Top 10 Book-to-Movie Adaptations

Some stories are meant to be told in writing, while others are best presented on screen. Columnists, short-story authors, novelists all the way to screenplay writers and directors are all considered to be storytellers in their unique way. Some of them may agree with this statement, but there is a portion that refutes it with valid proof.

The successful translation of written word into movement and speech is an achievement all in itself. It has posed a challenge for movie directors long before bonuscodepoker.com had found its way to poker players and helped them to their purpose. With a significant amount of hard work and no immediate assistance of this kind, the following movie adaptations have managed to achieve the goal of their art – faithful representation of the original, unique cinematic elements that disguise it and a relation to general topics that eternalize the work in all its forms.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Ken Kesey’s novel (1962) transformed into a production that was well beyond its time back in 1975. It is a faithful rendition of the story behind getting locked inside a psychiatric hospital without substantial evidence of belonging there and its subsequent effects. Madness is a key symbol, as it is found in both extremely rational and irrational deeds. The part of Mac, convicted for statutory rape, is played by Jack Nicholson who manages to pour his acting genius and lead the viewers to the most disturbing revelations, just as the written form was intended to do.

Dangerous Liaisons
The originally French novel of 1782 got its time on the big screen much later than the previous adaptation, when Stephen Frears directed it in 1988. It follows the story of individual people and their inner drives in order to portray the macrocosmic regime changes and its effects in 18th century French society.

Wuthering Heights
There have been many book-to-movie adaptations for this creation by Emily Bronte, first published in 1847. Under William Wyler’s directing methods, the story managed to reach a most realistic portrayal of the tempestuousness of characters, the moor-like setting and their interrelations. Presenting the storyline as more than just a love gained-lost-regained is a deed that many subsequent attempts have failed at.

The Silence of the Lambs
Thomas Harris had his work published in 1988, only to witness how its movie adaptation surpasses popularity projections in 1991. Jonathan Demme did a great job as director, but many put the blockbuster status down to casting. There is no denying that Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster were the best actors for the job.

Schindler’s List
Steven Spielberg’s genius is evident in this screening of the book Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally, which was dubbed as a most truthful display of the events related to the Holocaust. Schindler’s inspiring dedication to save a human life in the midst of absolute horror has deservedly won the seven Oscars it was nominated for.

The Lord of the Rings Series
J. R. R. Tolkien had been largely praised for the ability to invent a parallel universe out of thin air, as it was seen back in 1954-55 when publishing took place. Nonetheless, director Peter Jackson’s ever-moving imagination granted him the vision needed to bring the story closer to a much wider audience.

The Harry Potter Series
During the course of a whole decade (1997-2007), J. K. Rowling created a world of wizards that would provide people of all generations an escape from everyday troubles. It only became more accessible under the directorship of Columbus, Cuaron, Newell and Yates, as they led their actors and their audience through a spectacular journey which primarily existed solely in their minds.

The Godfather: Part I
Mario Puzo’s story about the eternal Corleone clan extended into three film versions directed by Francis Ford Coppola, with the first one released in 1972, only three years after the book hit the stands. All three parts have had their fair share of acting and directing excellence, but none can surpass the first moment Al Pacino and De Niro appear on the big screen under this great title.

Trainspotting
Irvine Welsh’s work and Danny Boyle’s adaptation are more than simple storytelling – they aim and succeed to revitalize both industries of their time. Through an unconventional plot line and cinematic elements, Trainspotting deserves all the praise it has received.

Gone With the Wind
Set in the midst of the Civil War, this voluminous epic got equally extensive coverage on the big screens that justified the numerous Academy Awards for the cast and production. It is a dramatic love story set in a tumultuous time when plantations were but the only thing that grew and flourished. The classic elements are supported by a powerful female figure as a symbol of changing times, turning both the novel and movie into an evergreen.

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