In Hollywood, more than 70 per cent of films are made out of books. One of the reasons is for pure business risk reduction.When a story works on paper, without music, without stars, the story has the potential. In addition, popular books tend to be cinematic. There is already a connect,e.g. Twilight and Hunger Games . In India, 3 Idiots was a big hit. There is a trend here in India to look for alternative to stars – the story. Certain things that feel good in a book do not work on the screen e.g . thoughts of a narrator. These could be incorporated through a visual or any other device. Some complicated novels have been converted into films e.g . Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence. The source material is kept aside and film making becomes the focus. Every page of the novel cannot be filmed, but this is compensated by cinematic elements, acting, music and cinematography. Deepa Mehta has adapted Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children into a film, (2013). Salman himself has written the screen-play. Salman got to see the rushes and the rough cuts. Francis Coppola had said that no film is ever as good as the rushes and no film is as bad as the first rough cut. Salman did sit through post – production and learnt about the montage and how the tiniest adjustments added to the rhythm of a scene. Movies are made in the editing room.
A script is locked for shooting. Even then there things that just happen on the sets. These are little touches which happen on the sets. Sometimes these come from the director, actor or anyone. A script is never set in stone. Distilling the novel into a script would mean doing away with a lot of elements. According to Rushdie, what Michael Angelo said about a sculpture applies to the scripts. When Angelo stood before a block of marble he would take away everything that was not the statue, as if the statue was already in stone. If you think the book as a block of marble, and the film as a statue that is supposed to come out of it, take away the things that is not the film.
A book can afford to off tangent but a film has to follow the clearest line that will capture the audience.
A 500-page novel has to be transformed into 100 – page script that retains the essence, spirit and complexity of the book. It is similar to pouring the contents of jugs into one.
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala did this with ease. She is a writer of 20 screenplays, two of which won Oscars.She wrote 12 novels, one of which (Heat and Dust ) won the Booker. She is the only person ever to win both the awards. Merchant Ivory—Jhabvala team did many adaptations. The lady had Jewish parentage. She passed away.
Abhishek Kapoor adopted Kai Poche. His next film is based on Charles Dickens work—Great Expectations.
Several films recognised by the Oscars over the years for their biggest categories tend to be book adaptations.
Great Books Made into Great Films
*The God father *Atonement
*Harry Potter *Schindler’s List
*Lord of the Rings *One flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
*Forest Gump
Upcoming Films Based on Books
*The Host Stephnie Meyer
* The Great Gatsby F—Scott Fitzaerald
*Iron Man Warren Ellis
*The Reluctant Fundamentalist Mohsin Hamid
*World War Z Max Brooks
*Safe Haven Nicholas Sparks
*The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Suzanne Collins
*The Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belfort
*Carrie Stephen King
*The Hobbit2; The Desolation of Smdug J.R.Tolkien
Some Top Oscar – Recognised Films Based on Books in the Last 10 Years
* Argo ( 2012 )
* Life of Pi ( 2012 )
* Hugo (2011 )
* Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close ( 2011 )
* The Descendants
* The Social Network ( 2010)
* Precious (2009)
* Slum Dog Millionaire ( 2008 )
* No Country for Old Men ( 2007)
* Million Dollar Baby ( 2004 )
* Lords of the Rings: Return of the King ( 2003 )
Several films recognised by the Oscars over the years for their biggest.categories tend to be book adaptations