Do film adaptations kill off literature?
Some people are of the opinion that film adaptations of literature are never any good. They either transform the plot of a novel to such a point that it is not recognizable any more or they make the content seem much less valuable, meaningful or concise. In other words making films on the basis of books kills off the literature. I believe that in such questions no definite statements can be made. For example, all adaptations of Stephen King's novels that I have seen seem to confirm the above-mentioned opinion. Neither of them has the sharpness or eloquence, not to mention the thrilling pace of the originals. On the other hand, there have been a number of adaptations of the “Dangerous Liaisons” made by the American, the English as well as by the French and all of them are of considerable artistic value and no less enticing or moving than the novel by Pierre de Laclos. If it is not the question of film adaptations themselves, then maybe it is a case of the book itself and the particular style of writing. It may be that Mr. King's unique way of constructing images on paper simply cannot be transformed into a different means of expression without damage to the meaning of the text and the impression it makes on its recipient. That is why, we ought to be a little more understanding when watching a film adaptation, remembering that it is probably more difficult to adapt something than to create it from scratch.