Pulp Novels Adapted into Serious Art Films

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ShogunRua
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Pulp Novels Adapted into Serious Art Films

Post by ShogunRua »

I was recently bemused by this thought. Mario Puzo's The Godfather is an excellent, exciting book, but it's also pure pulp silliness. Its roots are in exciting, fast-paced American crime fiction, with lots of well-rendered sex and violence. Puzo based the character of Don Corleone on his mother. It was meant to be a fun read (which it sure as hell was!), not a serious examination of life or any of its characters.

Yet, the movie is widely considered as a timeless classic speaking to the core of the human condition. Amusingly, this is despite being a slightly simplified version of the book. And I think Coppola's adaptation was magnificent; as good as it could possibly be. Rather, this highlights a fundamental difference between books and films as mediums.

The former is simply much deeper, by its very nature, than the latter.

Focus- What are some other silly/pure entertainment books adapted into serious, well-regarded films?

Stewball
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Re: Pulp Novels Adapted into Serious Art Films

Post by Stewball »

ShogunRua wrote:The former is simply much deeper, by its very nature, than the latter.


Literature is words on a page. Yeah, they can carry deep meaning, but movies or theater can combine all of the art forms, especially music; they can reach down together and touch the deepest parts of our spirits--en masse. When was the last time you got misty-eyed reading a book, or looking at a sculpture or a painting? Lemme es'plain. Yeah sadness makes some people cry, but mostly because they're just feeling sorry for themselves. True depth is reached when blinding beauty, poetic justice or a profound undiscovered truth reaches out and grabs you by the throat. A good director could even take this simple message and with the right music and visuals, have the whole house bawling, or howling, or cheering...or all three. But such directors are rarely given their heads because the material is usually so different, or, as is more often the case, because the director was actually a jerk.

Focus- What are some other silly/pure entertainment books adapted into serious, well-regarded films?


I might come closer to thinking of a good book that was made better on screen or stage.

ShogunRua
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Re: Pulp Novels Adapted into Serious Art Films

Post by ShogunRua »

Stewball wrote:
ShogunRua wrote:The former is simply much deeper, by its very nature, than the latter.


When was the last time you got misty-eyed reading a book, or looking at a sculpture or a painting?


Bad question to ask me, of all people. I've never cried at any book or movie in my life.

However, I have felt equal or greater emotion reading a book than I have watching any movie. Several passages of Norwegian Wood, the ending to Master and Margarita, and even the ending to The Moon is a Harsh Mistress hit depths in a way no film ever really has. Now, there are films that hit comparably impressive depths too, but not in the same manner.

Oh, and many people get emotional looking at a particularly evocative sculpture or painting. Even nowadays.

Stewball wrote:True depth is reached when blinding beauty, poetic justice or a profound undiscovered truth reaches out and grabs you by the throat.


I genuinely feel sorry that you have never experienced this from literature. You have no clue what you're missing out on.

Stewball wrote: I might come closer to thinking of a good book that was made better on screen or stage.


I made a topic about that a few months ago, actually. But this is quite different.

And for the record, I actually prefer The Godfather book by Mario Puzo by a smidge to the two movies by Coppola.

Stewball
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Re: Pulp Novels Adapted into Serious Art Films

Post by Stewball »

zopz wrote:Stewball, you are quite ridiculous.


Typical leftist--thinks off-hand name calling of those for whom he can't formulate at coherent response, props up his house-of-cards ego.

ShogunRua
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Re: Pulp Novels Adapted into Serious Art Films

Post by ShogunRua »

zopz wrote:Stewball, you are quite ridiculous.

Feuillade's Fantomas serial was based on a pulp series by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre. Feuillade denied ever being an artist, but he has admirers who would disagree. The serial has had a number of remakes, including a mini-series by Juan Luis Bunuel and Claude Chabrol, which is excellent.


A fine example. I've actually read a bit of the pulp translation and watched a bit of one episode of that mini-series, but forgot about it.

zopz wrote:I guess the next topic should be suggestions of excellent and/or classic books that were adapted into trash.


That would be way too easy and long of a list.

Stewball
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Re: Pulp Novels Adapted into Serious Art Films

Post by Stewball »

zopz wrote:I should add, "ridiculous" is in no way an insult, it just means I can't take you seriously.


Thanks for your corroborative, incoherent response.

ShogunRua
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Re: Pulp Novels Adapted into Serious Art Films

Post by ShogunRua »

zopz wrote:Shogun, it could be interesting to limit it to trash filmmakers who were deliberately low-brow, as opposed to simple failures. Stuff like Tromeo and Juliet for instance.


Ah! That would indeed be an interesting topic, but I question how much response it would get on here versus Cinemageddon. (Granted, this particular thread hasn't exactly been riotously popular...)

iconogassed
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Re: Pulp Novels Adapted into Serious Art Films

Post by iconogassed »

ShogunRua wrote:
Stewball wrote:True depth is reached when blinding beauty, poetic justice or a profound undiscovered truth reaches out and grabs you by the throat.


I genuinely feel sorry that you have never experienced this from literature. You have no clue what you're missing out on.

It's unfortunate that there's no post-deleting equivalent to mercy killing. We just have to watch him hobble along, snarling senselessly at generous passersby as he drops a load in the middle of the sidewalk...

Stewball
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Re: Pulp Novels Adapted into Serious Art Films

Post by Stewball »

undinum wrote:It's unfortunate that there's no post-deleting equivalent to mercy killing. We just have to watch him hobble along, snarling senselessly at generous passersby as he drops a load in the middle of the sidewalk...


Last I heard the only place they allowed you to shit on the sidewalk was San Francisco. Is that where you came from, with only 30 posts in over 7 years and you decide to drop by and add your 31st with that pretentious kvetch about my opinion on art? There used to be only 9 Muses, but no one could get them to collaborate until the 10th Muse, Tainía, appeared not long ago, in a land of golden mountains and angels.

Last I heard neither Truth nor opinions were determined by consensus, committee or majority rule. Tough, I know, but why don't you try expressing your own opinion, even if it's about somebody else's opinion, rather than to demolish what you thought was a pile by blowing up the sidewalk. BTW, you including yourself in with those "generous passersby"? If you'd have come by more often, you might have noticed over time that I only respond in kind, or lower.

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