured the contents of a book as a reader, and their point of view not fitting in the puzzle that is the director’s different point of view.
When we read a book, we imagine what the characters look like and what their voices sound like; we paint a picture in our heads, which we often hate to see tainted, making what should have been a familiar plot feel more like a series of stranger-looking people going through anticipated events and plot twists. When this happens, a book fan leaves the movie theater feeling underwhelmed and unsure, and either softly muttering or loudly declaring the all too familiar phrase: “The book was better”.
On the other hand, the people claiming that movies are better than books also have some pretty strong and valid points. When one is interested in a book’s plot but does not enjoy reading, or when someone simply does not have the time to read a book, opting for a movie seems like the more logical option. Moreover, a film offers things that books often cannot give to the reader, like hearing the faint chirps of a bird on a nearby branch or being entranced by a bright pink sunset sky; while the author can describe these things and set the scene in a similar way, actually seeing the beautiful shades of green in a forest or hearing the main character’s soft steps on fresh snow are somewhat irreplaceable to many. It is also common for people to dislike the insight that a book gives them into the main character’s emotions and thought because they prefer a little mystery along with the unfolding plot. Others are the complete opposite, and simply adore being in a character’s head and having the ability to understand where an action, thought or emotion is coming from.
Reading can spur our imagination while letting us build the details of a plot in our very own way while watching a film immerses us in the story in a completely different and lively manner. When these two arts meet, two sides of the same coin fuse in one another to create what many hope to be a masterpiece that can be characterized as the best of both worlds, but which often does not get the exciting approval that was anticipated. Turning a book into a movie and making every reader happy is hard, just like it is hard to take a person that is not into books and try to convince them to read one instead of watching the movie based on it. I have always been a fan of books and can say with certainty that I appreciate a book more than the respective movie; however, I would be lying if I did not admit that, as the years go by, I find myself attracted to movies just as much as I am to a good book. It is okay to not like a movie because it was not what you anticipated, just like it is okay to opt for a movie when reading a book seems like something that might bore you or tire you. You do not have to like the movie, nor do you have to enjoy the book; just keep truly enjoying the kind of entertainment that suits you, while being appreciative of the beauty of each respective form of art.
References
- Books vs movies: The age old debate, blogs.libraries.indiana.edu, Available here
- Books vs movies, groupdiscussionideas.com, Available here
