The moment the latest Harry Potter film opened in the theatres, I did not wait to be among the first to set eyes on it. It's readily recognized that the prior Harry Potter movies are some of the best fantasy films ever released. Nevertheless I suspected that many viewers were most likely going to be let down by the motion picture, because it could not conceivably meet their unworkable expectations. Permit me to explain.
I am a Harry Potter buff. In fact, I would personally assert that the novels are modern day literary gems. I did not arrive at this conclusion immediately, however.
I didn't embark on reading through the books before the final novel was available. Why? Because I continued hearing from family and friends that the books are better than the films. That isn't surprising, as fans of almost any series would probably make the same statements. Yet what struck me was that these particular friends had a surprisingly different viewing experience of the movies than I did.
So just why are countless fans of the books so frustrated with the movies? It is because these people were hoping to find the books precisely represented in the films. Since this didn't take place, they believed that the integrity of the tale was in fact violated. In most cases these fans were angered by key moments in the novels being excised from the films.
My own point of view is different. I think that a complete translation of any Harry Potter novel to the big screen would be terribe. For starters, the completed film would be incredibly lengthy. And furthermore, it would definitely move very slowly. For a good sense of how this would be play, try sitting through the most tedious motion picture in film history - Reds.
Films and books are distinct mediums. That which succeeds wonderfully in a book might fail dramatically in a motion picture. Whenever the transition truly does work, it is mainly because substantial modifications have been made to the narrative.
Furthermore, a movie isn't supposed to precisely convert a story to the cinema. Instead, it needs to be perceived as an artistic reinterpretation. Motion picture adaptations ought to be regarded as as different pieces of art which were influenced by the initial book. They are certainly not just like the novels, nor should they be. They are certainly not supposed to supplant the novels.
Instead, they have to be appreciated for what they seem to be: engaging tales told in a completely different art form. The question as to whether the books happen to be better shouldn't be at the forefront of the viewer's thoughts. Instead, the viewer should recognize that the motion pictures are something completely different from the books, and judge them on their unique strengths and weaknesses. In other words, they should simply relax and have fun with the show.
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To see the definitive ranking of the Best Fantasy Movies , make sure to come to the Fantasy Writing page.
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