This post is mostly triggered by Thinktank’s review of the book ‘Shantaram’, in fact more so by the crumbs that followed the post. The crumbs took a detour from what the book was all about, its interpretations and what one might like or dislike about it, towards a discussion on books and the movies that come out of them. Something like, Mira Nair’s ‘The Namesake’, the movie that followed Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel of the same name. Or perhaps ‘The Godfather’, the movie and book two-fold narration of the same story.
To start with, is it fair at all to compare a book and a movie that picks its storyline? They are both distinctly different media, seeking to tell the story in their own way. While the book tells you the story, letting you imagine the characters, their personalities and their looks the way you would imagine, from the language the author uses, and from the dialogue he lets them have, the movie is an altogether different experience. It begins by showing you the characters as the director intends them to be viewed by you. Not much to do for your imagination there. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy as the protagonists play out the story for you.
For a person who enjoys a story, and only the story part of the movie, watching the movie made after the book he has already read, would be boring. He’d know the twists and turns, he’d know the ending, he’d know the fall, he’d know the wolf in the sheep’s clothing, he’d know it all. For him, it is not the literature snob in him that stops him from enjoying the movie, no matter how well-made it is. Instead, it is the fact that he knows the story before-hand which kills the movie for him.
Speaking of literature snobs, there are a few amongst us, who are not the real literature snobs. They cannot enjoy a movie made after the book, because they donot want to! They have sweated it out reading the book, and they’d rather give themselves credit for all that hardwork. Than see how easy it’d've been to get at the storyline by simply watching the movie! He is going to tell you how superb the book was and the subtle things which the movie could never have conveyed and which he got an access to because he has read the book. We have all met such folks, haven’t we?
And then those, who really dig their books, for the language, for the music, for the visions it creates for them. They get into the shoes of the lead character as he goes about chasing his dreams. They live their life while reading the book, through the lead character, feeling sad when he does and happy only when the lead character does. Its a little more than just ‘the book having an effect on you’ thing. They’re way more passionately into the book than the book merely affecting them. It is certainly not strange then, that they donot enjoy science-fiction stories all that much, probably the disconnect science-ficiton has with real life?
Finally, the rest, who read books and watch the movies. They rave and rant, comparing, sadly so, the book and the movie. What the author projected and what the director misinterpreted or never portrayed well-enough. How the movie never got through the depth of the lead character, how the movie could never make you feel like crying the way the book did, or vice-versa! How the movie can never convey the thoughts, how the book cannot describe in words all the action or perhaps the magic the movie had which the lengthy book sucked away!
How does your story go? Are you among the happiest lot, who want to be served only in movies, who have neither the patience nor the inclination to read, who will never compare a book to its movie, simply because you’ve never read the book? Or are you among the helpless lot who end up catching the movie after the book, and will doubtless compare the two?
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I mean, I lovvvvvvve reading but then I don’t think I could go through a book if I’ve seen the movie. Like thrillers for example… It makes no sense in reading the book if you’ve watched the movie. I could never read The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum now that I’ve watched the movie.
as perfectly demonstrated by ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’.
Nice post Shirsha. One time I’ve watched a movie and then read the book coz a ‘literature snob’ friend of mine appreciated the book a lot more. Not that she criticized the movie but felt the book was much better coz it left a lot to imagination. I still enjoyed both. The book was Chocolat by Joann Harris. I felt the director did a wonderful job on picturisation of the characters and MOST importantly, the chocolates were a visual treat!! Performances were superb by all the actors, especially by the mayor of the little town, who resisted all temptations! Johnny Depp and Juilette Binoche were fantastic! Definitely thought the director did complete justice to the book.