Book adaptations: lists of the best by genre

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Book adaptations are what connects moviegoers and fans of fiction. Quite often films cause fierce disputes between them. But there are those that have satisfied both movie fans and followers of printed stories.

Drama

Few things hurt people's feelings like drama. Many novels are written in a sad vein. Screen adaptation of books is trying to convey the whole gamut. This genre of cinema is extremely diverse. It includes touching romantic stories and stories about the life of the world of crime.

Dramas based on books are still being revisited and considered classics. They learn to understand the world of cinema, as well as their own soul.

The Godfather, 1972

Opens a list of the best films based on books, a story about the Sicilian mafia. The action takes place in the 40s.

Don Corleone, head of the Sicilian mafia, marries his beloved daughter. This day has become special not only for the family, but also for many other people. Everyone who only knew about the happiness of the don came to congratulate him and ask for something for themselves, because according to traditionhe has no right to refuse anyone.

One of the applicants, aspiring actor Johnny Fontaine, complained to the head of the Sicilian mafia that he was refused to be filmed because of a small conflict. Carleone promises to deal with this problem. But filmmakers turn out to be much more confident in their rightness than Fontaine would like. In parallel with the story of the young actor, the fate of the son of Don Corleone is also developing. He does not want to inherit the power of his father and become part of the criminal world. However, he will soon have to reconsider his attitude to the case of Don Corleone.

When listing the best film adaptations of books, no list is complete without a story about the all-powerful Sicilian mafia. Despite the fact that the film was made several decades ago, it is not forgotten by the audience and is often reviewed.

Fight Club 1999

For a book to become a cult, it must tell the reader something new that has not yet been said. One of the breakthroughs that caught the imagination of readers was the novel Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. Some time later, the film rights to the book were obtained.

The failed clerk can't seem to get his personal life together. He suffers from insomnia and a lack of understanding of what to do next with his life. But fate itself presents him with an unexpected acquaintance that changes everything. He meets Tyler Reed, a charming young man. The soap seller, who first introduced himself as a new acquaintance, turns out to be much moreinteresting personality. His personal philosophy captivates the protagonist. Tyler is sure that only weak personalities strive to improve themselves. And the strong have the right to self-destruction.

This film, which occupies a confident place in every rating that lists the best film adaptations of books, has forced many to reconsider their outlook on life. In a short period of time, the story has become a cult.

Perfumer, 2006

Modern adaptations of books differ from those that were created in the last century. A new generation of filmmakers have the opportunity to add effects and bring their work closer to the paper original. But as before, a careful attitude to the original history becomes one of the main criteria. There are also many film adaptations of modern and classic novels being made these days. One of the most successful among them is Perfumer.

The orphan Jean-Baptiste Grenouille never knew love or care. The cruelty that surrounded him from all sides shaped the character of the boy. However, he showed a rare talent - a high sensitivity to smells. Pleasant aromas became his main and only love.

Grenouille realized early on that each person has their own unique scent. And most of all he was attracted to young girls. To take away their scent, Jean-Baptiste decides to kill. This begins his hunt for fragrances to create his own, the best.

Perfume is perhaps the most shocking movie adaptation of books. It garnered mixed reviews from critics and viewers. But there was no doubt that the film would enter the world cinema fund.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1975

The adaptation of books is not easy. Especially if the movie is based on a controversial book like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Main character McMurphy was in trouble with the law. He was threatened with a considerable prison term. To avoid this, the man decides to pretend to be a schizophrenic. They believed him and sent him to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. But it turned out that the order there is no better than in prison. All power is concentrated in the hands of the head nurse, who manages the lives of her charges as she wants.

Freedom-loving McMurphy refuses to accept this state of affairs. He organizes a riot in the hospital. But it turned out that some of his new acquaintances were not ready for such a decisive step.

The Shawshank Redemption, 1994

In good films, the main idea does not lie on the surface. It is hidden enough to make the viewer think and give him food for discussion with other fans of the picture. It is in this vein that the Shawshank Redemption was created, recognized by some authoritative publications as the best film of all time.

Lawyer Andy Dufresne is accused of killing his wife and her lover. But the trouble is that the man does not remember doing this. His attempts to prove his innocence ended in failure. He was sent toShawshank prison, where he eventually even believed in his criminal nature. A quiet and somewhat shy lawyer opens up in jail with a new side.

Shawshank turns out to be a cruel place where everything is designed to break a person. But Andy doesn't give in. He takes every opportunity to remind the other convicts that they are human.

Melodramas and historical films

Don't think that this genre of films is only for romantic young ladies. The paintings included in the world classics win the hearts of viewers of any gender and age. Sometimes it is even difficult to guess which direction this or that picture belongs to. Coincidentally, very often melodramas are intertwined with the historical genre. Against the backdrop of grandiose events, the formation of characters, their maturation unfolds. These movies are great for people who want to know which book adaptations make them feel the most emotional.

