There have been many comparisons, including our own blog
posts, of movies and how they compare and contrast to books. Often, when a
movie adaptation of a book is released, die-hard book fans are sorely
disappointed. Why is this? Well, as Lilly: The Critic discussed in an earlier
blog post, two- hour movies simply can’t fit in all of the details that a 200+
page book contains.
But more than that, most movies
(depending on the narration) can’t “see inside” the character’s head like in
movies. I think this is where the biggest divide between movies and books comes
in. You aren’t able to see the thoughts of a character (or multiple characters,
as is the case in some novels) – and this negatively affects the
characterization that is used to develop the characters. In a book, you can
“see” the actions that are happening through the author’s descriptions-- but
you can also see the thoughts, the behind-the-scene action. In a movie, much of
this detail is lost. Yes, you can perfectly visualize the actions because
they’re played right in front of you on a screen. But when you lose the
character’s thoughts and the extra details that an author often includes (but a
director doesn't), you lose an important component of characterization.
Let me preface this next part by saying that I understand that not everyone loves Pride and Prejudice like I do. And it’s okay! I understand. (Okay, I really don’t. How could you not love this gorgeous, beautifully-written work of art? But that’s beside the point.) I absolutely love both the original book and the movie adaptation of this classic, but I have to say, I never fully appreciated the movie version until after reading the novel. When I read the book, I realized just how wonderful the characters in her novel all were. Through both indirect and direct characterization, Austen crafts round, dynamic characters. Lizzie, the protagonist in the novel, is one of my favorite literary characters of all time. While I do love the movie as well, it does pale in some aspects in comparison to the novel, and a couple of years ago, I finally figured out why. Through just watching the movie, I never felt as close to the characters; I never felt like I understood them like I did in the novel. Through her character’s thoughts and extra, seemingly small details, Austen was able to characterize her memorable female protagonists better than any movie ever could. So while I do love movies, sometimes- especially when characterization is considered- there’s just no replacement for a book.
I found this to be very interesting and truthful. I also found it to be kind of encouraging. I remember watching Pride and Prejudice and being very confused about characters and the story because movies just don't have enough time to fit in everything that a book can. I never went back to read the book but you make me want to know because I feel as if I will understand and appreciate it more if I do
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