Film vs. Book -- Which was better?

[fofol]

Film vs. Book -- Which was better?

They are both better than a lot of stuff that's out there waiting to be read or watched.

[Jane-UK]

I have really surprised myself on this, and for me this is why this is such a stand out film. Almost invariably books are better than films - unless the story lends itself to plenty of visual effects which are better portrayed on screen and BBM doesn't really fall into that category. 

Saw the film first and could not imagine the impact of the main plot - to say nothing of the many sub plots - being better in the book. It's a triumph of not only the director, but the screenwriters that such a sad, tough love story should have such impact simply by watching and listening.  Books are enhanced by imagination of the reader and the crucial empathy for the main characters. I am probably alone here but I just did not have the same level of love for Jack and Ennis when reading the book.  Ang Lee should take a bow here, as his skilled direction made each shift in the story work, from the first meeting to the last you can feel their pain - and at the reunion their joy. There are also subtle differences in the book to the film, where great chunks of dialogue are changed in the time frame. I tend to think the book treats their love on a far harsher level than is portrayed in the film.  Perhaps that is a result of the time the book was written and the film shot (and maybe the author and the film maker seeing issues differently).

Another major plus is perhaps down to Hollywood.  Both leads were remarkably better looking than portrayed in the book.  Perhaps it's easier to fall in love as a film audience  (and empathise with them) when they look like Jake and Heath?  Have to say that both did a fantastic job, have rarely seen such raw emotion expressed as pain, heartbreak and anger, but above that the subtle looks, alongside the music (which is a major plus to the visual version) totally won me over.   So it's the film for me, have lost count of the time seen now and each time it affects me for days afterwards. 

[kathy]

It will always - always - be the beautiful film for me.

kathy              
p.s.  Love the last paragraph in your post...

[Miaisland]

I have really surprised myself on this, and for me this is why this is such a stand out film. Almost invariably books are better than films - unless the story lends itself to plenty of visual effects which are better portrayed on screen and BBM doesn't really fall into that category. 

Saw the film first and could not imagine the impact of the main plot - to say nothing of the many sub plots - being better in the book. It's a triumph of not only the director, but the screenwriters that such a sad, tough love story should have such impact simply by watching and listening.  Books are enhanced by imagination of the reader and the crucial empathy for the main characters. I am probably alone here but I just did not have the same level of love for Jack and Ennis when reading the book.  Ang Lee should take a bow here, as his skilled direction made each shift in the story work, from the first meeting to the last you can feel their pain - and at the reunion their joy. There are also subtle differences in the book to the film, where great chunks of dialogue are changed in the time frame. I tend to think the book treats their love on a far harsher level than is portrayed in the film.  Perhaps that is a result of the time the book was written and the film shot (and maybe the author and the film maker seeing issues differently).

Another major plus is perhaps down to Hollywood.  Both leads were remarkably better looking than portrayed in the book.  Perhaps it's easier to fall in love as a film audience  (and empathise with them) when they look like Jake and Heath?  Have to say that both did a fantastic job, have rarely seen such raw emotion expressed as pain, heartbreak and anger, but above that the subtle looks, alongside the music (which is a major plus to the visual version) totally won me over.   So it's the film for me, have lost count of the time seen now and each time it affects me for days afterwards. 

It's the same for me. I didn't read the short story for years because of the huge impact from the film. But when I did, not long ago, I loved it, I really did. But it didn't move me the way the film did. When I saw the film I was totally swept away. Totally.

I have also long ago lost count of the times I watched it. I haven't seen it in a long time now though. And maybe I will never see it again. I don't need to, Brokeback mountain is there with me anyway, always.

[morrobay]

It's the same for me. I didn't read the short story for years because of the huge impact from the film. But when I did, not long ago, I loved it, I really did. But it didn't move me the way the film did. When I saw the film I was totally swept away. Totally.

I have also long ago lost count of the times I watched it. I haven't seen it in a long time now though. And maybe I will never see it again. I don't need to, Brokeback mountain is there with me anyway, always.

Jane & Mia, I agree with you both.  The film was so visual and so powerful, that when I read the story the first time I felt a bit let down.

It took me a while, but I came to love the story as I was able to appreciate AP's writing more...I love the spareness (is that a word?), the things she chose to describe in such detail, and the things that left us needing more...how she leaves things open-ended, unanswered...and at the same time, I want answers.  But the answers are up to us...

