The Book or The Movie?

My post on an online debate on the same topic:

Books and movies are two completely different media.
While in books, the author has to write in such a way so as to work up your imagination to feel the world he’s creating. In case of the movies, the director has to put his own imagination to task and put it across to you in sound and video, and you have everything served on a platter.
When making a movie based on a book, the director has to make this leap of imagination, and make the movie look like what you yourself would have imagined while reading a book.
It is not essential to show everything that’s there in the book, because some things which look good in print look quite dull on the screen. Whats important is to give you the same feeling as you had while reading the book, compressed in the time frame of the movie.

10 thoughts on “The Book or The Movie?

  1. If i have read the book and then I’m watching a movie..definitely id like the book better….Its impossible for a director to bring in meat and blood to each and every readers perception. There would be zillion combinations or perceptions.

    If i haven’t read the book and I’m straight watching the movie..it really doesn’t matter. Your seeing/getting the info first hand from the director..he can mould you the way he wants to. you are mostly influenced ..so you would probably like the movie better

  2. True. A book’s scope is always larger than that of a movie. An author does not face any physical limitation while writing a book. Its only bound by how far e can let the imagination fly.
    On the other hand, a movie director has to make the movie within the constraints of available resources such as money and time.

  3. Yup yup..
    I think ppl generally end up liking whatever they have come across first in a movie-book pair..
    But there’s really no comparison – as sid says, the media are so different.

    There is so much scope to say things with
    – the background music,
    – the angle of the shot,
    – the lighting in the set..
    these things are weapons a book writer cannot use..
    Hence emotions aroused in movies are more complete to the extent that more of our senses are involved right..

    But generally speaking, the emotions that are aroused by a book are much deeper in that they stay with me for a long time later.. even when I’ve sometimes forgotten details about the storyline etc..

  4. air7head said: the emotions that are aroused by a book are much deeper in that they stay with me for a long time later.. even when I’ve sometimes forgotten details about the storyline etc..

    thats becuase those emotions are yours..not influenced by (action,song,background music etc etc) so they linger for long…:)

  5. air7head said: the emotions that are aroused by a book are much deeper in that they stay with me for a long time later.. even when I’ve sometimes forgotten details about the storyline etc..

    Yeah, Airhead you’re right in your context. The “multimedia” which a movie director can exploit does have a different kind of effect on us when compared to a book.

    But Magic, isn’t it true that even after being overwhelmed by the action, song, background score etc, the influence a movie has on an individual is unique? Ofcourse, it may not be as original in case of a book, and would be influenced by the various things described by you. I think each individual is unique, and hence is affected uniquely.

  6. siduced said: isn’t it true that even after being overwhelmed by the action, song, background score etc, the influence a movie has on an individual is unique?

    i didn’t disagree…but books are more personal..

  7. siduced said: isn’t it true that even after being overwhelmed by the action, song, background score etc, the influence a movie has on an individual is unique?

    good points on both scores, but as magic said, the book makes it personal.

    airhead, what u said reminds me of something i heard once abt a politican making a speech – they may forget what u said, but they’ll never forget how u made them feel.

  8. siduced said: isn’t it true that even after being overwhelmed by the action, song, background score etc, the influence a movie has on an individual is unique?

    choco my dad always says that…people always forget what you said..but they will never forget how u made them feel..:)

  9. siduced said: isn’t it true that even after being overwhelmed by the action, song, background score etc, the influence a movie has on an individual is unique?

    haaaa now ill never forget you..cuz ur hug made me feel good hehehe

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