Melodramas and historical films allow viewers to temporarily disconnect from their own troubles and worries and learn about another life. They leave behind a light, light aftertaste. That is why this genre is so loved.

War and Peace, 1967

It is impossible not to mention the Russian adaptations of books. One of the most successful was the work of Sergei Bondarchuk, who embodied the novel by Leo Tolstoy on the screen. A four-volume work fit into four parts.

The Rostov and Bolkonsky families became the main characters of the work. A difficult test fell on their lot - Patrioticwar. At first, Napoleon's attack seemed to them a success that would allow them to show their courage and a sense of love for the Motherland. However, the war turns out to be far from being a game.

The characters that seem naive in the first volume grow up and change with each new milestone in their lives. By the end, few people can recognize the former Natasha or Pierre.

The picture of Bondarchuk was often criticized by contemporaries for exactly repeating the plot of the novel. However, to this day, on Russian television, where the film adaptation of Ustinova's books, the film adaptation of Dontsova and other popular authors of detective stories are much more often flashed, no one has been able to surpass the success of this film.

Gone with the Wind, 1939

Many film adaptations of books that were popular in the year they were published are still loved by audiences today. They are reviewed, works are written on them. One of these films was the film adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. The release of this film was a big event for 1939, not only because it was possible to see a favorite novel on the screen, but also because it was the first film in color.

The main character Scarlett O'Hara was rightfully considered the most beautiful girl. But the pretty face and perfect figure were also accompanied by a wayward character and a love of freedom. The girl dreamed of marrying the heir to a neighboring plantation, with whom she was secretly in love, and did not want to fill her thoughts with arguments about the unfolding Civil War.

However, at one of the barbecue picnics, Scarlett learned a terriblethe news that her lover is marrying another. And also the young beauty met the mysterious Rhett Butler, who told the girl that the fate of the South in the war was already a foregone conclusion. The war greatly changes the eccentric girl, forcing her to grow up quickly.

Those who are interested in the film adaptations of which books are considered the most successful in the history of cinema, be sure to call this picture of the first half of the last century. Despite the fact that the novel became the basis for several more films, none of them could overshadow the success of the first film adaptation.

Forrest Gump, 1994

This film was loved by many fans of the genre immediately after the release. He was expected. To this day, it remains one of the most successful film adaptations in the world of cinema.

The story is told from the perspective of Forrest Gump, an honest and noble man with an open heart. His life is complicated by illness. However, he does not despair. From early childhood, Forrest has been in love with a girl he met on a school bus. Dreaming of finding reciprocity, Gump finds himself in a series of curious situations. He becomes a war hero, a successful businessman, and even a football player.

But all those adventures and misfortunes that occur in the life of the protagonist do not change his essence. He remains the same open-minded dreamer.

Fiction, fantasy and film for children

Nothing helps take your mind off things like fantasy. Wonderful worlds capture the imagination of viewers of all ages. Selected stories become cult. They grow from a simple hobby into something more. And sometimes evenbecome a matter of life. Despite the fact that the fantasy world seems far from ours, it can meet the same problems and look at them from a different angle.

Similarly, films for children carry a message not only for the younger generation. Therefore, a high-quality film adaptation of children's books is a responsible and difficult task. Some films can only be understood by becoming an adult. That is why they remain loved for many years.

The Lord of the Rings, 2001-2003

As a rule, cult films are based on no less popular books. So it happened with the trilogy of Peter Jackson, who got the film adaptation of the books of J. R. Tolkien. The story of the Fellowship of the Ring instantly won hearts not only for its epicness, but also for touching on important topics. When they talk about Tolkien's work, they mention that he created the whole world with his own belief system, languages and dialects, developed a map and much more. That's why it was so responsible to turn these books into films.

In the center of the plot is the hobbit Frodo Baggins, who gets a mysterious ring as a gift from Uncle Bilbo. It soon turns out that this gift threatens not only the owner, but the whole world, because it contains the power of one of the most powerful dark magicians. In order to destroy the ring, you need to take it to where it was created. But Frodo cannot travel alone. True friends and the best warriors of Middle-earth come to his aid.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy won the hearts of those who watched it at least once. This is one of those screen adaptations that didn't evokefierce disputes between fans of books and films. Both are happy to revisit the history of Frodo and his companions.

Prestige, 2006

Successful film adaptations of books rarely come out. The list is updated with pictures every few years. But these new films remain in the memory of the audience for many years.

One of the successful modern film adaptations was the picture "Prestige". It tells about two great magicians who competed with each other from the very beginning of their journey. At first, their friendship benefited both geniuses, but every year a sense of rivalry gripped their souls more and more.

After a few years, friendship turned into enmity. The main characters went to any tricks in order to steal the secrets of successful tricks from each other. And this enmity soon ceased to be only their personal affair. People close to magicians began to suffer from it.