Many of the most acclaimed films are adaptations of novels, plays, short stories or true stories. Every adaptation raises the same question: how closely should the film follow the source?
Why changes are inevitable
A novel can spend pages inside a character’s head; a film has around two hours and must show rather than describe. Adaptations usually:
- cut subplots and minor characters;
- combine several characters into one;
- turn inner thoughts into action, dialogue or images;
- change the ending or structure to suit the medium.
Faithful adaptations
Some celebrated films stay remarkably close to their source. No Country for Old Men (2007), by Joel and Ethan Coen, follows Cormac McCarthy’s novel closely, including much of its dialogue. The Godfather (1972), co-written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, keeps the heart of Puzo’s novel while trimming its many subplots.
Free adaptations
Other famous films take great liberties. Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980) changed key elements of Stephen King’s novel, and King has said publicly that he disliked the film, even as it became a classic. Blade Runner (1982) transformed Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? into a very different, atmospheric work. Apocalypse Now (1979) moved Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness from colonial Africa to the Vietnam War.
What makes an adaptation succeed
Most critics agree that fidelity to the spirit matters more than fidelity to every detail. A good adaptation captures the tone, themes and emotional core of the source and uses the strengths of film, such as images, performance, music and editing, to express them. A literal adaptation that feels lifeless often disappoints fans more than a bold reinterpretation.
Fans and expectations
Adaptations of beloved books face intense scrutiny, especially in fantasy series where readers have strong mental images. Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy cut and reshaped parts of Tolkien’s work, yet won over many readers by respecting its world and themes.
Dialogue is often the hardest element to transfer; see writing good film dialogue. Many adaptations become classics in their own right, as discussed in what makes a film a classic.
