Everyone has read a book at some point or another and thought to themselves, “this would make a great movie.” And while it seems amazing to be able to see the characters and story come to life on screen, it’s always going to end up falling flat. A book’s narrative, tone, and action are all but forgotten the moment it gets into a director’s hands. It’s not their fault, as it’s impossible to squeeze 500 pages of in-depth writing into a two-hour-long movie. I appreciate a good effort, but I have yet to see a movie that is genuinely better than the book.
Movie adaptations also make us lazy. Authors can make the reader feel like they’re in the narrative by giving details about the setting and characters, but it’s still only words, and the reader must use their own imagination to create a visual. I remember when the Hunger Games movie came out after I had read all three novels. I was so upset looking at what they thought District 12 looked like versus what I had imagined. Now whenever I go back and read the book, I can’t ever picture what I had in mind. Katniss will always be Jennifer Lawrence, rather than the girl I had pictured in my head, and I don’t like how that thoughtfully written imagery will never truly be appreciated again.
Looking on the financial side, I find it annoying that nearly everything coming out nowadays is a cheap knockoff of a novel. What happened to creativity? Hollywood has turned into a money grab, and I’m tired of watching half-ass movies that don’t even try to do the book justice. At least Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter had some budget behind them. If I want to watch a movie, I’d rather watch something like a Quentin Tarantino film, because he actually writes his own stuff.
Of course, everyone has their different opinions, and I’m not trying to sound pretentious by being one of those people who always has to declare that “the book was better”. If you’re someone who hates reading, I totally get it, and honestly, you’re probably better off living in the ignorant bliss that every movie adaptation is great.
I have just now gotten into reading, and I agree. I just recently finished Where The Crawdads sing and while I will definitely watch the movie, I'm not sure that it will live up to the book. The book was so detailed, and I just can't see the movie doing that
ReplyDeleteI just read that too! What a wonderful book! I'm excited to see how it's translated to the screen.
DeleteI always refuse to watch movie adaptations until after I've read the book, and everything you said perfectly sums up why. I love your idea about how once you can't return to what you pictured once you've seen the movie's setting and cast. I hadn't ever thought about that effect of the book-to-movie pipeline, and I totally agree that it compromises some of the things that make the experience of reading a book so special.
ReplyDeleteI feel like some of the series people are adapting from books are pretty good...lots of fun stuff on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, etc. But I'm usually disappointed by the movies too. I just love books so much, and, when they make them into movies, they always leave critical things out.
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