The Film - or The Book? | Vital Football

The Film - or The Book?

BBJ

BBJ

Father Of The Forum
It's become a cliche to say that the book is always better than the film. And, in my opinion, that's usually the case. The imagination is usually more graphic than mere moving pictures.
But not always.
I think that the film can often make a less accessible book more understandable. For example, the book (or books) of "The Lord of The Rings" is a masterpiece but it can be hard work. The films have brought the story to an extended audience in spectacular fashion.
Another example would be "Doctor Zhivago".
Then there are stories which are very good but which are told very badly. "Ben Hur" as a novel is virtually unreadable and is a good cure for insomnia whereas the film is a blockbuster.
And "Dracula" is pretty boring as a book but has spawned some excellent movies during most of the last century (starting with "Nosferatu" in 1922).
 
Any time I've read the book and then watched the film I've been disappointed. I think a huge part of it is trying to fit the story into 2 hours. Directors have to leave out characters and scenes to squeeze it all in where as writers can write to their heart's content.

I find if I watch the film first and then read the book (a rare occurrence), my imagination tries to make it all fit with the film and it kinda ruins the experience.
 
I think it's a bit unfair sometimes to compare the two. As BB said you have to fit the whole story and all of the characters into 2 hours, it's impossible really and it's always going to leave people disappointed that had been invested in the story and characters of the book.

I think there are numerous exceptions though, The Lord of The Rings as BBJ mentioned probably being the obvious one. The books are masterpieces, but the films are brilliant too. It's amazing how much they had to leave out of the films because it never would have ended.

Others I read that worked very well as films were American Psycho, Fight Club and Red Dragon (I actually preferred Manhunter to the Red Dragon movie even though it was more faithful to the book)

I actually loved Dracula the book even though I had seen the 1992 movie well before it.

 
I can agree with SJH re Manhunter which is a very good film. On the other hand, I have always said the book is better than the film in the case of 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'. even though the film was good.

:14:

 
What pisses me off really is the people who use the cliche "The book was better than the film"

I am often temped to say "Oh you read a book, how fucking fantastic for you"
I won't say who but the grown people who did this for the Harry potter franchise left me wanting to respond with "Oh how fucking fantastic you read kids books, how very trendy of you, ya ******" I dont read books, I never have and doubt at 59 I'm going to start now, but if you are one of those people who buys 3 paperbacks at the airport and spends two weeks reading them on the side of a pool then congratulations. Please be thoughtful and buy books no one is going to make a movie about thus negating the need to use the phrase
"The book was better than the film and I read it in Gran Canaria"

:90:
 
Preferred the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit book to the films I must admit.

But there are films I've loved where I have no intention of reading the book they have come from.
 
col8 - 16/5/2017 23:20

What pisses me off really is the people who use the cliche "The book was better than the film"

I am often temped to say "Oh you read a book, how fucking fantastic for you"
I won't say who but the grown people who did this for the Harry potter franchise left me wanting to respond with "Oh how fucking fantastic you read kids books, how very trendy of you, ya ******" I dont read books, I never have and doubt at 59 I'm going to start now, but if you are one of those people who buys 3 paperbacks at the airport and spends two weeks reading them on the side of a pool then congratulations. Please be thoughtful and buy books no one is going to make a movie about thus negating the need to use the phrase
"The book was better than the film and I read it in Gran Canaria"

:90:
Click to expand...


You need to learn to say what you really mean, Colin.
Maybe if you did a bit more reading that might help?
I'll get my coat.
 
col8 - 16/5/2017 23:20

What pisses me off really is the people who use the cliche "The book was better than the film"
Click to expand...

Have you ever come across anyone that's read the Game of Thrones books? I've never seen people put themselves on such a pedestal
 
Stephen Jay Hawkings - 18/5/2017 00:24

col8 - 16/5/2017 23:20

What pisses me off really is the people who use the cliche "The book was better than the film"
Click to expand...

Have you ever come across anyone that's read the Game of Thrones books? I've never seen people put themselves on such a pedestal
Click to expand...

Hasn't Jonah read all those books?
 
Stephen Jay Hawkings - 17/5/2017 15:24

col8 - 16/5/2017 23:20

What pisses me off really is the people who use the cliche "The book was better than the film"
Click to expand...

Have you ever come across anyone that's read the Game of Thrones books? I've never seen people put themselves on such a pedestal
Click to expand...

Did somebody ask if I read all of the Game of Thrones books? Why yes I did my good sir.

To be fair its so true but I have since stopped immediately blurting out 'I read the books and they're better'. I think in this case its which ever you got to first but even then thats not really applicable I started with the TV show but read the books on recommendation after season 2. I used to read them on the train home from my shitty jobbridge internship they were the only redeeming feature of my day.

'The Beach' - book amazing - Film = shit.

LOTR just couldnt hack the books. I finished them but I just thought it was too slow and I had seen the films first.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.