There are few films which live up to their preceding novels. To Kill A Mockingbird, Gone With The Wind and The Godfather are among the greatest films that have truly rekindled the excitement of their counterparts. The public immediately accepted these films, which had rocketed to stellar levels of popularity, and branded them as timeless classics.

How do more modern films based on books compare to these legendary adaptations? Take the Lord of the Rings trilogy for example. When I evaluated it from the perspective of a common moviegoer who had not read the books, I found it to be fast-paced, engrossing and relatively easy to follow. But when I scrutinized it as someone who had read the entire series, I was a little let down. The only elements I could fully appreciate were the graphics and special effects.

In my opinion, die-hard fans are guaranteed to be disappointed when they compare a movie to its corresponding book. They will surely find missing parts and altered characters. Movies definitely kill the imagination and creativity that readers use to envision a story.

In light of the recent release of the fourth Harry Potter installment, I’ve been hearing comments on both ends of the spectrum: extraordinary praise and unforgiving disapproval. In response to complaints about the film’s exclusion of major scenes, I say that only the most crucial components of the book can be included in the adaptation. Since the Triwizard Tournament was the major event in the book, the movie centers itself around this affair. Having the epic tournament as the focal point of the film allows it to retain its focus and clarity.

Directors aim to capture generic audiences, not judgmental viewers. Examining such films begs the question: what is the process behind translating a book into a screenplay?

According to the Writers Store Website [http://www.writersstore.com/article.php?articles_id=646], after the director and script-writers have met with the author of the book that they are converting to a film, they come to a consensus as to which scenes are most vital to the storyline. Script-writers normally try to preserve a good extent of the original dialogue, although more than half of it is almost always omitted.

But writing an enjoyable script is only half the challenge. Most of these scripts have something in common: they rely on cinematography to enhance their films. Writers and directors use every imaginable tool, including lighting, sound effects, camera angles, camera position, transitions and framing. From my perspective, it is at this stage that films tend to disregard their novels.

Rather than stick wholly and completely to the dialogue of a novel, directors utilize sound, picture and other elements that books lack to further the plot. They seek to play upon viewers’ emotions and thoughts through the use of action. By overly dramatizing every scene, movies abandon the simplicity of their novels. Thus, films fail in measuring up to their novels.

Perhaps movies, which were originally intended to entertain, have evolved into a highly-criticized form of art. Movies, especially those based on books, require skill and talent to produce, seeing as they cover an array of subject matters, be it comedy or drama.