Lights, camera, Literary Action!
From fondly shuffling through dog-eared pages of our cherished books, yearning to discover new fantasies at every re-read, to witnessing those very stories materialise before our eyes on the silver screen, movie adaptations have nurtured our love for storytelling. In the world of narratives, a timeless debate interests both book lovers and movie enthusiasts. While many argue that the book is always superior, there are moments of pure magic when the art of filmmaking transcends the written words, bringing stories to life in a way that supplants the enchantment of reading.
On one side, we have movies that skillfully capture the essence of a story, reigniting cherished memories and allowing us to reconnect with the beloved characters we hold so dear. On the flip side, there exist movies that boldly forge new paths, introducing us to fresh characters and captivating narratives that loosely draw inspiration from the original, breathing new life into familiar worlds. In this article, three different people discuss three different movies that surpass their literary origins. We'll look at what makes them so great and figure out why they stand out from other films.
Join us as we embark on a rollercoaster ride through the fascinating realms of literature and cinema, where books and their cinematic counterparts come together to create unforgettable stories that resonate with audiences worldwide.
3 Idiots
Allow me to introduce ‘Five Point Someone,’ a book that resonated with readers as one of Chetan Bhagat’s first and immensely popular works.
Readers could relate to the average friends — Hari, Ryan, and Alok. By the end of the book, they undergo a transformation, becoming more confident and self-assured, ready to confront the complexities of modern life. The book adopts an introspective and realistic tone, driven by the characters’ academic struggles, personal relationships, and their pursuit of identity and purpose. It provides a nuanced exploration of the education system and the pressures experienced by students. Grading systems, institutional norms, and their impact on student’s mental well-being are intricately examined.
The narrative concludes on a somewhat open-ended note, inviting interpretation and reflection, serving as a reminder that personal growth is an ongoing journey.
Now, let’s talk about the enigmatic younger brother, ‘3 Idiots.’ It embodies rebellion, not only exposing the flaws in the education system but also emphasizing the significance of pursuing one’s passion and embracing a holistic approach to learning. His friends, Rancho, the unconventional genius and charismatic individual stealing the spotlight in every scene, along with Farhan, the photographer, and Raju, the hardworking one, contribute to the coolness of their group dynamic. While some may question how this rebel could be the favourite child, he manages to educate the professors of a world-class institute a thing or two about teaching engineering, all the while incessantly mocking them and making a joke about the esteemed institution. The movie distinguishes itself from the book by presenting a distinct, yet equally satisfying, definitive and uplifting ending, bringing closure to the storylines of all the characters. So, it seems that the younger brother, ‘3 Idiots,’ has left his mark with a memorable film, even though it deviates from the book in certain aspects.
Nobody wants to be a broken anda. But let’s not burden ourselves with comparisons, instead, we should embrace our individuality and focus on the journey to self-growth and personal fulfilment.
The Fault In Our Stars
“The Fault in Our Stars,” a heart-wrenching novel written by John Green, captivated readers around the world with its poignant storytelling and memorable characters. When news broke out that it would be adapted into a movie, fans eagerly awaited to see how this beloved story would come to life on the big screen.
Being an ardent fan, I hope to explore the adaptation process of “The Fault in Our Stars” and how it successfully translated the essence of the book into a moving cinematic experience.
Adapting a story that deals with sensitive themes such as love, loss, and terminal illness requires delicacy and empathy. Director Josh Boone skillfully manages to retain the emotional core of the book, allowing the audience to experience the raw emotions that made the novel so powerful. The movie tastefully balances moments of heartbreak and suffering with humour and warmth, without diminishing the profound impact that the story had on readers.
While books rely on the reader’s imagination to visualize the story, films have the advantage of bringing words to life through visuals. The cinematography in “The Fault in Our Stars” adeptly captures the essence of the book, transporting viewers into the characters’ world. From the tranquil scenes of Amsterdam’s canals to the intimate moments shared between Hazel and Augustus, the visuals heighten the emotional impact of the story, creating an exceptionally immersive experience for the audience.
One of the biggest concerns for fans, when a book is adapted into a movie, is whether the adaptation will remain faithful to the original material. Fortunately, “The Fault in Our Stars” stays true to the essence of the book. The screenplay, written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, honours the key themes, dialogue, and character development that made the novel resonate with readers. This faithfulness to the source material ensured that fans of the book would feel a deep connection to the film adaptation.
Fans of the book were not only able to relive the story, but they also gained a new perspective on their beloved characters. “The Fault in Our Stars” reminds us that, done right, a film adaptation can complement and further enrich the experience of the original book, creating for a multi-dimensional storytelling experience.
The Life Of Pi
(Photo: 20th Century Fox)
“This is a story that will make you believe in God.” The words of Piscine Molitor Patel himself, the man with one of the most daunting and yet inspirational stories ever, the man who survived a shipwreck and lived in a small boat with a tiger!
When the movie was first released, people were stunned by the way the story was portrayed. The various themes of faith, hope and the power of letting go above all, there was nothing about the movie that didn’t fascinate. The stunning visuals proved to be the cherry on the cake. But it was the fact that the movie was adapted from the book that made it more exciting!
The cover of the book, which shows a tiger and a man’s figure in a small boat, portrays those daunting scenes of Pi in the boat with Richard Parker, the tiger. Going through each and every page in detail, a strange feeling goes by saying, ‘Wait a minute, Pi had a girlfriend, right? Where is she here?’ Turns out, Pi never had a girlfriend, which really surprised quite a lot of people who watched the movie. There are so many things in the book that the movie either changed, or didn’t even show, and whilst book lovers would hate that, in my personal opinion, most of those changes really favoured the movie. So, what exactly are those differences you ask? Ok, here goes:
So, the opening of the book features a fictitious author’s note and within the note, the author recounts the ups and downs of his career and reveals how he discovered the protagonist of his tale. Its sixteen pages encompass vivid descriptions of journeys in India and Canada, interwoven with contemplations about Portugal. But the movie brings about a whole new intro, with a credits sequence wandering through the zoo where the main character grew up, then cutting straight to Pi as an adult, telling his story to ‘The Writer’, basically jumping straight to the story, unlike the book.
In a similar vein, the movie condenses a lot of the theological journeys that young Pi has. While this may seem to be oversimplifying fleshed-out character development, it is important to remember that a screenplay is supposed to be taut and lean. The movie does an efficient job of showing us Pi’s religious inquisitiveness. There is no need to spend thirty minutes more on this.
The movie is also made to be more palatable by toning down the gore and removing some of the nauseating scenes from the book. This is to be expected as the movie needed to be PG-13 rated so that it’d have a decent chance of not being a box-office failure.
In the book, the writer meets adult Pi’s family about a third into the book, whereas in the movie they’re portrayed at the very last part of the movie, which actually is a good move, as the movie ends on a good note and reinforces the theme of hope even more into the hearts of the audience.
There are so many changes from the book that were made in the movie, even more than what was highlighted here. As much as some of them were bad decisions, others certainly helped the movie for the better. In the end, there is no doubt that both book and movie serve their audience with a story that keeps us on our heels; a story that teaches us the lesson of hope, of faith, and of course the most important among them all: to let go. So, here we end this article with another quote from the movie.
‘The whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.’
Writers: Saranya Priya, Mahit Bose and Priyadarshini.
