RSS Feed

Feb 24, 2010

Books or Movies

I am watching Kite Runner while this sudden thought struck me and made me write something while i'm still thinking. I know i'll not be doing justice to any of the three activities involved, viewing the movie, thinking about the thought and writing about it. But i have decided to be unjust for the time being. (ok, i agree it was a bad one!)

Coming back to the topic.. well, again not quite. A friend suddenly pings me and asks if i could do the needful. "Do the needful" Alright you ass, remember you are onsite, hence your request is considered. 

So, thinking about great books made into movies don't always turn out to be great ones like the books. Or for the sake of refining my sentence may I say, they don't have the same emotions we go through in the book.  I remember reading the kite runner in the first week of joining my second company. I couldn't close the pdf file for once until i finished it. Of course open were all other technology documents too. Wow I gushed, 'What a story' !!!

Before the movie began, i told my friend that HBO is playing this particular movie, and he said it's not great, he'd watched it already. But I don't feel so now, when Amir Jan becomes the kite runner for Sohrab, the last scene in the movie. Friend, I somehow like it.

I wonder what all those Harry potter readers might wish to say, consider scores of them have been made into movies. Looking at it now, it's got something to do with averages. Some ordinary books make for great movies while some great ones don't. Also impacting are some parameters like who makes the movie, how s/he does, who plays in it etc.

I guess I should close this post by continuing to wonder what kind of a movie will 'Shantaram' by Gregory David Roberts be made into.

9 comments:

VB said...

I agree to your point which is.. there are only a few good books made into good movies bringing out the originality like it is and honestly speaking Kite Runner did not even come close to the impact the book had on me.. Opinions differ I understand..

Sanjaya Srivatsan said...

@Viky, Opinions sure do differ. But should say, I liked the book better too.

perturbed perceiver said...

i agree that it depends on the fact that how the movie is made..
and about your query on harry potter movies..let me tell you,they don't come even remotely close to they magnificent portrayal of human imagination described in that book!
havnt seen Kiterunner,the book was awesome thou!
nd i too share ur curiosity abt Shantaram :)

M S Banu Prakash Raje Urs said...

the only book to movie where movie was as riveting as the book was The GodFather. The movie was scene to scene as per book and it couldn't have been any different than the book.. awesome.. no other book/movie has been closer.. i havnt read KiteRunner nor LOTR.. as far as HP series, movies are'nt that great..

Sanjaya Srivatsan said...

@PP, Hmm i remember studying the supply chain logic involved in supplying for readers of Harry Potter. I know why now :)

@Banu, Can't agree with you more. Godfather is at the pinnacle of great books transformed into great motion pictures. HP is time pass for me,I haven't read LOTR either, the size scares me.

Vinay said...

good one.. do accept my requests till I am here.. be it ur in middle of something.. :D

Sanjaya Srivatsan said...

@Vinay, It will have its price :)

eyememyself said...

Agree - most of the times movies don't do justice to the book. But we really can't blame them can we? It's a tough thing to do. For eg The Namesake. I loved the book and movie wasnt pretty bad either.

But I really want to watch the movie of Kite runner! Never knew it was aired on tv :(

Sanjaya Srivatsan said...

@sona, Will let you know if i come across its schedule sometime :)