Mia - I'm with you.  I've seen it so many times, and may never again.  But forget?  never...

Good to have another obsessive fan here   

[Ellen (tellyouwhat)]

One more voice -- if you had read the story first, as I did, you may have found it enormously powerful and moving (as I did).  

It was this feeling from reading the story that caused Diana Ossana to start the process of writing the screenplay with McMurtry.

Bottom line, you can get Brokeback fever from the story as well as the movie.

[Miaisland]

Yes I am so sure it would have been the same for me, Ellen, if I had read it before watching the film...

[Cally]

 

Jane & Mia, I agree with you both.  The film was so visual and so powerful, that when I read the story the first time I felt a bit let down.

It took me a while, but I came to love the story as I was able to appreciate AP's writing more...I love the spareness (is that a word?), the things she chose to describe in such detail, and the things that left us needing more...how she leaves things open-ended, unanswered...and at the same time, I want answers.  But the answers are up to us...

Mia - I'm with you.  I've seen it so many times, and may never again.  But forget?  never...

Good to have another obsessive fan here   

And I was like you! - initially slightly disappointed with the book after the film, but its impact grew and grew. I just love the words and imagery - the perfection of the language. I do regard he story as canon where they differ - but then there is the SNIT...... I can't wish that away. And I confess that Jake and Heath creep into the book too, even if they become slightly less handsome versions of themselves.

Oh, I love both versions - I would hate to have to choose between them.

[morrobay]

one of my favorites, I'm sure I'm not alone in this....



Late in the afternoon, thunder growling, that same old green pickup rolled in and he saw Jack get out of the truck, beat-up Resistol tilted back. A hot jolt scalded Ennis and he was out on the landing pulling the door closed behind him. Jack took the stairs two and two. They seized each other by the shoulders, hugged mightily, squeezing the breath out of each other, saying, son of a bitch, son of a bitch, then, and easily as the right key turns the lock tumblers, their mouths came together, and hard, Jack's big teeth bringing blood, his hat falling to the floor, stubble rasping, wet saliva welling, and the door opening and Alma looking out for a few seconds at Ennis's straining shoulders and shutting the door again and still they clinched, pressing chest and groin and thigh and leg together, treading on each other's toes until they pulled apart to breathe and Ennis, not big on endearments, said what he said to his horses and daughters, little darlin.

[Cally]

Yes, you don't need pictures....

[morrobay]

Amen

[CellarDweller115]

I'm liking the current conversation here.

I'm someone who read the story after the movie.  I generally read books first, and then see movies, and leave the movie thinking the book was better.  I didn't want to ruin the movie for myself, so I didn't read the story until after, and I was able to appreciate the two as separate entities.

[fritzkep]

I read the story immediately after, within days, because I couldn't get enough of BBM. I found it on the net, but I've bought several copies since.

At first I barely realized that there were differences, but after seeing the movie several times and reading the story even more times, I came to realize what the differences were, but appreciate both as separate works, equally enjoyable.

[Cally]

In today's (UK) Times:

25 films that are better than the book
including

The Shining
Jaws
The Wizard of Oz
Gone with the Wind
The Silence of the Lambs
The Lord of the Rings
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Trainspotting
Beowulf(!)

Brokeback Mountain
Book Annie Proulx, 1997
Film Ang Lee, 2005
Annie Proulx's gay western story is a mere 57 pages of exquisite minimalism. But the film expanded so beautifully on the original text, with a richness of character abd landscape, that it won three Oscars.
Biggest change The movie added detail of the men's marriages.
Reply Proulx said she was "knocked for a loop" when she saw the film.

[Ellen (tellyouwhat)]

^^

Interesting, not that I agree with all of them. Gone with the wind is a wonderful read, and the Wizard of Oz is a real trip to read to kids. Actually it's good because it entertains the reader (adult) and the kids.

I agree this is definitely a list of excellent films prompted by books.


Maybe in the list you have above I would go along with Girl w/dragon tattoo, although I haven't seen it yet I've heard it was excellent. I thought the book was poorly written, and I hear the English translation is better than the original, due to heavy edits (but not heavy enough, IMO.)

I will nominate one film better than the book -- The Hunger Games.


ETA:  And oh yeah, I will always stand by Annie Proulx's BBM, it definitely turned me into a Brokie long before I saw the (wonderful) film.