subject: The Key Reason Why Movies Inspired by Books are Frequently Unsatisfying [print this page] The Key Reason Why Movies Inspired by Books are Frequently Unsatisfying
The moment that the recent Harry Potter movie was released in the cinemas, I didn't wait to be among the first to see it. Among many film critics, it is widely accepted that the earlier Harry Potter motion pictures are amongst the best fantasy motion pictures ever made. Nonetheless I suspected that numerous filmgoers were undoubtedly going to be frustrated by the flick, for it couldn't really meet their idealistic expectations. Allow me to clarify.
I'm a Harry Potter aficionado. Indeed, I would argue that the books are modern-day literary gems. I did not arrive at this realization instantly, though.
I did not begin reading through the novels until the final book was released. Why did I hold off for so long? Simply because I kept on hearing from friends that the books were better than the movies. That is not unusual, as followers of any series would make similar statements. But what hit me was that these particular individuals had a surprisingly different memory of the motion pictures than mine.
So just why are a large number of readers incredibly unsatisfied with the motion pictures? It is actually because they were hoping to watch the books exactly represented on the screen. Because this failed to happen, they felt as if the integrity of the story have been disregarded. In most instances these people had been enraged by key scenes from the novels being left out of the motion pictures.
My personal viewpoint is totally different. I believe that a thorough adaptation of any Harry Potter book to the screen would certainly be insufferable. For starters, the completed film would be unbearably lengthy. And secondly, it would certainly move far too gradually. For a feeling of the way this would be paced, try viewing the most boring movie in cinema history - Gods and Generals.
Movies and novels are distinct mediums. What performs magnificently in a book could crash totally in a movie. When the transition truly does deliver, it is because significant alterations have been made to the story.
In addition, a film is not designed to accurately translate a book to the screen. Rather, it should be thought of as an artistic reinterpretation. Movie adaptations should be regarded as fresh works of art that were inspired by the initial novel. They are not the same as the novels, nor should they be. They are not supposed to replace the books.
Preferably, they should be respected for what they are: enjoyable stories told in a different medium. Whether or not the original novels happen to be superior ought not to be at the front of the audience's mind. Rather, the filmgoer should really recognise that the movies are something entirely different from the books, and evaluate them on their very own qaulities. In other words, they should simply calm down and appreciate the show.
