Books vs. Movies

Serious Spoiler Alert for The Big Sleep, Casino Royale, and Rebecca.

Conventional wisdom suggests that the book is superior to the film adaptation. While I agree this is typically the case (cough The Black Cauldron cough), there are certainly exceptions (To Have and Have Not, undoubtedly, but personally I enjoy the HP films more than the books). I’m not interested in cases where there isn’t one version that is clearly better, but where the different versions have different strengths. Many of the list books have film adaptations. Unfortunately, the films I’ve seen and the books I’ve read do not match up too well, but here are some thoughts.

The Big Sleep.
If I had to choose one over the other, the film would win. Bogart and Bacall absolutely sizzle in this one. There a spark that To Have and Have Not has over Big Sleep, and a depth to their relationship in Key Largo, but their chemistry in Big Sleep is in a class by itself. My main complaint about the book is, of course, that they don’t have as much of a relationship. Vivian and Phil are not a couple at all, really. Mona Mars even gets one of the best scenes, thus eliminating the scene when Phil tells Vivian that he didn’t know they still made them that good (and oh, Bacall, they don’t now; it’s sad). Mona is even the woman Phil is thinking about at the end. It’s just wrong. But, the book did help clear up all of my confusion about why Geiger did what he did and why Mr. Sternwood hired Marlow in the first place; what can I say, I’m a bit slow when it comes to noir. Vivian, Carmen, and Phil also have a more interesting dynamic in the book, since Carmen doesn’t have to be redeemed at all. She’s a much darker character, and I like it that way. My favorite scene in the book is missing in the movie (and wouldn’t work in the movie while still keeping my favorite movie scene, so I guess I have to live with that), and it shows Carmen at her rawest. It’s positively terrifying. So, there are definite tradeoffs. I really do not understand, though, why they don’t have Vivian married to Sean in the movie like she is in the book (though his name is Rusty in that). Don’t get that change at all.

Casino Royale.
Again, movie wins hands down. Vesper is just an infinitely more awesome character in the movie. Vesper and Bond therefore have a much more interesting, and I would argue believable, relationship. Vesper in the book is almost your average Bond girl and she doesn’t do anything for me, really. That being said, SMERSH is works much better as the villain in the book; the Russian set up makes much more sense. I also like that Vesper commits suicide in the book. Finally, I think Baccarat is more fun than Poker. So, no contest, but the book is worth checking out and does have some things I like better than the film. It probably goes without saying, but I’m talking about the Daniel Craig film; I’ve never seen the first one.

Rebecca
I’ve always had a soft spot for Joan Fontaine. However, the book wins out for me with this one. The lead works better if you are in her head; she comes off as awfully simpering in the movie; in the book, she’s at least marginally interesting. The real reason the book is superior, in my opinion at least, though, is that the death of Rebecca makes so much more sense than in the film. It’s supremely ridiculous in the movie: “I was upset, and then she just kind of died.” Really, movie? Really? In the book, he’s a murderer! It’s awesome. Whether it’s the movie or the book, though, Rebecca kind of bugs. I am obviously not cut out to be a gothic heroine. “Thanks for telling me that’s not how Mrs. de Winter used to do things; I’ll just file that away in the completely irrelevant column. I am curious, though: what time of day did she write up help-wanted ads? I think I’m in the market for a new housekeeper.”

There are several that I should probably see the movie version, since the movie is almost more famous than the book (Dr. Zhivago, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, American Psycho, The Cider House Rules, The English Patient). We’ll see. I’m particularly interested in seeing the first two, since I don’t understand how they could work as films without messing with important aspects of the novels.