MIddlearth, OZ and faithfulness

[Morthoron]

Hmmm...interesting conversation. Adaptations are certainly susceptible to criticism based on their flagrant misuse, twisting or abandonment of source material (LotR being a prime example); however, the making of a movie sometimes requires a heightened or altered approach to the original story due to many factors (not the least being a director or leading actor's ego, but time constraints, pacing and monetary considerations also apply). Personally (and I think this discussion can only remain on an opinionated level), I take adaptations on a case by case basis, and make an informed decision on whether I liked the movie, as opposed to having read the book, and whether or not flights of fancy from the source material hurt the production.

For instance, I found the adaptations of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Blade Runner were actually better than the books. I thought that The Name of the Rose and The Exorcist were excellent adaptations, but I liked the books better. I consider Lawrence of Arabia and The Seven Pillars of Wisdom both classics and enjoyed both immensely (but one for the filmmaker's art, and the other in historical context). The recent Narnia movie was very faithful to C.S. Lewis' book, but the movie was actually infused with more humor than the source, and was fleshed out in a manner that enhanced the story. As far as LotR, I was far more upset at PJ Jackson for what he brazenly plopped into the movie, rather than what was omitted from the source material. In a historical context, one could say there is very little factuality or faithfulness in the scripting of many of Errol Flynn's movies, but I have most of them on DVD.

*Shrugs*

P.S. The movie Gladiator seems to be based more on the 1964 film The Fall of the Roman Empire (which also had Commodus die in gladiatorial combat as opposed to being assasinated), rather than on historical records, which are decidely scarce regarding his reign. However, Commodus did often engage in gladiatorial combats in the arena.