ARTISTIC ALLIANCES

Which Is Better, The Book Or The Flick? 10 Classics Turned Into Movies

Image: Suzy Hazelwood

Despite using very different languages, cinema has sought inspiration in literature practically since its beginnings. Some of the greatest stories of the seventh art are adaptations from classic books.

Although we hear the expression "The book is better than the movie" quite a lot, there are vast examples in which film adaptations live up to the stories that inspired them. Many times, when watching movies based on our favorite novels, we can discover new dimensions, delightful supporting characters, and surprising subplots we didn’t even know were there. Here are 10 great movies where the synergy between film and literature worked to perfection.

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Considered one of the most important novels in American literature, To Kill a Mockingbird revolves around a widowed lawyer who feels a great responsibility to uphold the law and set a good example for his children. The novel was first published in 1960 and just two years later Atticus Finch became a cinematic legend thanks to Gregory Peck and Robert Mulligan's adaptation of Harper Lee's literary original. One of the best and most remembered trial films, it raised the issue of the institutional racism that prevailed in American society.

Peck's portrayal of this complex character was so good that it earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. In addition, years later the American Film Institute recognized his brilliant version of Atticus Finch as the greatest hero in the history of cinema, surpassing the likes of Indiana Jones, James Bond, Han Solo, and Rocky Balboa.

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British author Jane Austen is one of the most adapted writers of all time —from Sense and Sensibility to Emma, there are a large number of great films based on her books. But Joe Wright’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (2005) is probably one of the most iconic and also the one that best captured the novelist's sense of humor.

As a result of the director's attention to detail, the film was a great success with audiences and critics alike. In fact, this great work of adaptation was granted an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction. In addition, Keira Knightley was nominated for Best Actress for her accurate and memorable portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet. Donald Sutherland’s scene-stealing role as the weary but gentle Mr. Bennet deserves a special mention. If you don’t trust us, just go back and watch the memorable scene where he gives Elizabeth his consent to marry Mr Darcy. Prepare to shed a few tears!

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Undoubtedly the most famous vampire of all time, the story of Dracula has been adapted to film countless times. We all have the pale face of the Count played by Béla Lugosi in 1931 imprinted in our memory, but perhaps the best adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel is the one released sixty years later. In his 1992 version, Francis Ford Coppola was able to take this classic story to levels never seen before, thanks to an excellent cast led by Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, and Anthony Hopkins.

As if this were not enough, this adaptation sought to explain the origins of the vampire, making very clear the causes of his curse and his eternal conflict with God. In this way, Coppola was able to turn one of the most classic monsters of gothic literature into one of the most chilling creatures of cinema, whose aged appearance and twisted shadow are capable of terrifying anyone.

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Margaret Mitchell's brilliant novel was surely one of the most important adaptation challenges in the history of cinema. Fortunately, the result could not have been better. Victor Fleming's film brought to the big screen —as early as 1939 and in dazzling Technicolor—, one of the best love stories of all time. The director’s meticulous care of every detail of the production can be seen in the breathtaking images showing the aftermath of the American Civil War.

The impressive acting work of Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable as Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler are out of this world. Still considered one of the most important and tragic couples in celluloid history, their performance earned them an Oscar nomination for Best Actor and an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. If you haven't seen it yet, you should know that this is a must-see classic for anyone who claims to be a movie buff!

Image: Kelly Brito

With over 65 published novels it is no wonder that Stephen King is one of the most adapted American authors in the history of cinema. Quintessential films like The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980) and Misery (Rob Reiner, 1990) have given us some of the most legendary scares of our lives. But perhaps Brian De Palma's version of Carrie (1976) is the most faithful approach to a King text, as well as being one of the best films about adolescence and the real terrors it entails.

Sissy Spacek's memorable performance as Carrie and the iconic prom scene will remain in the memory of viewers for generations. Thanks to De Palma's cinematic approach, this movie version of the novel has left a lasting mark on horror cinema and solidified Stephen King's indisputable storytelling talent for the big screen.

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Although it is one of the most successful films of the 20th century —adjusted for inflation, it is the ninth highest-grossing film in the history of the United States—, some claim that this 1965 three-hour-long screen version of Doctor Zhivago gives excessive attention to the romance between Yuri and Lara, omitting the political message of the original book.

Arguments aside, the technical perfection of the film —it won 5 Academy Awards at the time— and the excellent performance of Omar Sharif have been enough for many to consider this adaptation of Boris Pasternak's novel as one of the greatest classics of all time. In addition, the work of director David Lean is considered a great achievement, even above one of his previous masterpieces, Lawrence of Arabia.

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Another literary classic adapted to the big screen many times, Little Women got a revival in 2019 thanks to Greta Gerwig's modern take. Although the book portrays a historical moment totally different from our current reality, Gerwig manages to give the film that touch of freshness that makes a classic feel current and new. The truth is that her focus on female empowerment and the existential crises of growing up are things we can still identify with today.

In this way, the director —who was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay— manages to tell the same story we all know and love through a new lens, while remaining true to the spirit of Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel. In addition, Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Timothée Chalamet make the most of every moment on screen as they play these memorable characters with mastery and emotion.

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Patricia Highsmith is another of the great American authors who has given the world amazing books that were later adapted into films. Carol, The American Friend, and Strangers on a Train are just a few examples. But the 1999 version of The Talented Mr. Ripley by Anthony Mighella is the most famous adaptation of a Highsmith novel and perhaps the best of the whole Ripley saga.

