BOOKS VERSUS MOVIES: THE AGE-OLD RIVALRY

Books versus movies: Which offers the best, most profound experience?

In the age of modern innovation, even those books that have held their own for decades are being rivaled by movies made from them. For example, “The Lord of the Rings,” one of the best-selling series of all time, now has movies that are in fierce competition with the books. Originally published in 1954, LOTR is a trilogy that tells a tale of the struggle between good and evil in the world of Middle Earth. Strains of classical mythology are intertwined with new creatures and character arcs, resulting in a potent concoction that became a literary supernova for author J.R.R. Tolkien. 

In 2001, the first installment of the saga, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” was transformed into a massive three-and-a-half hour movie. Over the next three years, the two remaining novels were turned into films. The written series had been slimmed down to just short of eleven-and-a-half hours of film. The movies certainly held their own: Receiving 475 awards, in all, they became the most awarded series in the history of cinematography.

Thus, the question was again posed: The books, or the movies? 

In analyzing this question, one factor to be considered by fans is commitment. The books include a whopping total of 481,103 words which would take an adult 32-40 hours on average to read. (Minus coffee breaks and bathroom trips, of course.) Comparatively, watching all three extended versions of the movies takes a fraction of the time at only 11 hours, 21 minutes.  

Clarity should also be taken into account. For example, two lead female characters, named Arwen and Eowyn, interact with the same lead male character at different points in the tale. They have astronomically different roles, but the similarity of their names can be confusing in the books. Meanwhile, on-screen, they are portrayed by two different actresses, eliminating any identity confusion. The ability to remember individual characters is much easier on-screen because there is a name, and a voice, to associate with each character. 

Accuracy is a third issue to consider. To keep the length of the movies manageable, many scenes and chapters from the books were cut. This, and the editing of characters’ personalities, caused much grief for the book devotees. The depth of the story is fleshed out much more thoroughly in the novels, in contrast to the entire characters and areas of conflict that were eliminated in the movies. 

Finally, the consumer’s ease should be taken into account. The books, although literary masterpieces, are not easy to read. Tolkien has a wordy and rambling writing style which often causes chapters to stretch 20-40 pages in length. In contrast, the movies maintain a constant running time at a controlled pace. 

Books or movies? Which is better? The Lord of the Rings, a literary phenomenon at its birth in the 50s, is now being judged by a new generation. The books have the ability to totally ensnare one’s mind and transport the reader to another dimension; the movies capture interest with a dramatic plot and clear character development.

However, people today appreciate ease; they want speed, and clarity is of the utmost importance. The films are the better match for what people are looking for in an epic story. They deliver the tale with a fraction of the work of reading even though the books delve further into the story.

Advocate Staff