Worst2First: My Top Ten Films Based on Classic Literature
Worst2First:
My Top Ten Films Based on Classic Literature
Here are my personal top ten films based on classic literature, worst2first...
**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**
#10
Sleepy Hollow
Based on "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving in 1820, Tim Burton's vision of Sleepy Hollow is a terrifying story of the Headless Horseman, who kills by taking the heads of its victims. Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, a detective sent from New York to investigate the murders in the small sleepy town. Co-starring Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon and Caper van Dien, "Sleepy Hollow" is an entertaining horror thriller with a cinematography pallet only Burton could contrive.
#9
Alice in Wonderland
Based on Lewis Carroll's classic novel published in 1865, Tim Burton re-imagines the wildly trippy tale of Alice, who travels through a hole and ends up in Wonderland, where she meets an array of interesting creatures as she helps the White Queen restore her throne from the evil Red Queen with the help of eccentric Mad Hatter. Starring Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway and Crispin Glover, the film is visionary marvel that earned an Academy Award nomination for Visual Effects and won two Oscars for Art Direction and Costume Design.
#8
Sense & Sensibility
Hailed as one of the best romantic authors of all time, Jane Austen's novels have been repeatedly made into Hollywood films, but none compare to "Sense & Sensibility," originally published in 1811. Centering around two sisters (played by Emma Thomson and Kate Winslet) who find themselves destitute and having to resort to marriage (their suitors played by Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman) to stay afloat, the film is a wonderful throwback to the classic era with dazzling costumes and offers more than just another romantic movie, but with biting commentary as well. The film also earned seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Actress, and won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, making Emma Thompson the only actress ever to win an Oscar for acting and screenwriting.
#7
All Quiet on the Western Front
Based off the novel by Erich Maria Remarque in 1929, the film has undergone several versions, but it's the one released just one year later - in 1930 - that's withstood the test of time. Told through the eyes of German schoolboys who enlist in the first World War, the film is still considered a realistic account of the events behind World War I, a war that nowadays doesn't get a lot of attention. The film has been heralded as one of the best, and was the first film to give out an Academy Award for Best Director and Production.
#6
Dracula
Even though he was a real person, the legend of Dracula that we know today stems from the classic Bram Stoker novel from 1897, depicting the man as an eternal vampire who feeds on the blood of the living in order to remain eternal. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins and Keanu Reeves, this 1992 version is the most true to the original novel, and is a beautifully shot and acted piece of film.
#5
Wuthering Heights
Based off the classic novel by Emily Bronte that she published in 1847, the film only focuses on half of the novel, but still delivers a powerful punch. Starring the iconic Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon, the film stays true to the novel and tells the love story of Heathcliff and Cathy, two star-crossed lovers who are from very opposite ends of the social spectrum, and their struggles to be together.
#4
Doctor Zhivago
Written by Boris Pasternak in 1957, the film adaptation focuses on the events in Russia between World War I and the Russian Civil War, and the love story of young doctor Zhivago (Omar Sharif) and his longtime love Lara (Julie Christie). Told between the battles of war, this unrequited love story stands as a testament of its own, told with brilliant style and earning the film ten Academy Award nominations, winning five.
#3
Hamlet
Published in 1603, this William Shakespeare classic has been put to film countless times, but for me it's Mel Gibson's 1990 film that remains my most favorite. Centering around Hamlet - the prince of Denmark - as he struggles to avenge his father's death as well as finding love for himself, the film is a harrowing account filled with action, intrigue, and romance, and stars Gibson, Glenn Close, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alan Bates.
#2
Les Miserables
Based on the novel by Victor Hugo in 1862, the film focuses on former convict Jean Valjean, who adopts an orphaned girl during the stormy time of the Paris Uprising of 1832. Featuring an all-star cast including Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway (who earned an Academy Award for her performance), Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried and others, the film is an unflinching look at the struggles and trials of several individuals, and it's a moving, powerful piece of cinema.
#1
The Lord of the Rings
When it comes to "The Lord of the Rings," I combine all three novels and films into one epic tale, because otherwise it'd be a boring list when the top three are the three "Lord of the Rings" films. This harrowing epic by the masterful J.R.R. Tolkein tells the story of Hobbit Fordo Baggins and his journey to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring of Power and restore peace to Middle Earth. A modern cinematic masterpiece, the film is perfect on all cylinders, from cast to story to cinematography, and will be a film series studied for centuries to come.
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