With a stellar cast that included Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow as the happy couple and Matt Damon in the role of the charming yet terrible Tom Ripley, the film was a total success. Nominated for five Academy Awards, The Talented Mr. Ripley left us some of the greatest scenes in film history.

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In 1998, Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón decided to take the story of Charles Dickens's literary classic Great Expectations and make it into a film. However, he did not limit himself to the original premise and structure but gave it a twist. He chose to set the story in the present day, turning Pip —here called Finn— into a young dreamer whose mysterious benefactor helps him travel to New York to become a great artist capable of fighting for his dreams.

The film stood out for its excellent soundtrack, the use of a green tone color palette, and above all, for an excellent cast that included big Hollywood names such as Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Cooper, Robert DeNiro, and Anne Bancroft.

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Many of the best science fiction films of all time are based on classic books. For example, Total Recall, War of the Worlds, and Solaris have been adapted from the works of renowned authors. But perhaps the best one in this genre is Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott in 1982.

Starring Harrison Ford, this futuristic classic with neo-noir touches is based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, written by Phillip K. Dick in 1968. In a dystopian future where humans are manufactured and transferred to colonies located outside of Earth, bounty hunter Rick Deckard will have to confront them. Although at the time of its release, it did not receive much recognition, this film loaded with philosophical connotations has managed to transcend both frontiers and generations to become a cult movie adored by fans all over the world.

THIS ARTICLE AIN’T NO HARDTACK

Call Me Ishmael and Learn 10 Old Whaling Terms

Even though every profession has its own lingo, few are as colorful as the nautical ones. Maybe it has to do with the sea breeze or the adventurous nature of the people who dared to spend a long time at sea at a time when neither medicine nor safety were very advanced. In any case, the sea has always been a treasure trove of specific terms, and the ancient whaling profession had quite a few idioms of its own. In the following list, we embark on a voyage across ten of these terms. So, scroll on and learn a thing or two, sailor!

Everybody has to start somewhere, and that includes whaling ships. A green hand was the term used to describe an inexperienced crew member of a 19th-century whaler on his first voyage, who would typically have the smallest "lay", or share, in the profits.

Green hands would usually take care of the simplest chores, like moping the decks, cleaning, and doing the things that the rest of the crew didn’t want to do.

A very different ranking position, compared to the green hands, was the boatswain, also known as a deck boss or a qualified member of the deck department. This person was the most senior rate of the deck department and was responsible for the components of a ship's hull.

The boatswain supervised the other ship's deck department members, and typically was not a watchstander, except on vessels with small crews. Additional duties varied depending on the ship, crew, and circumstances.

"Scrimshaw" is the name given to carvings done in bone or ivory, typically created by whalers, and engraved on the byproducts of whales, such as bones or cartilage. It is most commonly made out of the bones and teeth of sperm whales, because of their size.

This art form recreates elaborate engravings of pictures and lettering on the surface of the bone or tooth, with the engraving highlighted using a pigment. Scrimshaw probably began on whaling ships in the late 18th century and survived until the ban on commercial whaling.

As the name implies, a "Crow’s Nest" is something that is high. Originally, it was a barrel lashed at the highest section of the mainmast where a man was stationed to look for whales or ice.

On ships, this position ensured the widest field of view for lookouts to spot approaching hazards, other ships, or land by using the naked eye or optical devices such as telescopes or binoculars.

A "gam" was a social visit between whaling vessels, whalers, or the crew. It was coined in the 1840s and generally means pulling alongside another whaling vessel and "hopping" aboard to enjoy a social meeting.

Gamming was a way of taking a break from the monotony of the sea, seeing different faces, enjoying a pint of grog, some music, relaxing for a while, and helping boost the crew’s morale for all the ships involved

Back in the days when electricity and refrigeration were not around, food conservation was a complex endeavor, especially onboard ships that sailed for years on end. "Hardtack" is a type of dense cracker made from flour, water, and sometimes salt.

Being inexpensive and long-lasting, it was used for sustenance in the absence of perishable foods, commonly during long sea voyages, land migrations, and military campaigns.

Whaling vessels were sturdy ships, capable of enduring the hardships of long voyages, and easily fixable, even far away from their home port. The word "hove" is the past tense of "heave", which in a nautical context means to move into a certain direction, position, or situation.

A vessel that is hove down is intentionally laid or tipped onto its side for repair, painting, or cleaning.

Even to this day, the Cape Horn is a feared place for sailors due to its terrible weather and conditions that have brought disgrace upon many ships. Back in the whaling days, this route was a common passage required to access the Pacific whaling grounds for whalers coming from Nantucket and New Bedford.

A large, square-rigged ship built to withstand the rigors of a Cape Horn passage was known as a Cape Horner.

A "schooner" is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. This type of ship was commonly used as a whaling ship.

A topsail schooner also has a square topsail on the foremast, to which may be added a topgallant.

Having mentioned the crow’s nest in a previous entry, we can complete the description and this whole list with the role that is most usually connected to such a high place on the ship. The lookout is the person at the ship’s crow’s nest, or also bridge, who maintains a continuous watch of the sea to report the sighting of whales or any kind of hazard that can be an obstacle in the navigation and cause harm to the ship.