Lost In Translation
Posted by Kamilah | 13 Oct, 2006After watching yet another movie based on a novel, and being disappointed with the screen version once again, I have to beg the question: Why is it that silver screen adaptations which have made thoroughly good reads never translate well to film?
In this instance, the disappointment came as a result of watching Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, a film by George Clooney, based on the autobiography by American game show host and alleged ex-CIA hitman, Chuck Barris. It wasn't the most intellectually stimulating book I've ever read, but I found myself literally laughing out loud all the way through and it made a highly entertaining and suspense-filled read nonetheless.
Since I'd read the book for my research project for my film course, I then had to watch the movie, which I was looking forward to immensely. And then... the disappointment. Film adaptations just never seem to capture the essence of the novel. The mystery, the humour, and the absolute crassness of Barris's book just gets totally lost in translation.
The same goes for other movies-based-on-books. A couple of examples from the recent past that spring to mind are Memoirs of a Geisha, Pride and Prejudice, the Harry Potter series (so say Rowling fans too, so don't shoot the messenger!), and, of course, the biggest load of steaming dung ever filmed - The Da Vinci Code.
Ok there are some exceptions. I have to humbly exclude Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy from my criticism. Although I haven't read the books myself, I understand that Tolkien fans practically light candles and chant praises in unison around their enshrined DVD copies of the films.
But why the inability of other filmmakers to translate successfully? Hollywood has created many excellent scripts in the past, so why are they so rarely able to make a good film from an already existing script in book form? Film enthusiasts in the past were quick to predict that movies would see the demise of the popular novel. It's easy to see why, taking into consideration that films appeal to senses of sight and sound simultaneously, while books but stimulate the imagination. But the waning popularity of novels, evidently, has not happened.
Maybe it's just me. Maybe I should just leave my overwhelming cynicism and lofty expectations at the cinema door, and just attempt to enjoy the film for what it is. But has anyone else had the same thoughts? Or perhaps I am overlooking some definite silver screen gems that you are to enlighten me about...
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