Screen versions of books are what connect moviegoers and fans of fiction. Often films cause fierce debate between them. But there are those who have satisfied both movie fans and followers of paper-printed stories.
Dramas
Few things hurt people's feelings like drama. In a sad vein, many novels are written . The screen version of the books is trying to convey all this gamut. This genre of cinema is extremely diverse. It includes touching romantic stories and stories about the life of the criminal world.
The dramas based on books are still being revised 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, the story of the Sicilian mafia. The action takes place in the 40s.
Don Carleone, the 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 Don’s happiness came to congratulate him and ask for something for himself, because by tradition he has no right to refuse anyone.
One of the petitioners, 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 are much more confident in their innocence than Fontaine would have liked. In parallel with the story of the young actor, the fate of the son of Don Carleone also develops. He does not want to inherit the power of his father and become part of the criminal world. However, soon he will have to reconsider his attitude to the case of Don Carleone.
When the best screen versions of books are listed, not a single list goes without a story about the omnipotent Sicilian mafia. Despite the fact that the film was shot several decades ago, it is not forgotten by the audience and is often revised.
Fight Club, 1999
In order for the book to become a cult, it must tell the reader something new, which has not yet been said. One of the breakthroughs that struck the imagination of readers was Chuck Palahniuk's novel Fight Club. After some time, the rights to the film adaptation of the book were obtained.
The loser clerk cannot establish personal life in any way. 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, whom a new acquaintance first introduced himself, is a much more interesting person. 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 each rating, which lists the best film adaptations of books, has forced many to reconsider their outlook on life. In a short period of time, history has become a cult.
Perfumer, 2006
Modern screen versions of books differ from those that were created in the last century. New generation directors have the opportunity to add effects and bring their work closer to the paper original. But as before, caring for the original story becomes one of the main criteria. Today, many adaptations of modern and classic novels are also filmed. One of the most successful among them is the Perfumer.
Orphan Jean-Baptiste Grenouil never knew neither love nor care. The cruelty that surrounded him from all sides shaped the character of the boy. However, he showed a rare talent - high sensitivity to smells. Pleasant aromas became his main and only love.
Grenui understood early that each of people has his own unique aroma. And most of all he was attracted to young girls. To take their scent, Jean-Baptiste decides to kill. From this begins his hunt for aromas to create his own, the best.
"Perfumer" - perhaps the most shocking film adaptation of films from books. She caused various reviews from critics and viewers. But there was no doubt that the picture would go into the world cinema fund.
"Flying Over the Cuckoo's Nest", 1975
Screen adaptation of books is not an easy task. Especially if the basis for the film is such an ambiguous book as "Flying Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
The main character McMurphy was at odds 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 orders there are no better than in prison. All power is concentrated in the hands of the head nurse, who manages the lives of her wards as she wants.
Freedom-loving McMurphy refuses to accept this state of affairs. He is organizing a riot in the hospital. But it turned out that some of his new acquaintances were not ready for such a decisive step.
"Shawshank Redemption", 1994
In good films, the main idea is not 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 Dufrain is accused of killing his wife and her lover. But the trouble is that the man does not remember to do this. His attempts to prove his innocence ended in failure. He was sent to
the Shawshank prison, where over time he even believed in his criminal nature. A quiet and somewhat shy lawyer opens in a new place of detention.
Shawshank turns out to be a cruel place where everything is created in order to break a person. But Andy does not give in. He takes every opportunity to remind other convicts that they are human.
Romance and historical films
Do not think that this genre of films is to be enjoyed only by romantic young ladies. Pictures introduced into the world classics win the hearts of the audience of any gender and age. Sometimes it’s even hard to guess which direction this or that picture belongs to. It so happened that very often melodramas are intertwined with the historical genre. Against the backdrop of grandiose events, the formation of characters, their maturation, is unfolding. These films are great for people who want to know the film version of which books gives them the most emotions.
Melodramas and historical films allow viewers to temporarily disconnect from their own troubles and worries and learn another life. They leave behind a light, bright finish. That is why this genre is so loved.
War and Peace, 1967
It should be noted and Russian film adaptations of books. One of the most successful was the work of Sergei Bondarchuk, who embodied on the screen the novel of Leo Tolstoy. The four-volume work fit into four parts.
The main characters of the work were the Rostov and Bolkonsky families. They suffered a difficult test - World War II. At first, Napoleon’s attack seemed to them a success, which would show his courage and a sense of love for the motherland. However, the war is far from a game.
Characters who seem naive in the first volume grow up and change with each new milestone in their lives. By the end, few can recognize the former Natasha or Pierre.
The picture of Bondarchuk was often criticized by contemporaries for precisely repeating the plot of the novel. However, to this day on Russian television, where the screen version of Ustinova’s books, the film version of Dontsova and other popular authors of detective stories flashed much more often, no one could surpass the success of this film.
Gone With the Wind, 1939
Many screen versions of books that were popular in the year of their publication, viewers love today. They are being reviewed, work is being written on them. One of these paintings was the film adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s book “Gone with the Wind”. The release of this film was a great event for 1939, not only because it was possible to see your favorite novel on the screen, but also because it was the first color film.
The main character Scarlett O'Hara was rightfully considered the most beautiful girl. But a pretty face and an ideal figure was also accompanied by a wayward character and a love of freedom. The girl dreamed of marrying the heir to a neighboring plantation, in which she was secretly in love, and did not want to clog her thoughts with discussions about the unfolding Civil War.
However, at one of the barbecue outings, Scarlett learned the terrible news that her lover would marry 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. War greatly changes the eccentric girl, forcing her to quickly grow up.
Those who are interested in the film adaptations of which books are considered the most successful in the history of cinema are surely called this picture of the first half of the last century. Despite the fact that the novel became the basis for several more paintings, 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 of the screen. They were waiting for him. To this day, he remains one of the most successful film adaptations in the world of cinema.
The story is told on behalf of Forrest Gump, an honest and noble man with an open heart. His life is complicated by a disease. However, he does not despair. From early childhood, Forrest fell in love with a girl whom he met on a school bus. Dreaming of reciprocity, Gump falls into a series of curious situations. He becomes a war hero, a successful businessman, and even a football player.
But all those adventures and troubles that occur in the life of the protagonist do not change its essence. He remains the same open world dreamer.
Fiction, fantasy and film for children
Nothing helps distract from the essential 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 they even become the work of a lifetime. Despite the fact that the fantasy world seems far from ours, you can meet the same problems in it and look at them from a different angle.
So films for children are a message not only for the younger generation. Therefore, a high-quality film adaptation of children's books is a responsible and difficult matter. Some films can only be understood as adults. 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. This 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 with its epicness, but also by touching on important topics. When they talk about Tolkien’s work, they mention that he created the whole world with his belief system, languages and dialects, developed by the map and many others. Therefore, it was so responsible to turn these books into films.
In the center of the plot is the hobbit Frodo Baggins, who receives a mysterious ring as a gift from Uncle Bilbo. It soon turns out that this gift threatens not only the possessor, but the whole world, because it contains the power of one of the 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 help him.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy captivated the hearts of those who had watched it at least once. This is one of those adaptations that did not cause fierce disputes between fans of books and films. Both are happy to review the story of Frodo and his comrades.
Prestige, 2006
Infrequently come out successful film adaptations of books. The list is replenished with paintings every few years. But then these new films remain in the memory of the audience for many years.
One of the successful modern adaptations was the picture "Prestige". She talks about two great magicians who from the very beginning of their journey competed with each other. At first, their friendship was beneficial to both geniuses, but every year a sense of competition embraced 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.